DayQuan Rashaud Holloway Sr., a 25-year-old African American man from Erie, Pennsylvania, was killed on September 27, 2020, in a homicide connected to a house party in the city. Known affectionately as “Strap” and “Day Day,” he was born on August 12, 1995, to Melissa Holloway and Michael Neavins. His death devastated his family and friends and eventually led to criminal proceedings against two defendants, Duane Eric Buckner III and Tajh Davon Easter.
The gathering that became the focus of the murder investigation was supposed to be a social occasion, but it ended in tragedy when Holloway lost his life. Erie police investigated the circumstances surrounding the killing, working to identify those responsible and establish what had happened at the party.
The investigation ultimately resulted in criminal homicide charges against Buckner and Easter, whose alleged involvement became the subject of proceedings in Erie County Court.
As the case moved through the judicial system, prosecutors pursued murder charges against the two defendants. By September 2021, significant developments had occurred. Duane Eric Buckner III, one of the two men charged in connection with Holloway's death, entered a guilty plea to third-degree murder. The plea, reported on September 10, 2021, represented an important development in the prosecution and established Buckner's criminal responsibility for the killing without requiring a jury to determine his guilt at trial.
The case against the second defendant, Tajh Davon Easter, also progressed during the following weeks. On October 25, 2021, the Erie Times-News reported that Easter, who was 21 at the time, was preparing to enter a guilty plea in connection with Holloway's murder. The development indicated that prosecutors were moving toward resolving the criminal cases against both defendants through negotiated pleas rather than contested murder trials. The available reporting establishes the guilty plea entered by Buckner and the anticipated plea by Easter, although the specific sentencing outcomes and any subsequent proceedings have not been independently confirmed.
The prosecution of both defendants marked a significant change from the uncertainty that followed Holloway's killing. What began as an investigation into a death at a house party developed into a criminal case involving two identified defendants and court proceedings addressing their responsibility. The guilty plea to third-degree murder was particularly significant because the offense recognizes an unlawful killing committed with malice, while not requiring proof of the premeditation necessary for first-degree murder under Pennsylvania law.
Beyond the criminal investigation, Holloway was remembered as someone who enjoyed music, dancing, writing rhymes, and spending time in the recording studio. His obituary reflected his creative interests and the importance of family in his life. Following his death, relatives and friends shared memories and condolences, including recollections of his playful personality as a child and the lasting impression he had made on those who knew him.
Holloway's murder left his loved ones grieving while the criminal justice system worked toward accountability. The proceedings against Buckner and Easter demonstrated that his death was not an unexplained loss but a homicide that resulted in arrests, murder charges, and guilty-plea proceedings. Although the full circumstances of the confrontation at the party and the defendants' eventual sentences remain incompletely documented in the available information, the prosecution established a significant measure of accountability for the killing. Holloway is remembered not only for the violence that ended his life but also for his love of music, his relationships with family and friends, and the future that was taken from him.
