In the winter of 2020, a dispute over a mere one hundred dollars tragically escalated, culminating in the death of 24-year-old Starquasia Harris in Trenton, New Jersey. On the evening of January 29th, Harris was fatally shot in what authorities have described as a targeted home invasion on Elm Street.
The investigation into her death, which marked the city's first homicide of the year, led authorities to two suspects: Travis Leiby, then 34, and Brittany Murdza, then 32.
Court documents revealed that the duo, who considered themselves siblings though they are not related by blood, had gone to Harris's residence to retrieve belongings for a relative who had been in a dispute with Harris over a $100 debt the day before.
During the fatal encounter, two individuals, one armed with a gun, broke into the home. When police arrived around 10:40 p.m., they found Harris suffering from a gunshot wound. She was pronounced dead at the scene. While Leiby and Murdza initially told police they were in the neighborhood but not present during the shooting, witness accounts placed a man matching Leiby's description entering Harris's home, followed by the sound of gunshots.
Both Travis Leiby and Brittany Murdza were subsequently arrested and faced charges of murder, burglary, and firearm offenses in connection with the death of Starquasia Harris. The pair were taken into custody and awaited court proceedings following their indictment.
