On the evening of February 13, 2025, the life of an 18-year-old Caucasian female, Nena Edmonds, was tragically cut short in Federal Way, Washington. Around 5 p.m. at the Pavilion Apartments on Southwest Campus Drive, a neighbor was startled by the sound of his trash can falling over. When he opened his door, he made a grim discovery: Nena was on the ground at the bottom of a staircase, bleeding from a gunshot wound to the head.
First responders rushed to the scene and attempted life-saving measures, but her injuries were too severe, and she died at her home, a place where her family believed she should have been safe. A trail of blood leading from where she was found back to her own apartment suggested a violent struggle had taken place inside before she collapsed. The King County Medical Examiner later ruled her death a homicide.
For months, the investigation into Nena's death continued with few initial leads, leaving her family desperate for answers. Nena was remembered by her older sister, Trinity, with whom she lived, as energetic, bubbly, and funny. She had just completed her first day at a new job at The Home Depot, working to earn money to support their mother. She held aspirations of serving in the United States Marine Corps, a future that was stolen from her. Her family felt that the investigation was not moving quickly enough and that Nena's case was being overlooked.
A significant breakthrough in the case came on October 8, 2025. After a lengthy investigation, Federal Way detectives, with the assistance of the Valley SWAT team, arrested a 16-year-old male at a home in Issaquah. He was 15 years old at the time of the shooting. The investigation also identified a second suspect, 19-year-old Jelani Medina of Burien, who had a prior relationship with Nena. Medina was already in custody for unrelated charges. Prosecutors filed a charge of domestic-violence first-degree murder against Medina and a charge of second-degree murder against the 16-year-old.
Court documents began to reveal the alleged motive behind the violent encounter. Investigators believe Jelani Medina went to Nena's apartment on the day of her death, accompanied by the younger suspect. The purpose of the visit was allegedly to force Nena to delete intimate videos of herself and Medina from her phone. This led to a struggle over the phone between Medina and Nena. During this fight, the 16-year-old is alleged to have fatally shot Nena. Prosecutors have since filed a motion to have the juvenile suspect tried as an adult for his role in the murder.
