In the summer of 2021, a tragic event unfolded in Lafayette, Indiana, forever altering the lives of a young family. On the evening of July 5th, what began as a neighborhood gathering for setting off fireworks took a devastating turn. Victoria Moore, a 22-year-old female, was with her boyfriend, Devonte Lashawn Roberts, and her two young children outside of her apartment.
An argument erupted between Moore and Roberts, reportedly after Roberts accused her of flirting with a neighbor and he retaliated by flirting with that neighbor's girlfriend. The verbal altercation escalated, prompting Moore to take her 3-year-old daughter, Datoria Roberts, and go back inside her apartment.
A short time later, neighbors heard several pops coming from the direction of Moore's residence. Roberts was then seen quickly leaving the apartment complex in a blue Chrysler 300 sedan. A neighbor who went to check on the situation discovered the gravely wounded Datoria outside and immediately called 911. When police officers arrived at the scene around 11:30 p.m., they found the young girl in a grassy area and another individual attempting to provide first aid. Inside the apartment, in the kitchen, officers located Victoria Moore, who had been shot multiple times.
Both Victoria and Datoria were rushed to a local hospital. Tragically, Victoria Moore succumbed to her injuries and was pronounced dead. Having sustained five gunshot wounds, her daughter Datoria was airlifted to a children's hospital in Indianapolis, where she later died during surgery. An autopsy would later reveal that Victoria had sustained seventeen gunshot wounds.
The Lafayette Police Department quickly identified 27-year-old Devonte Lashawn Roberts as the suspect. He was located and arrested without incident in the early morning hours of July 6th. During the investigation, it was reported that while being transported to the ambulance, Datoria told an officer, 'my daddy killed me.' Roberts was subsequently charged with two counts of murder. He later entered into a plea agreement, pleading guilty to both counts of murder and admitting that he shot Moore while she was holding their daughter in her arms. In exchange for his guilty plea, a firearm enhancement charge was dismissed. A judge sentenced Roberts to sixty years for each count of murder, with the sentences to be served consecutively, resulting in an aggregate sentence of 120 years.
