In the winter of 2019, the Oklahoma City community was shaken by the violent death of 44-year-old Elijah Mothershed, a Black man known for his entrepreneurial spirit and dedication to mentoring young people. On January 7th, Mothershed, his fiancée Carnesha Powell, and her 15-year-old daughter, Roshawna Stevens, were found deceased inside their home on Northeast 10th Street and Standish Avenue.
The discovery was made during a welfare check prompted by concerned family members who had been unable to reach them.
Investigators determined that all three victims had been shot. Evidence suggested that Mothershed was the first to be attacked, having been found near the door with a gunshot wound to the temple. There were no signs of a struggle or forced entry, leading to the theory that he may have opened the door to his killer or killers. Powell and her daughter were shot as they appeared to be trying to flee.
At the time of his death, Mothershed was a business owner, having recently opened a medical marijuana dispensary called Cannabis Aid. He was also a respected community leader who founded a non-profit organization, MAN 101, to mentor at-risk youth and was involved with the Guardian Angels, a volunteer group focused on street safety. The motive for the brutal triple homicide remains a mystery to law enforcement.
Despite the passage of time, the case remains unsolved, with no arrests made and no suspects publicly identified. The lack of progress has been a source of ongoing pain and frustration for the families of the victims and the wider community that held Mothershed in high regard. In a tragic coincidence, the house where the murders took place had been the scene of another unsolved homicide just eleven months prior, though police do not believe the two incidents are connected. The investigation into the deaths of Elijah Mothershed, Carnesha Powell, and Roshawna Stevens is ongoing.
