On December 29, 2016, a social gathering on Detroit's east side turned tragic, ending the life of 25-year-old Kendra Gardner. The young woman was found with a fatal gunshot wound to the head at a home in the 14400 block of Fordham. The festive atmosphere of the gathering, which reportedly involved heavy drinking, soured when an argument broke out between Gardner and her 65-year-old uncle, Willie Harmon.
The verbal altercation escalated, prompting Harmon and Gardner to move to another
room. It was there that Harmon, a Vietnam War veteran with a history of heavy drinking and treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder, fatally shot his niece. Another woman present at the house managed to disarm Harmon before he was taken into custody by the police.
Willie Harmon was subsequently charged with second-degree murder and felony firearm possession. Despite a request for a competency evaluation by his defense attorney, Harmon was found guilty by a jury on September 20, 2017. During the trial, Harmon expressed remorse, stating he had no intention of killing his niece and wished he could turn back time. However, the judge presiding over the case highlighted the tragic and senseless nature of the crime, emphasizing the dangerous combination of excessive drinking and firearms.
On October 5, 2017, Willie Harmon was sentenced to a minimum of 12 years and a maximum of 30 years in prison. The sentencing was marked by emotional statements from Gardner's mother, Kim Patton, and other family members, who remembered Kendra as a kind young woman with a bright future ahead of her.
