On a cold February day in Omaha, Nebraska, the life of 26-year-old Kevin Pierce Sr. was tragically cut short. On February 23, 2005, Pierce was lured to a secluded spot by a 21-year-old woman named Taiana Matheny, whom he had recently met. Unbeknownst to him, this meeting was a setup for a violent ambush. When Pierce arrived, he was confronted by Matheny's accomplices, Terry Sellers and his cousin, Terrell Thorpe.
The men proceeded to rob Pierce, and then, under coercion from Sellers, Matheny fatally shot him in the head.
The violence did not end with Pierce's death. The very next day, the trio lured another man, 25-year-old Victor Ford, to a different location where he too was murdered. Their crime spree came to an end when a third potential victim, DaWayne Kearney, managed to fight back and survive the attack, which ultimately led to the identification and arrest of the three perpetrators.
In the ensuing investigation and legal proceedings, Taiana Matheny accepted a plea deal. She pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and conspiracy charges, her cooperation proving instrumental in securing convictions against her co-conspirators. For her role in the murders, Matheny was sentenced to 35 to 70 years in prison. Terry Sellers and Terrell Thorpe were both found guilty of two counts of first-degree murder for their parts in the deaths of Kevin Pierce Sr. and Victor Ford. Both men received life sentences for their crimes, bringing a measure of justice to the families of the victims.
