In a senseless act of violence that shook the community of Fort Wayne, Indiana, 37-year-old Preonda Monice Jones was fatally shot in January 2018. The tragic event unfolded inside a home, where another woman, 24-year-old Brianna Gould, was also killed. Gould was pregnant at the time, and her unborn child did not survive the attack.
The investigation into the brutal slayings led police to 27-year-old Deyante Stephens of Fort Wayne. When officers located him, Stephens was reportedly bleeding from his hand and had blood on his clothing. Court documents revealed that upon his arrest, he begged the officers to shoot him. Stephens was subsequently charged with three counts of murder for the deaths of Jones, Gould, and her unborn fetus.
In February 2019, a jury found Deyante Stephens guilty on all three counts of murder, in addition to a firearms enhancement. The trial lasted three days, and the jury needed less than two hours to reach a verdict. Throughout the reading of the verdict, Stephens reportedly showed no emotion. His defense attorney had argued that there were no eyewitnesses to the shootings.
In April 2019, Deyante Stephens was sentenced for his crimes. He received a 60-year sentence for each of the three murders, to be served consecutively, along with an additional 20 years for the use of a firearm. This amounted to a total sentence of 200 years in prison, ensuring that the man responsible for the tragic deaths of Preonda Jones, Brianna Gould, and her unborn child would be held accountable for his devastating actions.
