On a summer evening in Westland, Michigan, 17-year-old Robert Bigham III was riding his bicycle near the intersection of Grand Traverse Street and Missaukee Court. It was June 7, 2020, when his life was abruptly cut short in a burst of gunfire. The male teenager, a resident of nearby Novi, was fatally shot around 8:55 p.m.
The investigation into Robert's death led Westland police to three suspects who were arrested shortly after the shooting.
Duan Markeith Jones, 18, of Westland, was identified as the gunman and charged with first-degree premeditated homicide, discharging a weapon from a vehicle causing death, tampering with evidence, and three felony firearm violations. Two others were also implicated in the crime. Sarah Jean Jones-Moody, 17, of Wayne, was charged with accessory after the fact to a felony and a felony firearm violation. Timothy Dywerr Stevenson Jr., 19, of Detroit, faced charges of larceny from a person and tampering with evidence.
Ultimately, Duan Markeith Jones pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and a weapons charge. He received a sentence of 22 to 40 years in prison for the murder, with a concurrent two-year sentence for the weapons charge. During the court proceedings, Jones expressed remorse and apologized to Robert's family. Timothy Stevenson pleaded guilty to larceny for taking Robert's phone as he lay wounded, claiming he intended to return it to the boy's mother. However, he failed to appear for his sentencing, resulting in a bench warrant. Sarah Jean Jones-Moody was held on a $75,000 bond and was required to wear a GPS tether if released.
