In the early hours of February 19, 2019, the life of 27-year-old Damen Ellington Graham, a Black/African American male, was tragically cut short in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Around midnight, police were called to the Chartwell Apartments on Chartwell Drive following reports of gunshots. Upon their arrival, they discovered Graham suffering from fatal gunshot wounds; he was pronounced dead at the scene.
Neighbors later recounted hearing approximately four gunshots, which shattered the quiet of the night and prompted a significant police investigation at the apartment complex.
The investigation into Graham's death led to the arrests of three individuals just over a week later, on February 27, 2019. Marquette Treyvon Lee, 23 years old at the time, faced the most severe charges, including murder, use of a firearm, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Two other individuals were also implicated in connection with the crime. Charles Daquan Wilson, 27, was charged with being an accessory after the fact to a felony, and 28-year-old Vanessa C. Johnson was charged with obstruction of justice. All three suspects were taken into custody and held at the Virginia Beach Correctional Center without bond.
The legal process unfolded over the subsequent years, culminating in guilty pleas from all three defendants. In October 2021, Marquette Treyvon Lee pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, shooting into an occupied vehicle, use of a firearm, and possession of a firearm by a felon. On February 23, 2022, he was sentenced to 23 years in prison. Charles Daquan Wilson and Vanessa C. Johnson also pleaded guilty to their respective charges. Wilson received a sentence of 12 months in prison, while Johnson's sentencing was scheduled for March 2, 2022.
