In the summer of 2015, the life of 35-year-old Eddie S Powe, a Black / African American male, was violently cut short on the streets of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. On July 11th, Powe sustained six gunshot wounds, injuries that proved to be fatal. The incident unfolded on West Port Sunlight Way, leaving a community shaken and authorities with a homicide to solve.
The investigation into Powe's death quickly revealed a sinister plot to silence any potential witnesses.
Present at the scene of the shooting was Powe's girlfriend, Breanna Eskridge. Tragically, just over a week later, on July 19th, Eskridge herself was shot and killed. Her mother later told police she believed her daughter was targeted because she had witnessed her boyfriend's murder. Another individual, John Spivey, also witnessed the shooting of Powe. He identified the gunman as a man known as 'Tone', who was later officially identified as Antonio Smith.
Authorities arrested the 33-year-old Antonio Smith on August 24, 2015, charging him with Powe's murder. While incarcerated, Smith orchestrated a conspiracy to eliminate the remaining witness, John Spivey. From the Milwaukee County Jail, Smith used recorded phone calls and video chats to direct his girlfriend, Shantrell Lyons, his nephew, Shaheem Smith, and another man, Lorenzo Beaton, to carry out the murder of Spivey. The plan involved bailing Spivey out of jail on a separate gun possession charge to then kill him. However, investigators uncovered the plot and moved Spivey to a secure location, thwarting the attempt on his life.
In February 2017, Antonio Smith reached a plea deal, pleading guilty to the first-degree intentional homicide of Eddie Powe. He also pleaded guilty to charges related to the murder of Breanna Eskridge and the conspiracy to kill John Spivey. Smith's nephew, Shaheem Smith, also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit murder for his role in the attempted hit on the witness. The resolution of the court cases brought a measure of justice to the tragic and interconnected events that began with the death of Eddie Powe.
