In the late spring of 2020, the life of 17-year-old Treasure Malajai Stewart-Adams was tragically cut short. The young woman from Lansing, Michigan, was reported missing on May 26th of that year, sparking concern for her safety. At the time, law enforcement indicated that she could be in danger. The search for Treasure ended in heartbreak three days later, on May 29, 2020, when her body was discovered in a wooded area in a different county, near Ann Arbor. An investigation would later reveal that she had been killed on May 24, 2020, two days before she was even reported missing.
The investigation into her death quickly led to two suspects, both 19 years old at the time. Amadio Gonzalez and his friend, Garrett Lifsey, were arrested in connection with the crime. Authorities alleged that Gonzalez shot and killed Stewart-Adams in his bedroom. Following the killing, Gonzalez reportedly enlisted the help of Lifsey to move her body from the scene of the crime to the location where she was ultimately found. The motive behind the killing was never publicly disclosed, and it remains unclear what the relationship was between Gonzalez and Stewart-Adams. Gonzalez later claimed the shooting was an accident, but blood spatter evidence found in his home suggested otherwise.
Amadio Gonzalez was charged with homicide, tampering with evidence, and removing a dead body without the permission of a medical examiner. Garrett Lifsey faced charges of removing a dead body without a medical examiner's permission and being an accessory to a felony after the fact. The legal proceedings against Lifsey were resolved in a manner that was not made public. In April of 2024, Amadio Gonzalez pleaded guilty to second-degree murder. The plea was part of an agreement reached after consultation with Stewart-Adams' family. An Ingham County Circuit Judge sentenced him to a term of 22 and a half to 62 and a half years in prison. While the judge expressed a belief that a harsher sentence was deserved, the plea agreement was honored to avoid the uncertainties of a trial.
