In December of 2017, in Detroit, Michigan, 33-year-old Lavic Sharpe was found deceased in his home on Northlawn Street. He was discovered in a pool of dried blood, having sustained a fatal gunshot wound to the head. The Wayne County Medical Examiner swiftly ruled his death a homicide. There was no weapon recovered from the scene, which immediately cast doubt on any possibility of self-harm.
The investigation into the death of the male victim quickly focused on Leisha Tarrant, a
27-year-old woman who resided with Sharpe. Tarrant was taken into custody the day after his body was found and her account of the events leading to Sharpe’s death was inconsistent. Initially, she claimed that he had taken his own life. However, the lack of a firearm at the scene contradicted her statement. As investigators delved deeper, it was revealed that the couple's relationship was in the process of ending. Tarrant then altered her story, alleging that Sharpe had been abusive and that during a heated argument, he produced a gun. She claimed the weapon discharged accidentally as she attempted to take it from him.
The evidence, however, did not align with Tarrant's revised narrative. The medical examiner determined that Sharpe's injury was a contact wound to the top of his head, which was not consistent with an accidental shooting during a struggle. As a result of the investigation, Leisha Tarrant was charged with first-degree murder, tampering with evidence, lying to the police, and a felony firearm charge. She was held without bond pending her trial.
During the subsequent legal proceedings, a jury convicted Tarrant on the charges of tampering with evidence, lying to a peace officer during a violent crime investigation, and two counts of possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony. The jury, however, could not come to a unanimous decision on the charge of first-degree premeditated murder, which resulted in a mistrial for that specific count. Tarrant was ultimately sentenced to prison for the crimes she was convicted of, with some of the sentences to be served consecutively.
