Disclaimer: The article contains mentions of murder. Reader discretion is advised.
On June 23, 2017, the authorities discovered the dead body of an aspiring musician, Egypt Covington, in her home in Belleville. As per reports, the killer shot her in the head and tied her up with Christmas lights. After police initiated the investigation, they arrested multiple men in connection with the brutal murder three years after the murder. Dateline NBC will re-examine the murder case in its latest episode, titled “A Girl Named Egypt.” It will air on the network on Friday, March 22, 2024, at 9 p.m. ET.
Click on Detroit (WDIV Local 4), an affiliate of NBC News, reported that investigators thought someone close to Egypt Covington killed her. However, the speculation was dismissed after the trial began. In 2020, police arrested two people, Timothy Eugene Moore and Shane Lamar Evans, for the murder of Covington. Investigators also apprehended a third man named Shandon Ray Groom in the murder case.
Timothy Moore faced one count of homicide. Meanwhile, authorities charged Shane Evans with murder and first-degree home invasion, per Click on Detroit. On the other hand, the publication also stated that Shandon Groom was accused of the same as Evans. All three men reportedly pleaded guilty to the charges. Evans received a sentence of 15-25 years, while Groom and Moore were sentenced to 17-26 and 20-55 years in prison.
As per Michigan’s Department of Corrections, Moore is serving his sentence at St. Louis Correctional Facility while Evans is at Bellamy Creek Correctional Facility. On the other hand, Groom is at Gus Harrison Correctional Facility.
Egypt Covington’s murder case explored
Authorities initially believed that a person who knew Egypt Covington murdered her. However, one of the suspects dismissed the theory during the preliminary exam. Citing the interview with the police, Click on Detroit noted that Evans led the other two suspects to Covington’s duplex. During the interview, Evans stated that he pointed to the home of the person who ran a legal marijuana business. They wanted to steal marijuana from that particular house. However, the other two suspects went to the wrong door.
In the interview, Evans said, “I knew he was out of town. I knew he was out of his house. I said go to the right. I knew 100 percent no one was in that house. They went to the wrong door.” Subsequently, Evans noted that they entered Egypt Covington’s house.
Evans pleaded guilty to second-degree murder. After the guilty plea, Covington’s family believed they were one step closer to attaining justice. Her mother said, “Shane at least stepped up and took responsibility for his part in this murder. He wasn’t that vicious monster that perhaps the other two are.”
Covington’s father wanted the death penalty for the killers
As per CBS News, the other two suspects, Timothy Eugene Moore and Shandon Ray Groom, pleaded guilty to their respective charges. During the sentencing, family members of Egypt Covington gave impact statements and made it clear that the killers deserve the death penalty.
Citing the statement given by Covington’s father, FOX2 Detroit noted, “They deserve the death penalty.” He added, “They know what they did. They knew they had a choice, and the choice they made was to kill my daughter execution style.”
After the statements, the court sentenced Evan to prison for 15-25 years, while Groom and Moore received ranging from 17-26 years and 20-55 years, respectively.
