On a summer evening in Pontiac, Michigan, the life of 19-year-old Aniya Edwards was tragically cut short. It was August 5, 2016, and Aniya, a college student visiting family, was standing with friends in front of an abandoned house on Thorpe Street. A dark-colored vehicle approached with its lights off, and suddenly, gunfire erupted from the car, which was carrying three or four individuals wearing masks.
Aniya was struck in the abdomen and, despite being rushed to the hospital by sheriff's deputies, she succumbed to her injuries. Three other people with her were also wounded but survived.
Aniya was remembered by her family as a generous and loving young woman with a bright smile and a carefree spirit. She had just completed her first year of college in Memphis, where she lived with her father, and had returned to her hometown of Pontiac with plans to enroll at Oakland Community College. Her sudden and violent death left her family and community devastated. She was an innocent bystander in a senseless act of violence.
The investigation into Aniya's murder led to the arrests of two men. In August 2017, Ashton Greenhouse was taken into custody. He later pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, three counts of assault with intent to commit murder, and felony firearm charges. His plea agreement included a minimum sentence of 25 years. In June 2018, a second suspect, Adonte Bouie, was arrested and charged with first-degree premeditated murder, conspiracy to commit murder, and multiple counts of assault with intent to murder and felony firearm possession.
The legal proceedings that followed revealed more details about the night of the shooting. Ashton Greenhouse admitted his involvement, stating that he had been trying to target someone who had previously attempted to rob him during a drug deal. In exchange for his testimony against Bouie, Greenhouse's conspiracy charge was dismissed. However, a jury acquitted Adonte Bouie of Aniya's murder and all other charges directly related to the shooting. He was, however, found guilty of conspiring with 'unknown individuals' to commit first-degree murder in incidents separate from the one that resulted in Aniya's death.
