In a tragic turn of events on January 8, 2018, 28-year-old Michael Allen Cain, a male resident of Virginia Beach, Virginia, was fatally shot in what police described as a drug deal that spiraled into violence. The incident, which unfolded in an apartment on Gate Tree Court, also claimed the life of 22-year-old Matthew Dillon Jyrkinen and left a female victim with life-threatening injuries.
The confrontation reportedly began following a dispute over the weight of methamphetamine during a transaction initiated by the female victim.
The situation escalated when one of the suspects, Malkim Hart, entered the apartment, leading to a confrontation that ended in gunfire. When Virginia Beach police responded to the scene around 5 p.m., they discovered the two deceased men and the critically wounded woman. An investigation into the double homicide and malicious wounding quickly led to the identification and arrest of four suspects.
Within days of the incident, police apprehended Dale Edward Gauvin, 22, Steven Larry Gray, 35, Malkim Shamarr Hart, 29, and Justin Travis Rigby, 33. Initially, all four men were charged with robbery, conspiracy, two counts of using a gun in the commission of a felony, and aggravated malicious wounding. As the investigation progressed, more severe charges were brought against them. Hart was charged with two counts of first-degree murder, while Gauvin, Gray, and Rigby each faced two counts of second-degree felony homicide.
The legal proceedings that followed saw a series of developments. In January 2019, some of the charges against Dale Gauvin, including homicide and use of a firearm, were ultimately dismissed. Justin Rigby later entered a guilty plea to possession with the intent to distribute drugs and conspiracy, with the remaining charges against him being dropped as part of the plea agreement to better reflect his level of involvement in the crimes. The four men were held at the Virginia Beach Correctional Center without bond following their arrests.
