A third suspect has been charged in the high-profile murder of Egypt Covington, a 27-year-old singer who was tied up with Christmas tree lights and shot in her home in Van Buren Township in Michigan, west of Detroit. Covington was found dead in her home in June 2017, but no arrests were made until over three years later.
Shandon Groom, 28, who is from Toledo, Ohio, was arraigned in her death on Thursday, December 31, according to the Michigan State Police. He is the third person to be charged in Covington’s murder, following the arrests of 34-year-old Timothy Moore, also from Toledo, and 31-year-old Shane Evans, from Sumpter Township, Michigan, in November and December 2020.
A fourth suspect, whose name has not been released, was also arrested but later released. Michigan State Police First Lieutenant Michael Shaw told the Detroit Free Press that the investigation is “still open” and would not comment on whether more charges are expected.
Moore is charged with first-degree murder, felony murder, first-degree home invasion, possession of a firearm as a felon and four counts of using a firearm in the commission of a felony, public records show. Evans and Groom have been charged with felony murder and first-degree home invasion. First-degree murder and felony murder are both punishable by up to life in prison without parole.
Covington Was Found Dead in Her Home in 2017 & No Arrests Were Made for Over 3 Years
FacebookEgypt Covington.
Covington was found dead in her home with a gunshot wound to the head on June 23, 2017, Click On Detroit reported. At the time, police stated that the shooting didn’t appear to be random. The Detroit Free Press wrote that Covington was last seen alive on June 22, 2017, at a yoga class before returning home.
Her boyfriend went to check on her the following day since she wasn’t answering her phone and found the 27-year-old’s body. According to the Detroit Free Press, her body was found in the living room with her wrists bound with Christmas lights.
Covington’s family had grown frustrated at the lack of developments in the singer’s murder in the three years following her death and created a Facebook group titled “Justice for Egypt” to push for the Michigan State Police to take over the investigation from the Van Buren Township Police Department.
According to the Facebook page, “VanBuren Township Police Dept. (VBTP) has been hiding behind the cloak of ‘this is an open investigation’ for too long. They have messed up this case immensely and we can no longer be quiet. … We believe that the only chance to find JUSTICE FOR EGYPT is for VBTP to give up the case to the State of Michigan. We need your help!”
After the first two arrests were announced in late 2020, Covington’s older brother D’Wayne Turner told the Detroit Free Press, “We’re definitely going to have a celebration. We’re pretty limited on information. But the state detectives gave us a call that two people were arrested.” Covington’s father, Chuck Covington, spoke to the Detroit Free Press after the Michigan State Police announced the third arrest, saying, “It’s something we never would have wanted to go through in the first place. But, at least there’s a beginning for closure for all of us.”
It is not clear at this time if Covington knew any of the suspects, and many details about the circumstances of her death have not been made public, with Shaw declining to share a possible motive in the slaying.
Covington Was a Singer Beloved in the Community & Her High-Profile Death Left a Major Impact
Covington’s death shocked the community and she was mourned by many, with Arbor Brewing Company in nearby Ypsilanti creating a special beer called “A Girl Named Egypt,” available in June 2020. Covington worked at the microbrewery as a beer sales representative and was a “craft beer enthusiast.” The company’s website states:
Egypt possessed an energy that inspired every life she touched. She loved music and was quick to show compassion to those less fortunate than her. We are proud to call her a friend. … Proceeds from the sale of this beer will be donated to charities that support music scholarships, animal welfare, and victims of domestic abuse.
A GoFundMe memorial fund raised nearly $20,000 and the money was given to various charities dear to Covington, including 50% to the Egypt Covington Music Celebration Scholarship fund, an annual $500 scholarship granted to one senior at Belleville High School, from which Covington graduated in 2007. The remaining half of the money was split between a local animal rescue and a shelter for domestic violence victims, The Detroit News reported.
Covington’s friend Lindsey Briley told The Detroit News, “Egypt was a strong, proud woman, who would do anything to help a person in need.”
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