In the summer of 2016, a quiet community in Darlington, South Carolina, was shattered by the tragic deaths of 9-year-old Deziyah Davis and her 52-year-old grandmother, Denise Couplin. The two were found shot to death in their home on Bobo Newsome Highway on July 17, 2016, the victims of a brutal home invasion. The house had been ransacked, with forced entry at the front door, indicating a robbery had taken place.
The investigation quickly led authorities to 23-year-old Cephas Cowick and
his 25-year-old wife, Katherine Cowick. Investigators learned that Cephas Cowick had a prior relationship with the family, having previously done work for Denise Couplin and even lived in her home for a time. It was revealed that in the time leading up to the murders, Couplin had been receiving harassing and threatening phone calls from Cephas.
Following the discovery of the bodies, law enforcement found Couplin's stolen and burned car on a nearby road, an attempt by the perpetrators to destroy evidence. At the Cowick's residence, authorities discovered a. 380 handgun, pills that had been taken from Couplin's home, and her debit card in Katherine Cowick's purse. Both Cephas and Katherine Cowick were arrested and charged in connection with the double homicide.
In June 2020, Cephas Cowick pleaded guilty to two counts of murder to avoid the death penalty and was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. During his hearing, it was detailed that he had been dropped off at the victims' home by his wife on the morning of the murders. He entered a downstairs bedroom where Deziyah and her grandmother were sleeping and shot them both in the head. Nearly five years later, in June 2025, Katherine Cowick was sentenced to 25 years in prison for her role in the crimes. She was found guilty of accessory before the fact to armed robbery and burglary but was acquitted of accessory before the fact to murder. During her sentencing, she attributed her actions to a drug addiction. The heartbreaking impact on the surviving family members was evident as Deziyah's sister, who was also in the house at the time of the murders, spoke of the lasting trauma of finding her sister and the emotional turmoil that has followed.
