In the early evening of a Monday in Louisville, Kentucky, the life of 19-year-old Mariah Nechelle Marie Wilson was tragically cut short. On September 12, 2016, in the parking lot of the Liberty Green Apartments, bordering the NuLu neighborhood, Mariah was found shot. The incident, which was reported around 6 p.m., marked the city's 82nd homicide of the year.
The scene was described by neighbors as something out of a movie, a disturbing and sudden act of violence that shook the Phoenix Hill community.
The investigation into Mariah's death quickly led Louisville Metro Police to two suspects. The first, 23-year-old Anthony Harris, was arrested just two days after the shooting and charged with murder. Police reports indicated that the shooting stemmed from a dispute with Mariah involving drugs. In a jailhouse interview, Harris admitted to pulling the trigger but claimed he was being robbed by Mariah's boyfriend, Lamontrez Jackson, and others at the time. He stated they had distracted him by discussing a music video before macing him.
Further investigation led to the arrest of a second individual, 24-year-old Lamontrez Jackson. He was apprehended following a police chase across several counties that ended in a crash. Jackson was charged with murder and robbery. According to the commonwealth's attorney, while Jackson may not have fired the fatal shot, his involvement in the robbery that led to Mariah's death made him culpable. The authorities contended that the robbery of Anthony Harris precipitated the gunfire that ultimately killed Mariah Wilson.
