In the summer of 2017, the life of Felicia Mattox Poindexter, a 46-year-old Black woman from Roanoke, Virginia, was tragically cut short. On August 5th, what began as an ordinary day ended in violence at a local Family Dollar store, leaving a community in mourning and a family shattered. Poindexter was a mother of four who was known for her infectious smile and kind-hearted nature.
That fateful day, Felicia Poindexter was at the Family Dollar on Orange Avenue when she was shot. Another individual, David Lee Gravely, was also wounded in the incident, sustaining a gunshot to the leg. Emergency services rushed to the scene, and Poindexter was transported to a nearby hospital, but she ultimately succumbed to her injuries.
The Roanoke Police Department's investigation swiftly led to an arrest at the scene of the crime. The suspect was identified as Kimberly Gollop. It was later revealed that Gollop and Gravely had previously filed protective orders against each other, though they had not yet been served at the time of the shooting.
Kimberly Gollop was charged with first-degree murder for the death of Felicia Poindexter and the use of a firearm in the commission of a felony. During the trial, prosecutors argued that the act was a premeditated and calculated murder. They presented evidence that Gollop had gone to the store with a gun, a concealed weapons permit, and only a single dollar bill in her purse, suggesting her intent was not for shopping. The defense argued for a more lenient sentence, citing Gollop's history of mental illness.
In January 2019, a judge sentenced Kimberly Gollop to 48 years in prison for the murder of Felicia Poindexter and the wounding of David Gravely. The judge described the act as a 'cold, calculated, premeditated murder,' bringing a close to the legal proceedings but leaving an indelible mark on the lives of all those affected by the senseless act of violence.
