In the early morning hours of October 26, 2018, 18-year-old Hunter Black, a Caucasian male, was inside his Kennewick, Washington, home with his pregnant girlfriend when their lives were violently upended. Two masked men broke into their residence on Yelm Street just before 2:30 a.m. in what police believe was a targeted home invasion and robbery. The intruders confronted the young couple, and in the ensuing moments, Hunter Black was fatally shot once in the chest with a shotgun.
Despite efforts to save him, he died a short time later. At the time of his death, he and his girlfriend were eagerly awaiting the birth of their first child.
The investigation into the homicide continued for years, but significant developments eventually led to the identification of three suspects. The investigation pointed to a plan by three men to rob the 18-year-old of drugs and money. The suspects were identified as Lawrence Isaiah Groce, Wardell Eniko Joseph Braxton, and Kavonte Enoch Conley. According to authorities, Groce and Conley, both armed, entered the bedroom while Braxton turned on the light. After the fatal shot was fired and a struggle ensued with one of Black's roommates, the attackers fled the scene, leaving the shotgun behind.
Justice for Hunter Black saw progress with the arrests of the suspected individuals. In April 2022, Lawrence Isaiah Groce was arrested in connection with the murder. Wardell Eniko Joseph Braxton was also taken into custody and later pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, receiving a sentence of over 13 years in prison. A nationwide warrant was issued for the third suspect, Kavonte Enoch Conley, for first-degree murder. Groce was charged with first-degree murder, first-degree burglary, and second-degree assault. His first trial in April 2023 ended with a hung jury, but a second trial was underway in September of the same year. Key evidence in the case against Groce included DNA found on a shotgun shell and a confession he allegedly made to a girlfriend.
