Harriet Witherspoon Cromartie, a 63-year-old African American woman, was tragically killed on January 25, 2019, in Charlotte, North Carolina. Harriet was shot while sitting in her car with her granddaughter on Wynbrook Way Drive. The incident occurred late at night during a physical altercation between Nazah James and another woman. Shots were fired, and Harriet was struck by a bullet.
Her granddaughter, who was also in the car, was injured but survived.
Following the incident, Nazah James and Omontie Rowe were arrested and charged with Harriet's murder. However, years later, the murder charge against Nazah James was dismissed without leave by the district attorney, and there was no plea agreement. Omontie Rowe, on the other hand, pleaded guilty to a lesser offense and was sentenced to 207 months in jail, with credit for time served.
In addition to Nazah James and Omontie Rowe, a third suspect, Lavarchio Brenyon Allen Jr., a 17-year-old, was also arrested in connection with Harriet's death. The case remains a poignant reminder of the violence that can erupt from seemingly ordinary disputes.
