In the quiet community of Toomsuba, Mississippi, a horrific scene unfolded in February 2017, shattering the peace and leaving a family decimated. Five-year-old Owen Pickett, a young male, was found deceased, the victim of a brutal act of violence that also claimed the lives of his mother, Tomecca L. Pickett, 42; his aunt, Kiearra Durr, 27; and his grandmother, Edna Durr, 65.
The discovery was made after concerned neighbors alerted the authorities when they were unable to get a response from the family's residence.
Upon entering the home, law enforcement found a scene of unimaginable tragedy. The four family members had been shot to death. Miraculously, a younger child, Kiearra Durr's 3-year-old daughter, was found alive and physically unharmed at the scene. Investigators determined that the killings likely occurred on the night of February 20, 2017. There were no signs of forced entry into the home.
Suspicion quickly fell upon 44-year-old Karon Deshawn McVay, who had been in a relationship with Tomecca Pickett. Investigators learned that the situation was rooted in domestic violence and that Pickett had been making plans to leave McVay and move with her son. McVay was present at the scene among onlookers when police first arrived, but was later arrested in connection with the quadruple homicide. He was subsequently charged with three counts of murder and one count of capital murder.
Court proceedings revealed the grim details of the crime. McVay confessed to the killings, stating that an argument with Tomecca escalated to violence. In his confession, he admitted to shooting Tomecca, Owen, Edna, and Kiearra. A jury found Karon McVay guilty on four counts of capital murder and one count of possession of a firearm by a felon. For these crimes, he received four consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole.
