Sabrina Newshawn Shelton, a 38-year-old Black woman from Bakersfield, California, was killed in a shooting on the morning of August 3, 2022. The incident took place at the Manila Inn, a motel located in the 900 block of Union Avenue in her home city.
Around 6 a.m., officers with the Bakersfield Police Department were dispatched to the motel after receiving a report of a shooting. When they arrived, they found Sabrina Shelton suffering from what appeared to be a gunshot wound.
Emergency medical services transported her to a local hospital for treatment, but she succumbed to her injuries and was pronounced dead.
The police investigation into the homicide progressed rapidly. Within hours of the shooting, detectives identified and arrested a suspect. The man taken into custody was Vernon McCollum, a 63-year-old resident of Bakersfield. He was subsequently charged with murder for his role in Shelton's death.
The case against Vernon McCollum proceeded through the court system. He was ultimately convicted for the shooting that killed Sabrina Shelton. Following the conviction, McCollum was sentenced to serve nearly two decades in prison, bringing a legal conclusion to the case.
