In the quiet community of Benton Harbor, Michigan, the life of a dedicated mother and healthcare professional was tragically cut short. Novena Pratrice Mathis, a 38-year-old Black female known affectionately as 'Vena,' was found deceased in her car on January 7, 2018. A respected medical assistant and phlebotomist, she had built a career of over 15 years at Lakeland Medical Center and Memorial Hospital in South Bend, where she was known for her compassionate care. Her sudden and violent death sent ripples of shock and grief through her family and all who knew her.
The investigation into Novena's death soon focused on a person intimately familiar with her life: William Dawun Edwards, her longtime boyfriend. The couple shared a complex and lengthy history, an on-and-off relationship that had spanned nearly a quarter of a century and brought two children into the world. On that fateful day, the tumultuous nature of their bond reached a devastating conclusion when Edwards fatally shot Mathis inside her vehicle. The act shattered a family and left a community mourning a senseless loss.
Following the discovery of Novena's body, law enforcement began a search for Edwards. He was located and apprehended in Kalamazoo on unrelated drug and weapon charges. The investigation by the Benton Harbor Police Department swiftly connected him to Novena's murder. Edwards was subsequently charged with open murder, being a felon in possession of a firearm, and two counts of felony firearm.
The legal proceedings that followed brought some measure of justice for Novena and her grieving family. William Dawun Edwards was ultimately convicted of second-degree murder and a related weapons charge. In 2019, a judge handed down a significant sentence, ordering him to serve a minimum of 72 years in prison. An appeal to the Michigan Court of Appeals was later denied, upholding the conviction and ensuring that the man responsible for Novena Mathis's death would remain behind bars.
