On February 19, 2023, Diasha Renee 'Twinkle' Fitts, a 39-year-old African American female from Fort Wayne, Indiana, became the victim of a targeted shooting that resulted in her death. Fitts, a barber and mother, had spent the evening at the Fraternal Order of Eagles lodge in the Waynedale area of Fort Wayne. She was accompanied by a man named Brandon Golden. Unbeknownst to them, a plot against Golden was unfolding, orchestrated by 29-year-old Demaury Haywood.
Haywood, who had personal grievances with Golden, had enlisted an acquaintance to monitor Golden’s movements inside the lodge and report back to him.
As Fitts and Golden left the establishment later that night, they entered a vehicle to depart. Shortly after they drove away, their car was intercepted near the intersection of Winchester Road and Airport Expressway. Gunfire erupted, directed at the vehicle. While the attack was intended for Golden, Fitts was struck in the head by a bullet. The driver immediately returned to the Eagle’s Lodge to seek help, and emergency responders transported Fitts to a local hospital. Despite medical efforts, she was pronounced dead shortly after arrival. The Allen County Coroner’s Office ruled her death a homicide caused by a gunshot wound to the head.
The investigation by the Fort Wayne Police Department utilized surveillance footage and communication records to piece together the events leading up to the murder. Detectives discovered text messages between Haywood and his lookout inside the lodge, which detailed Golden's location and the vehicle he was using. This digital trail led to the arrest of Demaury Haywood. In October 2023, a jury found Haywood guilty of murder. During the sentencing hearing, the court imposed a term of 60 years for the murder charge, with an additional 20-year enhancement for the use of a firearm in the commission of the crime, resulting in a total sentence of 80 years in the Department of Correction. Court documents also referenced an accomplice named Travier who acted in concert with Haywood during the commission of the felony.
In a related incident connected to the judicial proceedings, a man named Kyle Williams was arrested in February 2024. Authorities charged Williams with aggravated battery after he assaulted a woman who knew a witness in the Diasha Fitts murder case. According to police reports, Williams beat the woman and broke her jaw in two places after accusing the witness of being a 'snitch' who had identified the perpetrators. Williams, who was acquainted with one of the men convicted in the killing, was taken into custody following the assault.
