On a tragic day in Lacombe, Louisiana, the life of 21-year-old Qile Sanders was cut short. An African American woman, she was discovered on July 18, 2020, inside a vehicle parked on Bremerman Road within the serene yet secluded Big Branch Marsh National Wildlife Refuge. Alongside her was her 20-year-old boyfriend, Sylvanus 'Jed' Ellis III. Both had been fatally shot in what investigators from the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff's Office would later describe as a drug-related incident.
Compounding the tragedy, Sanders was seven months pregnant with a baby boy, who was to be named Sylvanus Ellis IV, and who also did not survive the attack.
The investigation into the double homicide and feticide moved swiftly, leading to the apprehension of several individuals. Among them were 17-year-old Peter Reimonenq, 19-year-old Christopher Roberts, and 19-year-old Shannon Amos Jr., who were all initially charged with two counts of first-degree murder and one count of first-degree feticide. Another suspect, 19-year-old Mikayl Young, was also later arrested on the same charges. The investigation further revealed attempts to obstruct justice, resulting in the arrests of 40-year-old Carwin Malone and 40-year-old Treneka Young, who were charged as accessories after the fact for assisting Mikayl Young in his efforts to evade law enforcement.
The legal proceedings that followed brought a measure of closure to the grieving families. In January 2021, Peter Reimonenq pleaded guilty to two counts of manslaughter and one count of first-degree feticide, receiving a sentence of 80 years in prison without the possibility of probation. Shannon Amos, Christopher Roberts, and Mikayl Young also entered guilty pleas to charges of accessory after the fact. Amos was sentenced to 18 years for his involvement in disposing of the murder weapon and aiding in the getaway. Roberts received a sentence of three years of probation, while Young was sentenced to a four-year prison term.
