In the winter of 2015, the life of a promising Western Michigan University student was tragically cut short in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Jazmyne Lyneice Gibson, a 21-year-old female, was found deceased in her apartment at the Copper Beech Townhomes on January 12, 2015. The cause of her untimely death was a single gunshot wound to the back of her head. The Black woman's death was quickly investigated as a homicide by the Kalamazoo County Sheriff's Office, leading to the identification of a person of
interest.
The investigation swiftly focused on Gibson's 21-year-old ex-boyfriend, Korbin Tyler-Lavern Thomas. Authorities were alerted to the shooting by a male caller who initially hung up without providing an address. Investigators were able to trace the call and discover Gibson's body. Thomas was taken into custody in connection with the fatal shooting. He was subsequently charged with open murder and felony firearm. During the course of the investigation, a phone call Thomas made from jail was played in court, in which he admitted his involvement in Gibson's death to his father.
During his trial, Thomas claimed that he did not know the gun was loaded when he shot Gibson. Despite this claim, he was convicted of second-degree murder. In October 2015, a judge sentenced Korbin Thomas to a prison term of 15 to 50 years. In addition to his prison sentence, he was also ordered to pay $19,470 in fees and restitution. The sentencing provided a measure of justice for a life taken too soon, a sentiment echoed by Gibson's grieving family who spoke at the hearing about their profound loss.
