On the evening of July 6, 2020, 17-year-old Tyeah Garner was celebrating her sister's birthday with friends and family in Jersey City, New Jersey. The group had gathered near Rutgers Avenue and New Street when the celebration was shattered by the sound of gunfire around 10:30 p.m. Tyeah was struck by a bullet in her upper body. She was rushed to Jersey City Medical Center, where she tragically succumbed to her injuries six hours later, in the early morning of July 7, 2020.
An autopsy would later determine that the cause of death was a gunshot wound to the head, and the manner of death was ruled a homicide. Friends described Tyeah as a vibrant and caring young woman who was a junior at Lincoln High School. She was known for her talents as a singer and choreographer and held aspirations of becoming a nurse to help children.
The investigation into the senseless killing of the female teenager quickly moved forward, and within weeks, authorities announced charges against three individuals. Heavenley Cherry, 19, and Jahquell Carter, 24, both from Jersey City, faced charges including murder and conspiracy to commit murder. A third individual, 19-year-old Izmae Tinker-Trent, also from Jersey City, was charged with hindering the murder investigation. At the time the charges were announced, Carter remained at large and was considered dangerous.
A manhunt for Jahquell Carter concluded on July 28, 2020, when he was apprehended in Plymouth, Pennsylvania. He was discovered hiding in an attic crawl space and was taken into custody by a team of law enforcement officers. Heavenley Cherry was already in custody at the Bergen County Youth Detention Center on an unrelated matter when she was charged with Tyeah's murder. In February 2021, a Hudson County grand jury handed up an indictment against all three suspects, solidifying the charges against them in connection with the death of Tyeah Garner.
