In the early morning hours of September 19, 2020, a domestic dispute set in motion a chain of events that would end in the tragic death of 25-year-old Dre’Leigha Everidge-Taylor in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Known affectionately as 'Dee Dee,' she was a vibrant woman with a passion for music, drawing, and dancing.
Following an argument with her husband, he left their apartment and went to the nearby home of a close family friend, Jonhron Starks.
Dre’Leigha followed him, banging on Starks' door and window, eventually breaking the window. This led to a confrontation with Starks, who emerged from his apartment armed with a handgun.
The argument escalated into a physical altercation. During the struggle, Starks pointed the firearm at the back of Dre'Leigha's head, warning her to get away from his door, but did not fire at that moment. However, the physical confrontation continued, and ultimately, Starks fired a single shot that struck Dre'Leigha in the chest, killing her at the scene. After the shooting, Starks fled but turned himself in to the authorities the next day. Investigators later recovered a. 40 caliber handgun that Starks had discarded near a fence as he fled.
Jonhron Starks, 27, was charged in federal court with voluntary manslaughter. He pleaded guilty on October 6, 2021, admitting that he had intervened in the argument between Dre'Leigha and her husband and that the gun discharged while in his possession. On February 2, 2022, Starks was sentenced to 63 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. During the sentencing, a remorseful Starks apologized to Dre'Leigha's family. In a poignant moment, her sister stated that she and her mother forgave him and urged him to make better decisions in the future.
