In the winter of 2019, a Super Bowl party in a Whitehaven, Memphis neighborhood took a tragic and violent turn, ending the life of 32-year-old Sierra Stornes. A Black mother of three, Stornes was at a gathering on the evening of February 3rd when an argument erupted, shattering the festive atmosphere and leading to a double homicide.
The dispute reportedly began when the host of the party, Calvin Wilkins, became angry with his wife over her making a plate of food for someone at the
event. His anger escalated into a verbal tirade, causing most of the guests to leave the residence. Sierra Stornes and her boyfriend, 28-year-old Issacca Powell, remained. The situation quickly spiraled out of control. Wilkins's wife, after leaving the house, received a chilling phone call from one of the victims. On the line, she could hear her husband's voice and the desperate pleas of a person begging for their life, followed by the sound of multiple gunshots.
Police arrived at the home on Favell Drive to a horrific scene. They discovered Issacca Powell, who was pronounced dead at the scene from multiple gunshot wounds. Sierra Stornes was found critically injured, also having been shot multiple times in the head. She was rushed to a hospital, but doctors determined she had no brain activity and was placed on life support. A CityWatch alert had been issued for her as a missing and endangered adult shortly after the shooting. Tragically, she succumbed to her injuries and passed away on February 4, 2019.
The investigation swiftly led to the arrest of 38-year-old Calvin Wilkins. When apprehended, he admitted to being at the house on the night of the shootings. A search of his home uncovered two handguns and marijuana. Wilkins, who had a prior conviction for voluntary manslaughter in 2003, was subsequently charged with first-degree murder for the death of Issacca Powell and criminal attempt first-degree murder in the shooting of Sierra Stornes. Following her death, the charges were updated. In August 2020, a grand jury indicted Calvin L. Wilkins on two counts of first-degree murder, in addition to charges of being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm and unlawful possession of a controlled substance.
