Yetunde Hawanya Tara Price, the older half-sister of tennis stars Venus and Serena Williams, tragically lost her life on September 14, 2003, in Compton, California. Price, who was 31 years old at the time, was a nurse and also worked as a personal assistant to her famous sisters. On the night of her death, she was sitting in her SUV with her boyfriend outside a house that was later identified as a crack house.
Unbeknownst to them, the house was under the watch of members of the South Side Compton Crips street gang, who mistook their vehicle for that of rival gang members and opened fire. Price was struck by a bullet in the head and was pronounced dead shortly after being taken to a nearby hospital.
The investigation into Price's death led to the arrest of Robert Edward Maxfield, a member of the South Side Compton Crips. Maxfield faced multiple trials for the murder of Yetunde Price. His first two trials ended in mistrials due to hung juries. In the first trial, the jury was split with six jurors voting for acquittal, five for guilt, and one undecided. The second trial also ended in a mistrial with an 11-1 vote in favor of conviction. Finally, on March 22, 2006, Maxfield pleaded no contest to voluntary manslaughter, just a day before his third trial was set to begin. He was sentenced to 15 years in prison.
The case also involved another defendant who was accused of firing a handgun during the incident. However, the murder charge against this individual was dismissed after the first trial when authorities concluded that he did not cause the fatal wound. The tragic death of Yetunde Price brought significant media attention, not only because of her relationship with the Williams sisters but also due to the senseless nature of the violence that claimed her life. The family, particularly Venus and Serena Williams, were deeply affected by the loss and have since been involved in various initiatives to honor her memory and combat violence in their community.
