On the evening of June 1, 2017, the lives of two young people were tragically cut short in Danville, Virginia. Breia Martonia Edmunds, a 21-year-old female, and 20-year-old Demarcus Whitehead were discovered inside a vehicle at the intersection of Arnett Boulevard and Glendale Avenue. Both had sustained fatal gunshot wounds to the head, a grim finding later confirmed by the Medical Examiner.
The incident was a double homicide that sent shockwaves through the local community and spurred an immediate and intensive investigation by the Danville Police Department.
In the days that followed, information provided by concerned citizens at the crime scene proved crucial in identifying a person of interest. This led investigators to 29-year-old Dana Miguel Keith. At the time he was identified, Keith was already wanted on outstanding warrants for shoplifting and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. On June 6, 2017, just five days after the murders, Keith was apprehended and charged with two counts of first-degree murder for the deaths of Edmunds and Whitehead.
The legal process against Dana Keith moved forward, with the prosecution building a case that ultimately led to his conviction in September 2019. In October of that same year, Keith was sentenced in Danville Circuit Court. He received five life terms for the murders, along with an additional 12 years for firearms convictions. Keith had been charged with capital murder, but the death penalty was taken off the table in exchange for him waiving his right to a jury trial. He was subsequently convicted of both murders and robbery by a judge in a bench trial. During the sentencing, Keith's attorney did not call any witnesses, and Keith himself showed no emotion as the maximum penalty was handed down, bringing a measure of judicial closure to the families of Breia Edmunds and Demarcus Whitehead.
