Eryc Ahmir Higgins, an 18-year-old African American male from Akron, OH, tragically lost his life on August 30, 2016, in Canton, OH. He was one of two victims in a double homicide shooting at a home in the 2400 block of Midway Avenue NE. Joshua Weatherspoon, 35, was the other victim. The incident occurred early in the morning, and both men were found dead in the kitchen of Weatherspoon's home.
A woman and three children, ages 11 months, two years, and four years, were also present in the home at the time of the shooting.
The investigation into the deaths of Higgins and Weatherspoon revealed a disturbing plot. Isaiah Sanders, 21, was identified as the suspect and was charged with aggravated robbery and two counts of complicity to commit murder. Sanders was arrested a week after the incident when he agreed to meet his parole officer outside a juvenile detention center in Georgia. He was held under a $3 million bond. According to police, Sanders was the only suspect in the case, and no motive for the shootings was released.
During the trial, it was revealed that Sanders and his friend Higgins were supposed to rough up Weatherspoon as part of a plan orchestrated by Brooke D. Clemons, Sanders' girlfriend at the time. Clemons wanted to teach Weatherspoon a lesson on how to properly treat her so she could have a boyfriend if she wanted one. The plan went awry when Weatherspoon resisted the ambush, leading to a scuffle and the subsequent shooting. Sanders claimed he feared Weatherspoon was reaching for a gun, although there was no testimony that Weatherspoon was armed at the time.
Clemons was later sentenced to 13 years in prison for her role in the incident. She pleaded guilty to charges including complicity to involuntary manslaughter, complicity to kidnapping, complicity to felonious assault, and complicity to tampering with evidence. Sanders was convicted of murder and other charges and received a 45-year to life prison sentence.
The tragic deaths of Eryc Ahmir Higgins and Joshua Weatherspoon left a lasting impact on their families and the community. The case highlighted the devastating consequences of violence and the importance of seeking justice for the victims.
