On the night of April 5, 2019, an 18-year-old Black / African American female named Sakira Bonner was found lying in the middle of a street in West Des Moines, Iowa. A passerby discovered her near the intersection of South 64th Street and Coachlight Drive after reports of shots fired in the area. Emergency services responded and transported her to a local hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
It was later revealed that she had been shot three times.
The investigation into Bonner's death quickly revealed that she was the victim of a robbery that turned fatal. Authorities stated that the incident stemmed from a drug deal. According to court documents, one of the suspects picked up Bonner from a Holiday Inn, as she was looking to purchase marijuana. The situation escalated, leading to her being shot and left at the intersection. Bonner, who was visiting from Chicago, had also spent a significant amount of time in Des Moines.
Within days, the West Des Moines Police Department announced a series of arrests in connection with the homicide. The first suspect taken into custody was 17-year-old Eliazar Montoya Gama of Des Moines. He was charged with first-degree murder and first-degree robbery. Shortly after, a second suspect, 20-year-old Johndarius Lewis of Des Moines, was also arrested and faced the same charges.
The investigation continued, leading to two more arrests. D'Taveon John Gully, a 16-year-old from Fort Dodge, was charged with first-degree murder and first-degree robbery. A fourth individual, a 15-year-old male, was also charged. Due to his age, his name was not publicly released. With these four arrests, police stated that they believed everyone with direct involvement in Sakira Bonner's murder had been identified and charged. The case then moved to the judicial system.
