In the final hours of 2020, the life of 21-year-old Antonia Paige LaFon Lucas, known to her friends and family as T.T., was tragically cut short. A vibrant young woman, she was a student at the University of Louisville and an employee at both United Parcel Service and General Electric, even finding time to run her own business, Twisted Ballons. Her unexpected death on December 31, 2020, left a void in the lives of her loved ones and the Louisville, Kentucky community.
Concern grew among
Antonia's family when they were unable to reach her. Taking matters into their own hands, they used a phone locator app to track her whereabouts, a search that led them to the Smoketown neighborhood of Louisville. There, they made a devastating discovery. Antonia and a man, 23-year-old Daniel Key, Jr., were found inside a vehicle, both having been fatally shot. It is believed that Antonia had only been acquainted with Daniel for about two weeks before they were killed together.
The investigation into the double homicide stretched on for nineteen months. Eventually, authorities identified a suspect, Mahlon Harris. A grand jury indicted Harris on two counts of murder. Investigators suggested a possible link between the weapon used in the murders and a prior domestic incident involving Harris. It was alleged that he and Daniel Key were friends, and that Antonia was tragically in the wrong place at the wrong time.
The path to justice proved to be a long and arduous one for Antonia's family. The legal proceedings against Mahlon Harris faced complications, including a mistrial which prompted an attempt by the defense to have the case dismissed. The community and her family continue to mourn the loss of a young woman described as having a beautiful smile and a spirit that could be felt the moment she entered a room.
