On the evening of December 26, 2022, in Grand Rapids, Michigan, 23-year-old Mya Kelly, a Black/African American mother of two, was at her Canton Street SW home with her boyfriend, Omar Dinneh, and their young children, aged one and three. What began as a quiet evening just after the Christmas holiday was shattered by a knock at the door shortly before 10 p.m. When Mya went to answer, multiple gunshots were fired through the door, striking and fatally wounding her in front of her family.
Dinneh recounted grabbing their son and diving to the ground as the shots rang out, only to look up and witness Mya being struck by the final bullets before she collapsed.
The investigation into Mya's tragic death swiftly pointed to a suspect, Keyante Newbern. Detectives utilized a combination of witness descriptions and surveillance footage from multiple locations to piece together the events of that night. A crucial piece of evidence came from a witness who saw a man in a distinctive white and gray jacket fleeing the scene and getting into a Dodge Journey. Police were able to track down the getaway vehicle and its driver, Marquise Welch. Further investigation uncovered security footage of Newbern wearing the same jacket earlier in the day. Perhaps most damningly, investigators found a rap video filmed on the day of the murder in which Newbern was seen holding the same type of 9mm Glock believed to have been used in the shooting. Although the murder weapon itself was never recovered, ballistics from the scene matched markings from a Glock.
In January 2023, Keyante Newbern was arrested at his aunt's home in Lansing. He was subsequently charged with first-degree murder, carrying a concealed weapon, being a felon in possession of a firearm, and a felony firearm charge. During his trial, the suspected getaway driver, Marquise Welch, provided key testimony against him, detailing the events leading up to and following the shooting. Despite Newbern's denial of being at the scene, the evidence presented by the prosecution, including the compelling video footage and phone records, created a strong case against him.
In March 2024, a jury found Keyante Newbern guilty on all charges related to the murder of Mya Kelly. He was sentenced to a mandatory life in prison without the possibility of parole. The conviction brought a sense of legal closure to a case that had deeply affected the Grand Rapids community. Following her death, local businesses and residents came together to raise funds to support Mya's two young children, who were left without their mother in such a violent and sudden manner.
