In the winter of 2017, the life of 18-year-old Dayeveon LaDarious Hill was tragically cut short in Clarksdale, Mississippi. A senior at Clarksdale High School, Hill was not only the captain of the football team but also a promising athlete who had just signed to play for Pearl River Community College. Known affectionately as 'Smooth,' he was described by his mother as a vibrant and loving young man whose smile could light up a room. His future, however, came to an abrupt end on Wednesday, February 8, 2017, when he was shot in the arm and chest in the 1000 block of King Street.
The day following the fatal shooting, Clarksdale police arrested and charged 18-year-old Marcus Myles with one count of murder in connection with Dayeveon Hill's death. A judge set Myles' bond at $1 million. It was later revealed that at the time of the shooting, Myles was already out on bond for a prior gun charge. This fact became a focal point for Hill's mother, Lekitha Hill, who began advocating for stronger gun laws to prevent similar tragedies. She expressed that if more stringent laws had been in place, the man accused of killing her son would not have had access to a gun. In the wake of her son's death, she founded The Daye 5 Foundation to raise awareness about gun violence and support affected families.
In July 2017, a grand jury indicted Marcus Myles for the murder of Dayeveon Hill. The legal proceedings that followed were drawn out, and justice for Dayeveon's family remained elusive for years. In August 2024, after three days of testimony, the murder trial of Marcus Myles ended in a mistrial. During the years he was awaiting trial for Hill's death, Myles was reportedly released on bond again and was subsequently accused of shooting four other people and killing another individual. Lekitha Hill has continued her advocacy, stating that justice for her would mean proper investigations, accountability for all parties involved, and a district attorney's office that diligently fights for victims and their families.
