In the early morning hours of July 7, 2019, the quiet community of Capron, Virginia, was disturbed by a tragedy that would forever alter a local family. Inside a home on Angelico Road, 20-year-old Diamond Mon'Ae Daniels was found shot to death. The young Black woman, known for her angelic and infectious smile, was a student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with aspirations of becoming a doctor of physical therapy.
She was described by those who knew her as a sweet, compassionate, and selfless individual who was deeply devoted to her family, friends, and church community.
The investigation into her untimely death soon took a significant turn when her stepbrother, 20-year-old Issac O'Neal Taylor of Waverly, turned himself in to the Sussex County Sheriff's Office. As deputies from the Southampton County Sheriff's Office were processing the scene of the crime, Taylor provided information that was consistent with the evidence they were uncovering. His surrender brought a swift, yet somber, development to the case, leading to his arrest.
Following his confession, Issac O'Neal Taylor was charged with first-degree murder and the use of a firearm in the commission of a felony. The news of a family member being accused of such a violent act sent shockwaves through the neighborhood, where Daniels' family had lived for years. Neighbors expressed their disbelief and sorrow, remembering Diamond as a sweet girl and finding a small measure of relief that the person responsible was no longer at large.
