In the spring of 2021, the life of 15-year-old Sanaa Amenhotep was tragically cut short in a brutal act of violence that began on April 5th. A Black female and a ninth-grade student at Richland Northeast High School, Sanaa vanished from her apartment complex in Richland County, South Carolina. Lured from her home by individuals she believed to be her friends, she was coerced into a stolen vehicle, marking the beginning of a horrific ordeal.
Her family, including her mother, Saleemah Graham-Fleming, and her father, Sharif Amenhotep, a prominent anti-violence activist, immediately knew something was wrong and launched a desperate search for their daughter.
The investigation revealed a chilling plot of abduction and murder. Three teenagers, Nicolle Sanchez-Peralta, Treveon Nelson, and Jaylen Wilson, were identified as the perpetrators. After forcing Sanaa into the car, they drove her to a secluded, wooded area in Leesville, located in neighboring Lexington County. During the drive, her phone was deactivated and thrown away. In this isolated location, she was subjected to a brutal beating before being shot at least 14 times. Her assailants then buried her body in a shallow grave, where she remained undiscovered for over three weeks while her family and community tirelessly searched for her. Law enforcement located her remains on April 28, 2021.
The motive behind this senseless act was determined to be retaliation. Prosecutors stated that Treveon Nelson believed Sanaa's boyfriend at the time was responsible for a drive-by shooting at his house the night before the murder. Sanaa was targeted as a result of this belief. The shocking nature of the crime, perpetrated by peers of the victim, sent waves of grief and outrage through the community.
All three individuals responsible for Sanaa Amenhotep's death were apprehended and faced the judicial system. Nicolle Sanchez-Peralta, who was a minor at the time of the murder along with Wilson, stood trial and was found guilty of murder and kidnapping by a jury in May 2023. Her defense claimed she was a victim of abuse by her boyfriend, Treveon Nelson, and was coerced into participating, but the prosecution successfully argued she was a willing participant. The other two defendants, Treveon Nelson and Jaylen Wilson, opted to plead guilty to charges including murder, kidnapping, criminal conspiracy, and possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime. In August 2023, the sentences were handed down. Nicolle Sanchez-Peralta received a 65-year prison sentence, while Treveon Nelson and Jaylen Wilson were each sentenced to 60 years. The judge stipulated that these sentences must be served in their entirety, without the possibility of parole.
