In the early hours of August 11, 2021, the life of 19-year-old Taliyah DaShay Carey, a Black female from Petersburg, Virginia, was tragically cut short. She was a passenger in a vehicle parked in the 12200 block of South Crater Road in Prince George County when an assailant fired multiple shots into the car. Police responded to the scene at approximately 3:36 a.m. and found Taliyah with a gunshot wound.
She was pronounced dead at the scene.
Taliyah was a recent 2020 graduate of Thomas Dale High School and was remembered as a vibrant and active member of her community. She was deeply involved in the Youth Ministry, the Youth Choir, and the “Exalted Praise” Praise Dance Ministry at Big Bethel Baptist Church. During her time in high school, she was the manager for the boys' basketball team and a co-founder of the Thomas Dale Step Team, showcasing her passion for both sports and the arts. Her family and friends remembered her infectious spirit and laughter.
Later on the same day as the shooting, at around 2:00 p.m., Prince George County detectives arrested 28-year-old Dexter Driskell of Hopewell in connection with Taliyah's death. He was taken into custody without incident and charged with second-degree murder and the use of a firearm in the commission of a felony. Driskell was held without bond at the Riverside Regional Jail as the investigation into the homicide continued. Authorities urged anyone with further information to come forward. There have been no publicly released updates on the outcome of the charges against Dexter Driskell or any subsequent trial or conviction.
