1993: Jamal Wilson sat by his mother as she died of complications as result of AIDS. Janine Wilson was a drug user and contracted the virus from sharing an IV. Before she died, she befriended Livia and Tom Cudahy. The Cudahy’s took Jamal in as their foster son, intent on adopting him. But the white supremacist group Deconstruction was not about to condone a multi-racial family adopting an African American child. They bombed the Cudahy’s home. Thanks to Taylor Cannon’s warning, none of the Cudahys were hurt.
Jamal’s new friend Timmy Hunter accused him of owning the drugs that his father, Trevor Dillon, found in his backpack. Jamal told Trevor that he would never use drugs after seeing what it had done to his mother. It took Timmy’s near death collision with a car to open Trevor’s eyes to Timmy’s drug abuse.

1994: Jamal learned that his biological father, Alec McIntyre, was still alive and living in Pine Valley. Alec wanted to be a part of Jamal’s life. The Cudahy’s were prepared to adopt Jamal. When Alec sued for custody, he won. Jamal was forced to move in with Alec.
Jamal took matters into his own hands. He asked Trevor to defend him in another custody battle. Jamal was going to divorce Alec so that he could live with the Cudahys. When Alec saw how adamant his son was to live with the Cudahys, he waived his parental rights. Tom and Livia were free to adopt him.
Livia got a judgeship position in a town right outside of Pine Valley. Jamal made frequent visits with Tom to see his friend Timmy.

1995: Trevor tracked down Jamal and Timmy when they went on a camping trip with Timmy’s uncle, Michael Delaney. Michael was gay, and Trevor worried about leaving the boys with him.

2006: Now in law school, Jamal took a break from his studies for an important cause. He was part of an underground network that helped abused women escape their living situations. Annie McDermott had just learned her husband, Terry McDermott, was soliciting sex from underage teenagers on the internet. She was afraid of what Terry would do to their daughter, Emma McDermott. Jamal asked Erin Lavery to help him find her a safe place to stay in Pine Valley.
Jamal remained in Pine Valley to assure Annie’s safety. Erin Lavery, another ring facilitator, asked Jamal to pretend to be her new boyfriend to throw off her ex-boyfriend, private investigator Aidan Devane. Livia discovered Jamal working at ConFUSION as a bartender. Jamal could not tell Livia what he was doing, but assured her he would return to law school as soon as he was sure Annie was safe.
Jonathan Lavery killed Terry after he tried to rape Lily Montgomery. With the ordeal over, Jamal left Pine Valley.