Nathacha Augustin, a 38-year-old Black woman from Orlando, Florida, was remembered by her family and friends as a loving, kind, and energetic person with a big smile. Her sister called her a supportive daughter, sister, aunt, and friend who was always checking in on her loved ones. Friends described her as one of the best human beings they knew, a person who served her community. At one point in her life, she had also been a rapper.
On the morning of February 22, 2023, Augustin was getting a ride from a friend in the Pine Hills neighborhood of Orlando. The driver, a friend of Augustin’s for about six years, told deputies that they saw a 19-year-old acquaintance, Keith Melvin Moses, walking on Hastings Street. The driver offered Moses a ride because he “seemed down.” Moses got into the back seat, directly behind Augustin. According to the driver, they were in the vehicle for only about 30 seconds when he heard a loud bang and saw that Augustin had been shot.
The driver pulled over on Hialeah Street and called 911, but Moses had already fled on foot. Deputies arrived around 11:20 a.m. and found Augustin deceased. The driver told investigators that there had been no argument between Moses and Augustin, and that the two did not know each other.
Hours later, Moses returned to the scene on Hialeah Street, where a Spectrum News 13 crew was reporting on Augustin’s death. He opened fire on them, killing 24-year-old reporter Dylan Lyons and critically injuring photographer Jesse Walden. Moses then walked to a nearby home and shot 9-year-old T’yonna Major and her mother. T’yonna was killed, and her mother was critically wounded.
Police arrested Keith Melvin Moses later that day. The driver of the car in which Augustin was shot had immediately identified Moses as the shooter. Authorities noted that Moses had a lengthy criminal history from when he was a minor.
Moses was formally charged with three counts of first-degree murder for the deaths of Nathacha Augustin, Dylan Lyons, and T’yonna Major. He also faced two counts of attempted murder and one count of armed burglary. He pleaded not guilty to all charges. Prosecutors announced they are seeking the death penalty. The trial, originally scheduled for 2026, was delayed after his defense team began pursuing an intellectual disability claim, which could remove the death penalty as a possible sentence if successful. As of a court hearing in September 2026, the trial has been pushed to 2027.
