Shandiin Bernal Sanchez, a 20-year-old woman of Navajo descent, was shot to death on October 27, 2019, in the parking lot of her south Charlotte apartment complex. Born February 20, 1999, in Gallup, New Mexico, she grew up on the Navajo reservation before moving to Charlotte at age three and was described as independent and dedicated to her business endeavors.

The shooting occurred around 5 a.m.; she was struck in the back of the head and pronounced dead at the scene. Investigators say the killing happened during a theft: money taken from her Bible was the motive, and a 15-year-old boy fired the fatal shot. Nineteen-year-old Mario Ramirez-Duarte was later identified as a suspect and was arrested and charged in connection with the case, though those charges were subsequently dropped.

Shandiin’s mother, Janus Taiman, has spoken publicly about the family’s loss and has pointed at Ramirez-Duarte as the person who orchestrated the incident. The teenager who pulled the trigger served four years in prison and is due for release soon. Did anyone in Charlotte or the Navajo community have contact with Shandiin around October 27, 2019?