In the early hours of September 28, 2016, the life of 21-year-old Jordan LeWil Stith was tragically cut short in Newport News, Virginia. Stith, a male, was attending a house party on Ross Drive when gunfire erupted. Police received a call about shots fired in the vicinity of Wedgewood Drive and Ross Drive at approximately 12:27 a.m. Upon their arrival, they discovered Stith suffering from gunshot wounds.
Despite the immediate response from emergency services, he was pronounced dead at the scene.
The investigation into the shooting revealed a chaotic scene. Witnesses reported seeing two vehicles leaving the area shortly after the gunshots were heard. In the immediate aftermath, police conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle driving without its headlights on near the intersection of J. Clyde Morris Boulevard and Harpersville Road. Inside, they found a second victim, a 19-year-old female, who had sustained a non-life-threatening gunshot wound to her leg. It was determined that she had also been at the party on Ross Drive.
Despite a house full of potential witnesses, the investigation was initially hampered by a lack of cooperation, leaving detectives with limited leads. In the face of this silence, Jordan Stith’s mother, Lolita Frazier, made a heartfelt public appeal for anyone with information to come forward and help bring justice to her son. Her plea underscored the deep personal loss and the community's need for closure.
After a period of intensive investigation, a breakthrough was made. Isaiah Davonte Phillips, a 19-year-old from the neighboring city of Hampton, was identified as the suspect. He was subsequently arrested and faced a series of serious charges, including first-degree murder, malicious wounding, and two counts of using a firearm in the commission of a felony. Information regarding the outcome of the legal proceedings against Isaiah Davonte Phillips, including details of a trial or conviction, is not available in the provided online sources.
