In the early hours of March 3, 2024, the life of 20-year-old Alisia Marie Decoteau, a White / Caucasian female, was brought to a brutal and tragic end in the Belltown neighborhood of Seattle, Washington. The young mother was at an apartment building on Western Avenue when a violent altercation erupted shortly after 1:00 a.m. Witnesses reported hearing gunshots and seeing two women engaged in a fight, a prelude to the devastating events that would unfold.
The conflict escalated
dramatically when 33-year-old Rickesha Overton allegedly forced Decoteau down a staircase at gunpoint. Security footage captured the harrowing moments as Overton marched Decoteau into an alley behind the building. There, Overton is said to have shoved her to the ground and shot her twice, once in the torso and a final, fatal shot to the back of the head. After the shooting, witnesses reported hearing Overton taunt the dying woman and saw her kick Decoteau's body multiple times. When bystanders attempted to intervene, Overton allegedly threatened them with her firearm before her weapon ran out of ammunition.
Seattle Police officers responded swiftly to the scene, finding Overton running near Western Avenue and Vine Street with a handgun. Upon her arrest, she initially claimed self-defense, stating that Decoteau had come into her apartment. However, her account reportedly changed during transport to police headquarters, where she made confusing statements, including expressing a desire to attend Decoteau's funeral, regardless of a potential life sentence. This was not the first violent encounter between the two; records show Overton had been arrested for allegedly assaulting Decoteau at the same location just two months prior. While the exact nature of their relationship remains unclear, they were known to be friends on Facebook.
Rickesha Overton has been charged with first-degree premeditated murder with a firearm and second-degree assault with a deadly weapon. She is being held in custody with her bail set at $5 million. During a court appearance, concerns about her mental state were raised, leading a judge to order a mental health evaluation before she could enter a plea. The tragic death of Alisia Decoteau has left her family, including her young daughter, Mariah, devastated. Her older sister described her as a good person who loved her friends and family and had a positive impact on everyone she met.
