On November 6, 2023, the lives of two young people were tragically taken in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Anayia Rodriguez, a 20-year-old Black woman, and 19-year-old Malik Eubanks were found fatally shot and left in the street in the Burton Heights neighborhood. Anayia was discovered on Melville Street SE, while Malik was found nearby on Horton Avenue SE. Authorities later determined both had been shot once in the back of the head.
The scene was marked by another harrowing discovery: Eubanks’ son, just under three years old, was found wandering alone about a mile away. The child was physically unharmed but had blood on him; he was later safely reunited with his mother.
Investigators believed the killings were targeted and did not represent a threat to the wider community. The investigation revealed that a vehicle was likely involved in moving the victims after they were shot. A car registered to Anayia Rodriguez was found abandoned on Sherman Street shortly after the bodies were discovered. A significant break in the case came when a passerby discovered a gun that, along with a bloody jacket, was later linked to the murders. On the same day, a third person, 32-year-old Darryl Yarber, was also fatally shot in the same neighborhood, but authorities have not publicly confirmed if the cases are connected.
For nearly a year, the double homicide remained unsolved. Then, in October 2024, the Grand Rapids Police Department announced a major development. Casey Harmon Jr., 19, was charged with two counts of open murder and a felony weapons charge in connection with the deaths. It was revealed that Harmon and Eubanks were acquainted. Investigators found that Harmon had made derogatory comments about Malik online. At the time of his murder charges, Harmon was already in custody on perjury charges related to the homicide investigation since March 2024.
In October 2026, Casey Harmon Jr., then 21, stood trial. A Kent County jury heard testimony from witnesses and was presented with evidence that included the gun and bloody jacket found during the investigation. Following the trial, the jury found Harmon guilty of two counts of first-degree murder and two weapons charges in the deaths of Anayia Rodriguez and Malik Eubanks. The conviction carries a mandatory sentence of life in prison. The verdict brought the legal proceedings in the case to a close in October 2026.
