In the pre-dawn hours of October 21, 2022, Dina Terrell, a 49-year-old mother of three and a breast cancer survivor from Eastpointe, Michigan, was working as a Lyft driver, navigating the quiet streets of Pontiac. At approximately 5:15 a.m., a routine ride took a tragic and fatal turn. Deputies were dispatched to the corner of West Rundell Street and Putnam Avenue, where they discovered Terrell's gray Nissan wedged between a utility pole and a street sign.
Inside the vehicle, they found Terrell in the driver's seat with a gunshot wound to her head. She was rushed to a nearby hospital but was pronounced dead shortly after her arrival.
Investigators quickly pieced together the events leading to her death. Terrell's cellphone, still running the Lyft app, provided a crucial lead. The app showed an active ride that had originated from a Walmart in Rochester Hills with a destination on the northeast side of Pontiac. The ride, however, had not been completed. The passenger she had picked up was identified as 19-year-old Kemarrie Davion Phillips of Pontiac. It is believed that as they neared the destination, Phillips, from the back seat, shot Terrell in the back of the head. Following the shooting, the car crashed, and Phillips fled the scene on foot.
The investigation led authorities to Phillips, who was arrested without incident. He was subsequently charged with open murder and possession of a firearm in the commission of a felony. The motive for the senseless act of violence remained unclear, as Terrell's purse and jewelry were left untouched, ruling out robbery. In April 2024, Phillips entered into a plea agreement with Oakland County prosecutors. He pleaded no contest to a reduced charge of second-degree murder, and in exchange, the initial charge of first-degree murder was dismissed. He also pleaded no contest to the felony firearms charge. On June 25, 2024, a judge sentenced Kemarrie Phillips to 16 to 60 years in prison for the murder, with an additional two years for the firearms charge. The court ordered him to pay over $4,000 in restitution and acknowledged the 613 days he had already served in jail.
