LaRita Yvonne Renee Dewberry, a 26-year-old Black female from Hattiesburg, Mississippi, was fatally shot on the night of July 9, 2016. The incident occurred at approximately 10:10 p.m. while she was inside her sport utility vehicle, which was parked outside an apartment complex on West Fourth Street. Friends of Dewberry later revealed that she had expressed her intention to end her relationship with her boyfriend.
The individual responsible for her death was identified as her boyfriend, 27-year-old Taiwan Jermaine Blakely. The day after the shooting, Blakely turned himself in to the authorities. An investigation found a. 45-caliber Ruger in Dewberry's lap, and forensic tests confirmed that Blakely had gunshot residue on his hand.
Initially charged with first-degree murder, Blakely was held in the Forrest County Jail on a $1 million bond. In October 2018, Taiwan Blakely pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of second-degree murder. He was sentenced to 15 years in prison, to be followed by five years of post-release supervision. An additional 10 years of his sentence were suspended, contingent on him not committing another crime during that period. During the court proceedings, LaRita Dewberry's mother, Chandra Dewberry, publicly forgave Blakely for her daughter's death.
