friend Archives - Home Safety Tech Pros

Man shot woman, made his friend finish the job: Prosecutors

homesafetytechpros — Wed, 12 Mar 2025 17:19:02 +0000

Background: News footage of Brandon Davis as his murder trial began (WCPO). Inset: Asiah Slone (Middletown Division of Police).

An Ohio man who murdered a woman he claimed to consider a “sister” was sentenced to life in prison after being found guilty by a jury.

According to prosecutors, Brandon Davis, 46, organized the execution of Asiah Slone, 35, who had been in a relationship with Davis’ father that ended tumultuously. In June 2024, Slone was reported missing by her brother. Weeks later, on July 1, 2024, Slone’s decomposing remains were found by her best friend in a garbage can in Middletown, Ohio.

Two suspects were arrested in connection to her murder — Davis and Perry Hart, 59, who prosecutors said was directed by Davis to finish the job he started by shooting Slone in the head while she slept.

During the trial, prosecutors said that on June 7, 2024, Davis shot Slone in the head while she was sleeping in bed, but didn’t succeed in killing her. While Slone reportedly suffered from the first gunshot wound, Davis told Hart to “take her downstairs and shut her up.” Hart did as he was told and dragged Slone down to the basement in her home and fired a second, fatal shot into her head.

Prosecutors said that Davis asked Hart while holding a gun to his head, “Are you with me or are you against me?”

Hart previously pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter and kidnapping and served as a key witness against Davis. As part of his plea agreement, he had four felony counts of aggravated murder, murder, and illegal weapons possession dropped. DNA evidence from the murder weapon connected him to Slone’s death.

During her testimony, Slone’s best friend Casey Kilgore, who found her remains in the trash can, called Davis a “monster.”

After the trial concluded, Davis was found guilty of aggravated murder, murder, attempted murder, kidnapping, and illegal firearms possession by a jury who deliberated for less than five hours.

Davis maintained his innocence, telling the judge in court, “I had nothing to do with the murder of Asiah Slone. She truly was my sister.” His attorney stated that Davis planned to appeal his conviction. He was sentenced by a judge to life in prison with the possibility of parole in 44 1/2 years plus 10 years for being a violent repeat offender and another 4 1/2 years for the gun charges.

Hart’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for March 31.

Love true crime? Sign up for our newsletter, The Law&Crime Docket, to get the latest real-life crime stories delivered right to your inbox.

Source link

The post Man shot woman, made his friend finish the job: Prosecutors appeared first on Home Safety Tech Pros.

Man strangled friend at birthday party he planned for her

homesafetytechpros — Wed, 12 Mar 2025 09:08:24 +0000

Inset: Jhon Moises Chacaguasay-Ilbis in court Monday, March 10, in Onondaga County, N.Y. (Syracuse.com/YouTube). Right inset: Joselyn Toaquiza (GoFundMe). Background: Surveillance video showing Joselyn Toaquiza walking into an Airbnb with Jhon Moises Chacaguasay-Ilbis where he had planned a celebration for her 21st birthday (News 12/YouTube).

A young man in upstate New York is heading to prison for strangling a childhood friend of his at a private birthday party he threw for her at an Airbnb — complete with cake, new sneakers for gifts and miniature wine bottles with the words “I love you” written on them, according to police and prosecutors.

Video footage, which was first obtained by the local NBC affiliate WSTM, shows 21-year-old Jhon Chacaguasay-Ilbis — who was handed a sentence of 23 years to life in prison Monday — walking into a Syracuse Airbnb on June 18, 2024, with the victim Joselyn Toaquiza, 21, and then exiting with her lifeless body. The young man pleaded guilty to strangling Toaquiza with an unknown object before driving her to a local park and dumping her body in a shallow grave, according to Onondaga County prosecutors and Judge Ted Limpert, who condemned Chacaguasay-Ilbis for his “unimaginable” crimes at his sentencing, which was covered by Syracuse.com.

“This crime is really inexplicable,” Limpert said.

While Chacaguasay-Ilbis admitted to killing Toaquiza, who was found on June 22 in Syracuse’s Lincoln Park, he has never revealed a motive to anyone. Police and family members were also unable to identify one.

“The court is not aware of, nor is the family aware of, the reasons that this happened and it’s very disturbed by that and that’s something I’m sure the family is going to wrestle with for the rest of their lives,” Limpert said. “They can’t understand it, nor can I — nor can the people of this community — why you would take the life of such a young, beautiful woman and I’m sure that the pain, as we heard from the statements of the family, is unimaginable and that they will never be able to remove that pain from their lives.”

After arresting Chacaguasay-Ilbis, police revealed that he knew the young woman from earlier in their childhoods, but it’s unclear how they reconnected later in life. Prosecutors said Chacaguasay-Ilbis used Toaquiza’s credit cards to make purchases after her death, including an Onlyfans subscription, Syracuse.com reports. They alleged that he entered the United States from Ecuador illegally in 2022.

Toaquiza’s family issued a statement Monday through a Spanish interpreter, saying it would “never forgive” Chacaguasay-Ilbis for what he did.

“How can you live bearing the thought of having taken the life of an innocent person?” the family said. “How can you sleep at night knowing that you have caused so much pain and suffering?”

Chacaguasay-Ilbis offered up a statement of his own and apologized for his actions, but he didn’t provide a reason for why he did what he did.

“I want to apologize to (Toaquiza’s) family, to my family and to my friends and mates for all the pain and suffering that I have caused,” Chacaguasay-Ilbis said. “I feel really bad and ashamed for this situation that I caused, for ignoring my principles and values. I understand and I respect your pain. I acknowledge the damage and I’m responsible for my actions. I regret everything and I wholeheartedly ask for your forgiveness. I wasn’t conscious about what I did.”

As part of Chacaguasay-Ilbis’ plea deal, he was reportedly promised a sentence of no worse than 25 years to life in prison. A GoFundMe created for Toaquiza last year describes her as a “beloved” friend and family member from Ecuador who was “tragically taken” in a “senseless act of violence.” The family used the funds from the online fundraiser to transport Toaquiza’s body back to her home country where she was “laid to rest with dignity among her ancestors and loved ones.”

Love true crime? Sign up for our newsletter, The Law&Crime Docket, to get the latest real-life crime stories delivered right to your inbox.

Source link

The post Man strangled friend at birthday party he planned for her appeared first on Home Safety Tech Pros.

Man accused of stabbing ‘pro-Trump’ friend found not guilty

homesafetytechpros — Sun, 02 Mar 2025 00:46:21 +0000

Background: News footage from the scene of William Steven Knight’s stabbing death in January 2020 (WKMG). Inset (left): Mason Toney (Orange County Sheriff’s Office). Inset (right): William Steven Knight (provided by family).

A Florida man who was charged with the murder of his childhood friend and boss, allegedly after a fight about politics, was found not guilty by reason of insanity.

Court records obtained by local CBS affiliate WKMG stated that Mason Trever Toney, 34, was found not guilty by reason of insanity on Feb. 7, five years after he was accused of stabbing William Steven Knight, 28, with a trowel off the Florida Turnpike. Knight died of his injuries at the scene on Jan. 20, 2020, and Toney was arrested the same day. Knight was not only Toney’s boss, but the two men had also been friends for decades.

According to court documents, witnesses stated at the time that the two men had reportedly argued about politics, including Knight’s support for President Donald Trump.

WESH, a local NBC affiliate, reported on the arrest affidavit at the time. When officers arrived at the scene, they found Knight’s body next to an excavator, an American flag thrown nearby. Witnesses told investigators that Knight, a “proud and outspoken American” who was “pro-Donald Trump,” picked up Toney to go to another site when an argument about politics erupted. Toney was described by the witnesses as anti-government, and reportedly believed “the government is bad and out to get him.”

The witnesses said they heard Knight yelling for help and then ran to aid him. The witnesses went on to say they had tried to stop Toney, but he was wielding what they believed was a knife. It was later clarified the defendant had allegedly used a trowel — a construction tool used to smooth concrete — in the slaying. The witnesses told investigators that Toney allegedly had a backpack with him, which was unusual.

According to the affidavit, Toney reportedly called the witnesses “terrorists” then jumped into a truck after allegedly attacking Knight, who died from his injuries at the scene. The Orange County Sheriff’s Office reported that Toney was found in Brevard County later the same day in the same truck.

Knight’s mother told WKMG after her son’s death, “This wasn’t about politics. There was something wrong with Mason.” The outlet reported that she had warned her son not to hire Toney because of his erratic behavior.

Toney was found not guilty by reason of insanity following a non-jury trial. A review hearing was scheduled for Aug. 11.

Love true crime? Sign up for our newsletter, The Law&Crime Docket, to get the latest real-life crime stories delivered right to your inbox.

Source link

The post Man accused of stabbing ‘pro-Trump’ friend found not guilty appeared first on Home Safety Tech Pros.

Teen killed by man who urinated on grave of victim’s friend

homesafetytechpros — Mon, 27 Jan 2025 06:51:41 +0000

Teen victim Hasan Humphries (GoFundMe).

A California man was found guilty this month of first-degree murder for killing a 17-year-old in Oakland while on an “escalating” crime spree that included carjackings, robberies and urinating on the grave of one of the victim’s friends for an Instagram video, according to prosecutors.

Jacobi Gaines, 23, was also convicted of three counts of gun possession, carjacking, robbery, vehicle theft and assault with a deadly weapon in connection to his six-week crime spree back at the end of 2019 and beginning of 2020 — culminating in the murder of Hasan Humphries, according to the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office, which announced the conviction in a Friday press release.

Gaines, who was 18 at the time, was beefing with various people from Oakland as part of a reported gang rivalry, according to the East Bay Times. He posted videos and messages on Instagram, saying things like “kill or be killed” and violent rap lyrics, along with the urination video that was aimed at one of Humphries’ dead friends. It’s unclear how Gaines and Humphries knew each other.

“The testimony and evidence presented at trial showed that Mr. Gaines began his crime spree on or about December 2, 2019, with an escalating series of carjackings, robberies, and thefts, which culminated in the murder of Hassan Humphries, who was unarmed when he suffered two gunshot wounds by Mr. Gaines on January 13, 2020,” the DA’s office said.

Gaines’ cell phone placed him at the scene of the murder at the time it occurred, according to prosecutors. Evidence was also presented at trial showing how Gaines was driving a Audi A4 Quattro “with a custom black grille” that he stole during his crime spree and was spotted fleeing in after the murder.

“Additional evidence regarding motive included a video of Mr. Gaines urinating on the grave of one of the victim’s friends posted on social media,” prosecutors said.

“This verdict removes a dangerous person from our community,” Chief Assistant District Attorney Royl Roberts explained in a statement.

Gaines will face up to life in state prison when he’s sentenced next month. The hearing is scheduled for Feb. 20.

Source link

The post Teen killed by man who urinated on grave of victim’s friend appeared first on Home Safety Tech Pros.

Driver fled after friend fell from car, died

homesafetytechpros — Sat, 14 Dec 2024 00:41:55 +0000

Left to right: Kentia M. Fearn (Oakland County Jail) and Mia Kanu (WJBK).

A 24-year-old woman in Michigan who drove away after a friend fell out of her moving car and died in the middle of the road will be going to jail. An Oakland County judge ordered Kentia M. Fearn to spend ninety days in jail for her role in the death of Mia Kanu, court records reviewed by Law&Crime show.

Fearn pleaded no contest in October to one count of leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death as well as one count of operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated. In addition to her incarceration, Fearn was also sentenced to three years of probation.

The deadly incident took place shortly after Fearn and Kanu left a party in the early morning hours of June 3, 2023, in a car that Fearn was driving.

As Law&Crime previously reported, officers with the Southfield Police Department at about 4:32 a.m. on June 3 responded to a strip of road in front of the Coach House Apartments on Providence Drive, about 15 miles northwest of Detroit, in regards to a report about an adult female lying motionless in the street, the Detroit Free Press reported. The female — later identified as Kanu — was transported to Ascension Providence Hospital in Southfield, where medical personnel said she had suffered severe head trauma and admitted her into the intensive care unit and placed her on life support.

The person who called 911 was a passerby who did not know Kanu.

Kanu remained in the hospital for two days before she was declared dead on June 5, but remained on life support for an additional three days because she was an organ donor. According to the Free Press, staffers at Ascension Providence honored Kanu with a “walk of life” ceremony as she was brought to the operating room.

“There was no brain activity. Her liver went to a baby, her kidneys went to a recipient and her tissues and muscles were donated to the Gift of Life,” her mother, Bianca Vanmeter, told the newspaper. “She just looked like a beautiful angel laying in bed.”

Vanmeter reportedly said she saw her daughter before she went to work at the Green Lantern restaurant in Berkley on the morning of June 2. When Kanu finished her shift at the restaurant, her mother said she was picked up by a female friend who was staying at her house, along with her daughter, and the two went with friends to a house party.

Prosecutors in Oakland County said that after leaving the party, Kanu fell out of Fearn’s vehicle onto the road. Fearn allegedly did not stop. Instead, she left the area and did not alert anyone or call 911, authorities said.

“The law requires anyone involved in an accident to stop and immediately report the accident to authorities,” Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald said. “Leaving the scene when someone is seriously injured or dies is a felony. My office will hold those who do so accountable.”

Fearn was arrested and charged in Kanu’s death about three months after the incident.

Kanu’s obituary said she was “a treasure to all those who loved her.”

“Mia, was a wonderful daughter, granddaughter, sister, niece, cousin and friend who touched the lives of all those around her,” the tribute stated. “Mia dedicated her life to God, her family and friends. To all those that she encountered, Mia was kind, loving, sweet and funny. She was a team leader in all that she did and was a very active team player in volleyball and school activities.”

Source link

The post Driver fled after friend fell from car, died appeared first on Home Safety Tech Pros.

Trial gets underway for alleged hit man accused of shooting attorney for litigant friend

homesafetytechpros — Sat, 30 Nov 2024 08:00:05 +0000

Criminal Justice

Trial gets underway for alleged hit man accused of shooting attorney for litigant friend

By Debra Cassens Weiss

November 13, 2024, 3:10 pm CST

A Hilton Head, South Carolina, man is on trial this week for attempted murder in an April 2023 shooting of a Greenville, South Carolina, attorney. (Image from Shutterstock)

A Hilton Head, South Carolina, man is on trial this week for attempted murder in an April 2023 shooting of a Greenville, South Carolina, attorney.

The defendant, Travis Douglass, is accused of shooting lawyer JP Baum outside his law office in a crime carried out for a friend who was being sued by Baum’s then-law firm, the Law Offices of Truluck Thomason, WYFF 4 reports. Baum survived.

Prosecutors say Douglass’ friend, architect David Smith, was sued for $1.7 million over construction issues, according to a prior WYFF 4 story. Smith bequeathed his house to his wife in a will on the day of Douglass’ arrest and died the next day after crashing his car into a pole while traveling 105 miles per hour.

Baum’s lawyer has said he wasn’t the intended target, according to WYFF 4. Baum was the same size as another lawyer who was the subject of a Google search by Douglass, the lawyer said.

Baum feared that he was dying, he said in a statement read in court, according to the previous WYFF 4 story.

“My right lung collapsed, and blood began to fill my lungs. As I started to take what I believed was my last breaths in this world, I called my wife to tell her I was dying, and that I loved her,” according to the statement.

Evidence in the case includes video of a man getting out of a scratched RV to look at an attorney’s car and then waiting in the vehicle for three hours before the shooting, the television station reports.

Douglass had an RV with the same scratch, prosecutors say. A bullet casing was under the seat. Cell tower information and receipts also put Douglass in the vicinity of the crime.

A prosecution witness also cited Google searches by Douglass and Smith, including a search by Smith for “maximum sentence for accessory after the fact.”

Baum has left the Law Offices of Truluck Thomason and now practices with Campbell Teague, according to an online bio.

He did not immediately respond to an ABA Journal request for comment.

Source link

The post Trial gets underway for alleged hit man accused of shooting attorney for litigant friend appeared first on Home Safety Tech Pros.

Man kills longtime friend turned landlord during 911 call

homesafetytechpros — Sat, 23 Mar 2024 10:22:44 +0000

Nathan Wesley Zeigler appears in a booking photo (South Carolina First Judicial Circuit Solicitor’s Office).

A South Carolina man will spend the rest of his life behind bars for the murder of a longtime friend turned landlord who eventually served him an eviction notice amid their protracted falling out.

On Thursday, Nathan Wesley Zeigler, 64, was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole by 1st Judicial Circuit Court Judge Heath Taylor for the murder of Charles Jacob “CJ” Young, 82.

For 20 years, Young allowed Zeigler to live in his home for free.

Friends before the living arrangements were made, Young moved away to New York and gave Zeigler the keys to his home in Dorchester County. First Assistant Solicitor Kelly LaPlante said Young considered Zeigler a son, according to Charleston-based CBS affiliate WCSC.

The dead man’s obituary describes his time in the Empire State:

“CJ” had two things that he knew he wanted to do in life, that was to make people happy and be an entrepreneur. He never did anything that his heart wasn’t fully in. So, with a determined mind, he started his own furniture upholstery business on August 8, 1983, C.Y. Upholstery in NYC. “CJ””s first opening was in Brooklyn, NY however he relocated to Manhattan, NY where the business exploded for him. He attracted customers from all over …

After decades, the upholstery business was closed. The free real estate did not last — and, in time, neither did the friendship.

When Young retired, he moved back to the Palmetto State and back into his house on Johnson Road and Honeysuckle Road in Harleyville — a tiny town roughly 45 miles northwest of Charleston.

Problems ensued after Young’s homecoming. Police were called to deal with domestic disturbances on multiple occasions. An incident report obtained by The Post and Courier suggests Young’s brother was often on the property — or had also come to live there.

In December 2021, Young served Zeigler with an eviction notice — but after years of rent-free living, he simply refused to leave.

On Jan. 7, 2022, there was a full house.

Late that morning, Young called 911 and begged them to send help. A dispatcher heard another voice shouting: “I told you I wasn’t playing with you.” Then they heard the gunshot.

Dorchester County deputies responded around noon. Young was found dead in the kitchen with a gunshot wound to his neck.

The victim’s obituary continues:

“CJ” was the “fun” and had plenty of liveliness and love to go around. He made it his business to travel the world and see what was out there to discover. Although on some of these trips he would just go and not tell anyone he was going, he always had a story to tell about his adventure when he came home. “CJ” enjoyed meeting new people all over the world, he invited and hosted people from various countries and cultures into his home in NYC. Many would agree that “CJ” was a very outgoing person. As a gracious host, he always made you feel comfortable around him. He loved to cook, and you didn’t know what you were going to be served when he was in the kitchen. Oh “CJ” had an exquisite palette and what may have looked strange always tasted delicious. He hosted an annual family gathering at his home in S.C. which would draw crowds both near and far. Dozens upon dozens of people would attend. This event was a true testament on how much “CJ” loved family.

Zeigler was found sitting in a chair in the backyard and was detained by a Harleyville police officer until backup could arrive.

Young’s brother spoke with deputies and said he had overheard the two get into it in the kitchen. At one point, Young told Zeigler to “move something out of his way,” followed by the telltale bang, the brother said. Upon entering the kitchen, he said he saw his brother on the floor, “not moving,” and Zeigler walking outside “with a gun in hand.”

Investigators found the murder weapon inside of a grill.

Zeigler was charged with one count each of murder and possession of a firearm during a crime.

During the trial, the defendant admitted to shooting Young but claimed self-defense.

“This was not self-defense, this was a senseless murder,” Assistant Solicitor Shannon Elliott told the jurors, according to a courtroom report by Greenville-based NBC affiliate WYFF.

Jurors deliberated just shy of four hours before returning a guilty verdict earlier this week. Zeigler was sentenced quickly after.

Have a tip we should know? [email protected]

Source link

The post Man kills longtime friend turned landlord during 911 call appeared first on Home Safety Tech Pros.