On a late Saturday night in Tacoma, Washington, on September 3, 2016, a dispute in the Hilltop neighborhood ended in the tragic death of 41-year-old Hyson Sabb, a Black/African American male. Police responded to calls of shots fired in the 1500 block of South L Street around 10 p.m. and discovered Sabb wounded in a yard. He was rushed to a local hospital but succumbed to his injuries. At the time, police had not identified a suspect and began their investigation into the fatal shooting.
Sabb's wife, with whom he had a child and had eloped just two weeks prior, was left devastated by the sudden loss. His cousin, who heard the gunshots, believed Sabb had gotten into an altercation that tragically resulted in his death.
The investigation into Hyson Sabb's death led to 50-year-old Yancy Ray being identified as the primary suspect. Prosecutors alleged that the shooting stemmed from an argument that began when a woman offered to assist Ray with a drug transaction. Sabb reportedly intervened in the ensuing confrontation between Ray and the woman, leading to a heated argument between the two men. Following the argument, Ray left the scene but returned shortly after with a gun and shot Sabb. After the shooting, Ray fled, and his wife was later accused of helping him by driving him to Portland. Eighteen days after the incident, Ray turned himself into the Pierce County Jail.
Yancy Ray was charged with second-degree murder and unlawful possession of a firearm. During his trial, his defense attorney argued that the shooting was an act of self-defense, claiming that Sabb had assaulted, beaten, and robbed Ray prior to the shooting. The defense also contended that Ray owed Sabb money for a drug debt and that Sabb had initiated the gunfire when Ray returned to the house, but his gun jammed. However, the prosecution maintained that Ray was the aggressor, returning to the scene with the intent to shoot Sabb. Ultimately, a Pierce County jury did not accept the self-defense claim and convicted Yancy Ray of second-degree murder for the shooting death of Hyson Sabb.
