In the quiet city of Natchez, Mississippi, the life of 29-year-old Don Owens was cut short on the evening of December 17, 2018. A Black male, Owens was at a friend's residence when he received a phone call and stepped outside. Moments later, the sound of multiple gunshots pierced the night. Owens was discovered in a darkened alley adjacent to the house, having been shot in the back.
His mother, Rebecca Owens, would later express her belief that her son was lured into the alley, caught completely unaware by his attacker.
For more than two years, the investigation into Don Owens' death continued, with his mother tirelessly advocating for justice, reaching out to law enforcement, city officials, and the media to keep his case from going cold. Her persistence paid off in July 2021 when the Natchez Police Department announced a significant breakthrough. Investigators had obtained audio recordings of phone conversations between two men, Damien Hayes and DiQuan Seals, in which they discussed a conspiracy to murder Owens.
Based on this new evidence, Damien Hayes was arrested and charged with conspiracy to commit murder. An arrest warrant was also issued for DiQuan Seals on the same charge. The announcement brought a sense of relief to Owens' family, who had long awaited progress in the case. However, the path to justice proved to be complex, as a mistrial was later declared for both Hayes and Seals, leaving the final resolution of the case uncertain.
