In the summer of 2006, a simmering dispute erupted into a tragic act of violence that claimed the lives of two teenagers in Ypsilanti, Michigan. The male victim was 17-year-old Scott Allen Bonar. On the night of July 10th, a hail of bullets was fired into a mobile home in the Greenbriar Estates, ending the lives of Bonar and 14-year-old Krilissa Feldman, and injuring two other teens. The shooting was not a random act but the culmination of a conflict that had escalated throughout the day.
The tragic chain of events began with a confrontation at the residence of Clint Ousley. His ex-girlfriend, Jessica Lynne Sykes, had arrived at the trailer with a group of men, leading to an altercation. Hours later, the desire for retaliation drove Sykes and three companions, Joshua Joseph Tackett, Cory Michael Tard, and Antonio Damon Copas, to return to the mobile home. Armed with assault rifles, they unleashed a barrage of gunfire on the dwelling, where a number of people were gathered inside. Scott Bonar was struck in the chest and later died at a local hospital, while Krilissa Feldman was killed at the scene.
The investigation into the deadly shooting led authorities to the four individuals. Joshua Joseph Tackett and Antonio Damon Copas faced the most severe charges. They were tried jointly and, in January 2007, both were found guilty on two counts of first-degree murder. For their roles in the fatal shooting, Tackett and Copas were each sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
The other two involved, Jessica Lynne Sykes and Cory Michael Tard, also faced justice for their parts in the crime. They were convicted of second-degree murder for their involvement in the events that led to the deaths of Scott Bonar and Krilissa Feldman. Both Sykes and Tard were sentenced to life in prison, but with the possibility of parole.
