In the summer of 2019, the life of 21-year-old Zariah Antel Newton, a Black female from Brookhaven, Mississippi, was tragically cut short. On the night of July 20th, Zariah and her boyfriend, Javian Richardson, received a security alert that someone was inside their Mason Road home. Rushing to their residence, they were confronted by four intruders, an encounter that would end in gunfire.
In the ensuing chaos, Zariah was fatally shot and was later pronounced dead at King's Daughters Medical Center.
The investigation into her murder quickly led authorities to identify four suspects: Justin Devon Anderson, Jatavious Berry, Adrian Smith, and Shawan Allen. The days following the home invasion saw a multi-agency effort to bring the perpetrators to justice. Jatavious Berry was the first to be apprehended. Soon after, Adrian Smith was captured at Jackson-Medgar Wiley Evers International Airport as he attempted to leave the area. The fourth suspect, Shawan Allen, became the subject of a manhunt that ended in a fatal shootout with law enforcement in Copiah County after he had barricaded himself inside a trailer. The final suspect, Justin Anderson, turned himself in to authorities in Natchez.
The legal process for the surviving suspects has been a long and complex journey. Jatavis Berry and Adrian Smith both accepted plea deals for their involvement in the burglary and conspiracy, and are currently serving time for those charges. The case against Justin Anderson for capital murder proved to be more complicated. His first trial, held in Tupelo, concluded with a hung jury, resulting in a mistrial. A second trial was scheduled to take place. The community of Brookhaven continues to grapple with the violent loss of a young life, while the pursuit of justice for Zariah Antel Newton continues within the court system.
