On a tragic evening in Danville, Virginia, the lives of two young people were abruptly cut short. Twenty-year-old Damarcus Daron Whitehead, a male, and 21-year-old Breai Martonia Edmunds were discovered deceased inside a vehicle at the intersection of Arnett Boulevard and Glendale Avenue on June 1, 2017. The initial report to authorities was of a car crash, but the grim reality of a double homicide soon became apparent to investigators who arrived at the scene just before midnight.
The
investigation into the deaths of Whitehead and Edmunds revealed that both had suffered single gunshot wounds to the head. It is believed that the fatal shots were fired in the vicinity of where the car came to a stop, following a party at the Woodside Apartments. The Danville community was left shaken by the violent loss of two of its young members, prompting calls for an end to the senseless violence that had been plaguing the city.
In the months that followed, law enforcement diligently pursued leads to bring justice for Damarcus Whitehead and Breai Edmunds. Their efforts led to a significant breakthrough in October 2017 with the arrest of Dana Miguel Keith, a 30-year-old Danville man. In September 2019, Keith waived his right to a jury trial and entered guilty pleas to the murders. He was subsequently convicted on three counts of capital murder, four counts of use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, and two counts of robbery in connection with the deaths.
