On the night of June 17, 2022, in Mishawaka, Indiana, 18-year-old Tychius Derrickson was found shot and killed outside an apartment building. His death was the culmination of a violent encounter that began inside one of the Pin Oak apartments. An investigation into the shooting revealed a complex relationship between Derrickson, 19-year-old Kyndall Dickerson, and 18-year-old Nashawn Stephens.
According to court documents, Dickerson was romantically involved with both Derrickson and
Stephens. On the day of the murder, Dickerson had been in communication with both men. She had arranged for Derrickson to be at her apartment and had also informed Stephens, telling him she would leave a key under the mat for him. That evening, while Derrickson was in Dickerson's bedroom, Stephens burst in and began to pistol-whip him. Stephens then dragged Derrickson outside the apartment building and shot him. Initially, Dickerson claimed not to know the attacker but later admitted her involvement with Stephens.
Following the investigation, both Nashawn Stephens and Kyndall Dickerson were arrested in August 2022. Stephens was charged with murder and a firearm enhancement. Dickerson faced charges of murder, conspiracy to commit murder, and assisting a criminal. Ultimately, Stephens was convicted of murder and sentenced to 75 years in prison. His appeal of the sentence was later rejected, with the court citing overwhelming evidence against him. Dickerson pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of robbery resulting in serious bodily injury and received a sentence of 28 years in prison, with three years suspended.
