On the evening of July 14, 2025, in Kent, Washington, Gary Lee Winston, a 34-year-old Black/African American male, was fatally shot at an apartment complex on the 22400 block of Benson Road SE. The incident, which also resulted in the death of 46-year-old Migna Elizabeth Kennebrew, unfolded around 8:37 p.m. when police received calls reporting an argument and the sound of gunshots.
Witnesses at the scene also reported seeing a man lying on the ground outside.
Upon their arrival, officers discovered Winston outside an apartment with multiple gunshot wounds; he was pronounced dead at the scene. Inside the apartment, they found Kennebrew, who had sustained a fatal gunshot wound to the neck. Her death was also ruled a homicide. Surveillance footage from a nearby unit captured a man knocking on the apartment door before kicking it in. Winston was seen exiting the apartment and struggling with the assailant before several gunshots were heard. The man then entered the apartment, and a single gunshot followed a woman's scream.
Two days later, on July 16, Kent Police, with the assistance of the Snohomish County U.S. Marshals Task Force, arrested 51-year-old Alphonzo Kelly in connection with the double homicide. Kelly, who has an extensive criminal history, was initially booked into the King County jail on unrelated charges. He has since been charged with two counts of first-degree murder for the deaths of Winston and Kennebrew.
Court documents revealed a possible motive, suggesting Kelly was upset with Winston, believing he was romantically involved with his girlfriend. A witness informed detectives that Kelly, Winston, and the witness had all been evicted from a previous apartment and that Kelly held a grudge against Winston. In addition to the murder charges, Kelly also faces charges of second-degree assault and unlawful possession of a firearm related to other incidents that occurred that same weekend. Kelly has pleaded not guilty to the murder charges and is being held without bail.
