On November 30, 2019, 18-year-old Laurina Blake was brutally murdered outside her West Side apartment in Charleston, West Virginia. The incident occurred shortly after 7 p.m. when Blake returned home from the grocery store and was unloading groceries from her white Nissan Rogue. Neighbors reported hearing a string of gunshots, which prompted multiple 911 calls, with 14 calls made in total.
The gunshots were so close that some neighbors hit the floor of their homes, unsure of the source of the gunfire. Police responded quickly to the scene and found Blake shot multiple times and clinging to life next to her vehicle on Lovell Drive. Despite being rushed to the hospital, Blake succumbed to her injuries.
The murder of Laurina Blake was part of a wave of violence in Charleston during 2019, which led to the formation of a task force dedicated to addressing violent crimes. Blake's case drew significant attention, and police were keen to gather any information that could lead to an arrest. A key figure in the investigation was Qynell Bradshaw, Blake's boyfriend at the time, who was known on the streets as 'Juice.' Bradshaw had a history of violence against Blake; just five months before her murder, he was charged with malicious wounding for an incident where he held Blake's mouth open under a shower head until she began to choke and lose consciousness, and also struck her in the face with a closed fist, causing significant injuries.
At the time of Blake's murder, Bradshaw was still wanted for the malicious wounding charge and had previously been caught with a concealed gun, a Taurus Judge. 45/410 gauge revolver, for which he was charged with being a prohibited person with a gun. Despite these charges, Bradshaw was released on bond. Following Blake's murder, police named Bradshaw as a 'person of interest' in the case, along with several others who were believed to have valuable information, including Dante Spencer Williams, Terrance Rajar Bonner, and Memphis Ross. However, all of these individuals refused to cooperate with the police.
Bradshaw was eventually arrested in January 2020 on outstanding warrants following a traffic stop. He was held at the South Central Regional Jail but posted bond and later skipped court multiple times, leading to additional arrests for failure to appear. Despite his arrest, no one has been formally charged or convicted in connection with Blake's murder. The police have repeatedly appealed to the public for information, emphasizing that there are individuals who know the truth about Blake's murder but have not come forward due to fear of retaliation.
The investigation into Blake's murder has hit several dead ends, with police acknowledging that they need a key witness to come forward and provide direct evidence linking Bradshaw or any other suspect to the crime. As of the current date, Laurina Blake's case remains unsolved, leaving her family and the community seeking justice for her tragic and untimely death.
