Cherron Miller

Cherron Miller, a 31-year-old Black woman from Milwaukee, was a talented tattoo artist and a devoted mother to her four young children. Friends and family described her as an outgoing, beautiful person who was always smiling. She was a peacemaker who loved to have fun and had a great relationship with her children. Her mother, Jacqueline Brinson, remembered her daughter's skill at roller skating, recalling, "I could skate, but she could skate better than me."

On the afternoon of September 12, 2019, Miller went to an apartment near 52nd and Locust to retrieve her personal belongings. She had been in what her family called an unhealthy relationship with 29-year-old Darnell Lamonte Kimble and had been staying at the residence with him. After being asked to leave, she returned that day to end things and collect her things. An argument broke out between Miller and Kimble. The dispute escalated, and while they were within arm’s reach of each other, Miller swung her arms at Kimble. He then produced a gun, shot her, and fled the apartment.

First responders found Miller on the floor with gunshot wounds to her arm and abdomen. She was rushed to a local hospital, but despite medical efforts, she died from her injuries in the early hours of September 13, 2019. The entire incident was witnessed by Kimble’s own mother. An autopsy later ruled her death a homicide. "I never imagined losing my daughter at such a young age," her mother said.

Police quickly identified Darnell Kimble as the suspect. On September 18, 2019, he was charged with first-degree reckless homicide and possession of a firearm by a felon. An arrest warrant was issued, and he was taken into custody. However, the path to justice was complicated. In November 2020, just as the case was set for trial, it was dismissed after a key witness, Kimble’s mother, failed to appear in court to testify. Kimble was released from custody. "He literally shot and murdered my daughter, and he's walking free," Brinson said at the time.

For several years, the case lay dormant. During this time, Kimble was convicted on a separate felony gun possession charge and sentenced to probation. Then, in May 2023, the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office refiled the original homicide and firearm charges against him. This time, the case proceeded to trial. A Milwaukee County jury convicted Darnell Kimble of first-degree reckless homicide and possession of a firearm by a felon. As of his conviction in January 2024, he was awaiting sentencing.