In the late hours of January 30, 2020, a grim discovery was made inside a home in Des Moines, Iowa, marking a tragic end for a 16-year-old Black male named Malachi Swanks. First responders were called to a residence in the 600 block of East Hackley Avenue around 11:20 p.m. to investigate a reported shooting. Inside, they found Malachi, his older brother, 19-year-old Devonte Swanks, and their 15-year-old friend, Thayne Wright, all deceased from gunshot wounds.
The brothers lived at the residence where the violence unfolded, while their friend was visiting.
The investigation into the triple homicide moved quickly. Witnesses and other evidence placed two men, 19-year-old Emmanuel Totaye Jr. and 20-year-old Daishawn Gills, with the three teenagers at various times before the murders, which police determined occurred around 8:15 p.m. One witness reported seeing Gills with a long gun shortly before the killings. The connection between the suspects and the crime solidified when property belonging to the victims was discovered in Gills' possession and during a search of Totaye's home.
Following the investigation, both Emmanuel Totaye Jr. and Daishawn Gills were arrested and faced serious charges for their roles in the deaths. Each was charged with three counts of first-degree murder and one count of first-degree robbery. The legal process concluded with both men being found guilty of the execution-style murders. Gills received a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole. Totaye was sentenced to three consecutive 50-year terms, ensuring he would spend more than 100 years behind bars for the brutal slayings of the three teenagers.
