On a summer day in Detroit, Michigan, the life of 25-year-old Siraquana Cotton, a Black/African American woman, was tragically cut short in a brutal act of domestic violence. On June 22, 2006, while at her home on Promenade Street styling her sister's hair, she was confronted by her estranged boyfriend, Charles 'Eastwood' Epperson. Despite a protection order Cotton had sought against him due to a history of threats and violence, Epperson forced his way into the residence.
The situation escalated quickly as Epperson, armed and visibly agitated, created a chaotic and terrifying scene for the family members present. He fatally shot Cotton in the head. In an act of unspeakable cruelty, he then turned his weapon on Cotton's 2-year-old daughter, Marissa Mosley, killing her as well before fleeing the home. The devastating event left family members who witnessed the horror to grapple with the sudden and violent loss of a mother and her young child.
In the aftermath of the killings, law enforcement began a search for Charles Epperson. The manhunt concluded when his body was discovered in the Detroit River. His death was ultimately ruled a suicide, bringing a somber end to the investigation. With the perpetrator deceased, the legal proceedings in the case of Siraquana Cotton and Marissa Mosley's deaths were closed.
