In a tragic turn of events on August 21, 2015, 59-year-old Laura Winborn, a female resident of Memphis, Tennessee, was found deceased in her home. She and her 29-year-old son, Ronnie Winborn, were discovered by a neighbor after his two young children, ages 3 and 5, went to the neighbor's house and reported that their grandmother and father were dead. The neighbor found Laura Winborn's body in the kitchen and her son's in his bedroom. Both had suffered multiple gunshot wounds.
The investigation into the double homicide revealed that two men, Derrick Smith and Robert Beman, had gone to the Winborn residence to look at some guns that Ronnie Winborn owned. An altercation ensued, leading to the fatal shootings. Laura Winborn was shot eight times, and her son was shot five times. The horrifying scene was witnessed by Ronnie Winborn's two small children, who were present in the home at the time of the murders.
Following the investigation, both Derrick Smith, 30, and Robert Beman, who was 17 at the time of the crime, were apprehended and faced charges for the killings. In September 2017, Derrick Smith pleaded guilty to two counts of facilitation to commit first-degree murder and received a 30-year sentence. Robert Beman pleaded guilty to two counts of second-degree murder and was also sentenced to 30 years in prison without the possibility of parole. The case was adjudicated in Shelby County Criminal Court.
