In the early morning hours of November 28, 2016, a call about a grass fire brought first responders to the 1800 block of Eighth Avenue South in Columbus, Mississippi. What they discovered upon arrival was far more sinister than a simple blaze. Near a burning car, firefighters and police found the body of 18-year-old Dshawn Dee Boyd, a black male. An investigation quickly determined that Boyd had not perished in the fire but had died from gunshot wounds.
His body was found a short distance from the driver's side of the burning vehicle, which was registered to his mother.
The Columbus Police Department immediately launched a homicide investigation into the death of the young man, who would have turned 19 just days later. Boyd's body was sent for an autopsy to confirm the cause of death and gather further evidence. In the days leading up to his death, Boyd had a run-in with law enforcement. He had been arrested on November 14 on charges including felony possession of a stolen firearm and was released from jail on November 16, with a court date scheduled for December.
For six months, the investigation into Dshawn Boyd's murder continued as detectives worked to piece together the events that led to his death. Then, in early June 2017, the Columbus Police Department announced a significant breakthrough in the case. They had made an arrest and charged 17-year-old Kevis Hill with murder in connection with Boyd's death. Authorities stated that after a lengthy investigation, they had gathered enough evidence to take Hill into custody. He was subsequently held without bond.
