In the pre-dawn hours of Sunday, September 19, 2021, the quiet intersection of Vanzie Street and Rance Drive in Brookhaven, Mississippi, became a crime scene. Around 4:45 a.m., officers responded to a call and discovered the body of a man in the street. The victim was identified as 23-year-old Tarvauirs Lyons, a male who had sustained a fatal gunshot wound to his head and was pronounced dead at the scene.
His body was sent for an autopsy to officially determine the cause of death.
The Brookhaven Police Department quickly launched a homicide investigation and identified a primary suspect, Zayrick Keune Taylor, 23, who was known on the streets as 'Juice.' Police issued a warrant for his arrest on a murder charge, cautioning the public that Taylor was considered armed and dangerous and had a history of criminal activity. The manhunt for Taylor came to an end the following day, on Monday, September 20. His capture was dramatic, involving a high-speed chase that spanned multiple counties, beginning in Pike County and proceeding through Lincoln County before ending in Walthall County.
Following Taylor's arrest for the murder of Lyons, several other individuals were taken into custody for their alleged involvement in the circumstances surrounding the crime. Alisia Sims, 28, was arrested and charged with hindering prosecution and rendering assistance to a felon. Authorities stated that Taylor was fleeing in her vehicle and that she was with him at the time of his arrest. Another suspect, 28-year-old Chase Anthony Wallis of Youngsville, Louisiana, was arrested and faced charges of kidnapping and intimidating a witness.
The investigation continued to unfold with a fourth arrest made on Tuesday, September 28. Okeria Aerion Combs, 23, was taken into custody by Brookhaven police and charged with electronic harassment amounting to witness intimidation. Law enforcement officials emphasized their commitment to protecting witnesses, stating that any attempts at intimidation would result in warrants and arrests to ensure the community's safety and cooperation in ongoing investigations.
