On a tragic evening in Niagara Falls, New York, the life of 25-year-old Shakiya N. Boyce was cut short. On September 29, 2020, Boyce was attending a candlelight vigil for another recent homicide victim when she was fatally shot. The incident occurred in the area of Niagara Street and 10th Street, a location that was already steeped in sorrow.
In the days that followed, the Niagara Falls Police Department launched an intensive investigation into the senseless act of violence that claimed
Boyce's life. Their efforts led to the identification of a suspect, Robert Maverick Smith. On October 1, 2020, Smith was taken into custody and subsequently arrested in connection with the shooting. The investigation suggested that Smith was involved in an altercation at the vigil prior to the shooting.
Following his arrest, a Niagara County Grand Jury handed down an indictment against Robert Maverick Smith. He was formally charged with Murder in the Second Degree and two counts of Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree. The charges reflected the gravity of the accusation that he was responsible for the death of Shakiya Boyce.
Details of the subsequent legal proceedings, including the outcome of the trial and any conviction or sentencing for Robert Maverick Smith, are not readily available in the public domain. The narrative of this tragic event concludes with the apprehension and indictment of the individual accused of ending a young woman's life at a place of mourning.
