On February 26, 2023, Felicia Lynn Denise "Kim" Brown, a 38-year-old Black woman from Dayton, Ohio, was tragically shot and killed alongside 44-year-old Michaela Daniels. The incident occurred around 2 a.m. at the Shell gas station located at the intersection of West Third Street and North Gettysburg Avenue in Dayton. Both women were found deceased in the front seats of a black Chevrolet Suburban, parked at one of the gas pumps.
Surveillance footage revealed that the suspect, later identified as 34-year-old Deante Taviann Holden, was in the back seat of the SUV. An apparent struggle ensued inside the vehicle, after which Holden exited and fired multiple shots into the SUV, fatally wounding both women.
Remarkably, the shooting went unreported for approximately three hours. It wasn't until around 5 a.m. that a gas station attendant, noticing suspicious activity near the SUV, triggered a silent alarm, prompting police response. Upon arrival, officers discovered the two women deceased inside the vehicle. Further investigation revealed that Holden had returned to the scene with another individual prior to the police's arrival. During this time, he retrieved the victims' cell phones and collected bullet casings from the ground, presumably in an attempt to eliminate evidence.
Holden was apprehended shortly thereafter and charged with multiple offenses, including four counts each of murder and felonious assault, as well as three counts of tampering with evidence. During his trial, Holden claimed self-defense; however, the jury found his assertions unconvincing. On August 21, 2024, he was sentenced to 45 years to life in prison. Judge Mary Wiseman, presiding over the case, described the murders as "cold-blooded executions" and dismissed Holden's self-defense claim as "bogus and preposterous."
Felicia Brown, affectionately known as "Fefe," was remembered fondly by friends and family. A funeral service was held in her honor on March 11, 2023, at the Newcomer Funeral Home in Dayton. She is survived by her two children and her parents. In the wake of her untimely death, a memorial fund was established to assist with funeral expenses and support her children's future needs.
