In the early morning hours of July 13, 2013, 37-year-old Steven L. Hackney was tragically killed in his Altoona, Pennsylvania, residence. A Black male, Hackney was the victim of a robbery that turned fatal. The plan was set in motion by a woman he knew, Taylor A. Griffith, who worked at a club Hackney frequented. She gained his trust and entry into his home, only to unlock a door for her accomplices.
Once the door was unlocked, Griffith's boyfriend, Kashif Omar Ellis, and his associate,
Qasim L. Shariff Green, entered the residence with the intent to rob Hackney, who was known to keep cash and illegal drugs. An altercation ensued, during which Ellis fired multiple shots at Hackney. One of the bullets struck Hackney's aorta, causing a fatal injury. A neighbor reported hearing the gunshots and seeing three people flee the house, which led police to discover Hackney's body in his bedroom.
The investigation into the homicide eventually led to the arrests of all three individuals involved. Taylor A. Griffith, in a deal with prosecutors, agreed to testify against her co-conspirators in exchange for a reduced sentence. Her testimony was crucial in securing convictions against both Ellis and Green. For his role as the shooter, Kashif Omar Ellis was found guilty of first-, second-, and third-degree murder and received a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Qasim L. Shariff Green entered a guilty plea to third-degree murder for his part in the deadly robbery and was sentenced to a term of 10 to 25 years in prison. Griffith, for her part in orchestrating the events that led to Hackney's death, pleaded guilty to third-degree murder and received a sentence of 15 to 30 years in prison. The sentencings brought a measure of closure to Hackney's grieving family, who had been vocal about their profound loss throughout the legal proceedings.
