On a summer evening in Topeka, Kansas, the life of 18-year-old Justice T. Mitchell was tragically cut short. On June 26, 2017, the recent Shawnee Heights High School graduate, a promising male athlete with aspirations of playing football at Washburn University and becoming an oral surgeon, was fatally shot in the parking lot of a Church's Chicken.
The events that led to his death began with a plan for a marijuana deal.
Mitchell, accompanied by his friend Ernest Williams, arranged to meet 16-year-old Shayden Byrd and 18-year-old Lamero Dunstan. However, the transaction was a setup. Byrd had enlisted Dunstan with the intention of robbing Mitchell of the drugs. During the encounter, the situation escalated dramatically when Dunstan pulled out a gun and shot Mitchell twice. Williams, who was also armed, drew his weapon but did not fire.
The investigation that followed quickly identified the suspects. Lamero Dunstan, the shooter, was taken into custody. Shayden Byrd, who orchestrated the robbery, was also apprehended. The legal proceedings brought a measure of resolution to the senseless act of violence. Dunstan pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and, in September 2018, was sentenced to more than 27 years in prison. As part of his sentence, he was also ordered to pay restitution for Mitchell's medical and funeral expenses.
Shayden Byrd, despite being a juvenile at the time of the crime, faced serious charges. He pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and was sentenced to five years in a juvenile facility, to be followed by six months of aftercare. Ernest Williams, who was with Mitchell that night, was initially charged with first-degree murder under the premise that the death occurred during the commission of a dangerous felony. However, a jury acquitted him of the charges in April 2018, accepting that he was not a willing participant in the robbery that led to his friend's death. The community mourned the loss of a young man known for his athletic talents and volunteer work, his bright future extinguished in a moment of violence.
