In the early morning hours of August 17, 2014, the life of 21-year-old Ervaeua Ronchelle Herring, a Black / African American female, was tragically cut short in a hail of gunfire at her Southeast Portland apartment. Herring, who was in the early stages of pregnancy and the mother of a one-year-old son, was not involved in gangs, but her death was the result of a violent, gang-related feud.
The intended target of the shooting was reportedly the father of her child, DeAndrae Stephens, who was associated with individuals involved in a fight that had occurred earlier downtown.
The events leading to Herring's death began with a downtown altercation where an associate of the suspects was shot. In retaliation, a group of armed men went to Herring's apartment complex on Southeast Powell Boulevard, seeking Stephens. In a tragic mistake, the gunmen first entered the wrong apartment, threatening the family inside, which included small children. After realizing their error, they went to Herring's apartment. When she came to the door, approximately 30 shots were fired into the residence, killing her. An autopsy later confirmed she died from gunshot wounds.
The investigation into Herring's murder spanned several years and resulted in the arrest of multiple suspects. In May 2016, Demetrius Ray Brown, Geontae Brachurd Jones, and DeAnthony Simmons were indicted on charges of murder and burglary. A fourth suspect, Kelani Brown, was arrested in June 2016. The fifth suspect, Jeffery L. Sims Jr., was apprehended in December 2016 after a car and foot chase.
Ultimately, several of the defendants pleaded guilty to lesser charges. In January 2022, De'Anthony Simmons and Kelani Brown pleaded guilty to manslaughter and burglary. Simmons was sentenced to 10 years in prison, while Brown received a sentence of seven-and-a-half years. Other defendants, including Jeffery Sims, Tony Lamar Brown, and Geontae Jones, also pleaded guilty in connection with the case. Charges against Demetrius Brown were dismissed after he was found unfit to stand trial. The prosecution of the case was complicated by the reluctance of witnesses to testify due to safety concerns, a fear that was heightened after DeAndrae Stephens was shot and killed in late 2021.
