In a tragic and horrifying series of events, 18-year-old Destinee Shante Virgin lost her life on September 22, 2018, in Columbus, Georgia. Her death was not a random act of violence but the culmination of a history of domestic abuse at the hands of her ex-boyfriend, Markel Ervin. Months prior to her murder, in April 2018, Ervin had been charged with kidnapping Virgin.
Despite this, he was out on bond when he ultimately took her life.
On that fateful Saturday, the terror unfolded in public view at the intersection of Macon and Rigdon Roads. Witnesses described a horrifying scene as Virgin leaped from her Nissan Maxima at a red light and desperately ran through traffic, calling for help and trying to get into other cars to escape Ervin, who was chasing her with a 9 mm pistol. Dozens of motorists watched in horror as Ervin caught up to her and shot her multiple times before getting back into the Nissan and speeding away. Virgin was rushed to the hospital but succumbed to her injuries.
Following a brief manhunt, authorities located Markel Ervin in the woods in the neighboring Harris County. He was found with Virgin's car and her credit card in his possession. Ervin was arrested and charged with murder, in addition to the previous kidnapping charges from the April incident.
In May 2021, Markel Andrew Ervin pleaded guilty to the murder of Destinee Virgin and several other charges. He was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole. Virgin's mother expressed her pain and frustration with the plea deal, stating her intention to be present at every parole hearing to advocate for her daughter and ensure Ervin remains behind bars.
