In the cold of a Memphis winter, on January 22, 2016, the life of 33-year-old Edwina Thomas was tragically cut short. A pregnant mother, she was with Eddie James Tate Jr., 34, at the Sycamore Lakes apartment complex in Northeast Memphis when violence erupted. The pair were fatally shot in what investigators believe was a robbery centered around a business Tate ran selling hair extensions.
Friends and family theorize that the valuable bundles of hair, worth up to $250 each, were the motive for the deadly encounter.
The investigation quickly led to the arrest of 18-year-old Shelby Isaac. Witnesses reported seeing Isaac going through Tate's pockets after the shooting. Another teenager, 18-year-old Victoria Seay, was also taken into custody, accused of driving the getaway car. A witness at the scene was able to jot down the license plate of the vehicle Seay was driving, which proved crucial in tracking her down. Seay later told police she had witnessed another woman shoot both Tate and Thomas and had helped her escape.
The legal journey that followed was complex. In March 2016, the initial first-degree murder charges against Shelby Isaac were surprisingly dropped due to a lack of probable cause. However, the charges were later reinstated, and in March 2016, Isaac was indicted for the murders of Thomas, Tate, and Thomas's unborn child. The case culminated in a conviction in November 2017. A jury found the now 19-year-old Isaac guilty of two counts of second-degree murder for the deaths of Thomas and Tate, and criminally negligent homicide for the death of the unborn baby. She was ultimately sentenced to 30 years in prison.
Victoria Seay, the driver of the getaway vehicle, pleaded guilty to three counts of accessory after the fact in February 2018. In a deal with prosecutors, the 20-year-old admitted to her role in helping Isaac flee the scene of the crime and was sentenced to six years of probation.
