Vienna Peoples, a 29-year-old woman from Louisville, Kentucky, was killed on the morning of June 2, 2026, in a double homicide that also took the life of her 14-year-old daughter, Labria Miller. Their deaths unfolded inside a home in the 3900 block of Miami Avenue in Louisville’s Portland neighborhood, a residential area near Bank Street and North 39th Street. Louisville Metro Police were called to the home around 10:15 a.m. after a report of “persons down.”
When officers arrived, they found both victims with fatal injuries. Peoples and her daughter were pronounced dead at the scene.
Police quickly described the case as domestic in nature. Early reports said the victims were a mother and her teenage daughter, and later the Jefferson County Coroner’s Office identified them as Vienna Peoples and Labria Miller. Family members said Peoples and the suspect, Tobias Malone, had been dating. The killings stunned relatives not only because Peoples and her oldest daughter were killed, but because Peoples’ three younger children were reportedly also inside the home when the violence happened.
Investigators arrested 24-year-old Tobias Malone shortly after the shooting. He was charged with two counts of murder, listed as domestic violence, and one count of tampering with physical evidence. Court records and arrest citation details reported by local outlets said Malone admitted to shooting both victims after being read his Miranda rights. He also allegedly told police that he destroyed a cellphone belonging to one of the victims and got rid of the gun used in the shooting by throwing it out of a car window. One report also stated that Malone dismantled the gun before discarding it, and another said alcohol was referenced in the citation.
Family members later gave a fuller picture of the aftermath. They said Malone took Peoples’ three surviving children to a YMCA Safe Place after the shootings and allegedly told them to say the attack had been a home invasion, but the children did not repeat that story. Relatives also said Labria had been trying to protect her mother when she was killed. Peoples’ mother, Trinda Williams, said she believed both her daughter and granddaughter fought for their lives.
Malone appeared in court on June 3, 2026, where his bond was set at $1 million. He pleaded not guilty and was expected to return to court on June 11 for a preliminary hearing. As of the available reporting, there had been no trial or conviction reported. The case remained in the court process with Malone accused as the sole identified suspect.
In the days after the killings, family and friends gathered at Newburg Park for a balloon release in memory of Peoples and Miller. Loved ones described Peoples as sweet, kind, strong, and deeply committed to her children. She was remembered as a mother of four who was studying pre-law at the University of Louisville, reportedly as a double major, while raising her children and volunteering at Goodwill. Friends said she cared about connecting people with resources and wanted to help others find support.
The loss left Peoples’ surviving children, reported as an 8-year-old and 7-year-old twins, in the care of their grandmother. A family fundraiser described the deaths as senseless domestic violence and said the family was seeking help for funeral and memorial expenses as well as immediate and long-term care for the children. Local domestic violence advocates also pointed to the case as part of a broader crisis in Louisville, with one survivor restarting a support group in Peoples’ honor.
