In the late summer of 2020, the community of Paducah, Kentucky, was shaken by the tragic death of 23-year-old Justice A'Keria Ronchelle Hicks. On August 22, 2020, Justice, a vibrant young woman known for her dedication to family and friends, was found dead in an apartment on College Avenue in the Lone Oak neighborhood. She was a graduate of Westcreek High School and had been studying Social Work at Tennessee State University.
Her life, full of promise, was cut short by an act of violence that also claimed the life of 31-year-old Victor Moore. The two were victims of a fatal shooting.
The investigation into the double murder quickly uncovered a grim motive: an alleged drug debt. This revelation painted a stark picture of the events leading up to the deaths of Hicks and Moore. The ensuing legal proceedings brought to light the individuals responsible for this violent act. The investigation led to the arrests of two individuals from Texas, Mykweze Cox and Alexis Graham, who were implicated in the killings.
The quest for justice for Justice Hicks and Victor Moore culminated in the convictions of both suspects. Mykweze Cox pleaded guilty to two counts of murder, as well as charges of robbery and burglary. He received a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole. His accomplice, Alexis Graham, was found guilty of complicity to murder, burglary, and robbery. For her role in the crime, she was sentenced to 25 years in prison. The sentencing of Cox and Graham brought a measure of closure to the families and the community, though the loss of a young woman on the cusp of her future remains a profound tragedy.
