In an unincorporated area of Norcross, Georgia, a simple act of concern following a traffic accident tragically ended the life of 39-year-old Michael J. Harvey. On the evening of November 10, 2016, the father of nine had just left a bowling alley with some of his children. After his vehicle was involved in a collision, Harvey approached the other car, a Honda Odyssey minivan, to check on the well-being of its occupants.
As he neared the driver's side door, Demetrius Lamar Heade, the man behind the wheel, leaned back and fired a single shot from a Winchester rifle, striking Harvey in the chest. The Snellville man was found lying in a northbound lane of Button Gwinnett Drive and was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he died from his injuries. The minivan Heade was driving had been stolen, and he and his girlfriend, Tilisha Lakelia Tate, who was a passenger in the vehicle, fled the scene after the shooting. Investigators later found the abandoned minivan and discovered the rifle used in the shooting in a nearby ditch.
The investigation revealed a grim backstory to the seemingly random act of violence. Heade, 30 at the time, and Tate, then 35, were already wanted for a murder in Alabama. They had reportedly carjacked the minivan several days earlier after shooting and killing its owner. Authorities were able to track down and arrest the couple, connecting them to both homicides. During police questioning, Tate admitted what had transpired, stating that Harvey was simply trying to check on them and that she did not feel threatened by him.
Demetrius Heade was subsequently tried and convicted for the murder of Michael Harvey. In May 2019, he was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Heade was found guilty of murder, felony murder, aggravated assault, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony. Following her cooperation with the investigation into Harvey's death, Tilisha Lakelia Tate was extradited to Alabama to face charges in connection with the earlier murder.
