Naman Shrestha
When 27-year-old Egypt Covington was found murdered in her residence, the entire community was shell-shocked and divided. While her family mourned her loss, the investigators left no stone unturned as they searched for the perpetrator/s responsible for the heinous crime. NBC’s ‘Dateline: A Girl Named Egypt’ gives a detailed account of the 2017 murder case of the Belleville resident by taking us through the investigation process. Moreover, the episode includes interviews with Egypt’s loved ones and the officials related to the case.
Egypt Covington Was Killed at Her Residence
Born in the city of Detroit in Wayne County, Michigan, on July 19, 1989, Jacquelyn Elizabeth Covington entered into Chuck and Tina Marie Turner-Covington’s life as a ray of sunshine. Lovingly referred to as Egypt by her close ones, she was a free-spirited individual with an infectious laughter that could turn anyone’s frown upside down. The 27-year-old grew up in the scenic town of Belleville among the care and support of her siblings – DaJuan Gesco, Samuel Turner, D’Wayne Turner, Beth Covington, Jessica Covington, and Jordan Albert. Though the household was struck with sad news when Chuck and Tina’s marriage couldn’t sustain the test of time, and they decided to go their separate ways, it never affected the love they had for their kids and vice versa.
Chuck went on to remarry and introduced Kristin into their lives. Egypt was a kindhearted woman who valued her familial bonds and gelled well with her stepmother. Her vibrant personality complemented her exciting pursuits and passions. A gifted singer, her soulful voice led her to win the W4 Country Idol contest in 2014. Aside from singing and showcasing her guitar skills, she enjoyed her Yoga sessions and was also quite adept at playing golf and bow hunting. On the professional front, Egypt had served as the bartender at Fraser’s Pub in Ann Arbor and was also employed as the Account Manager of Rave Associates, a distributor of Fine Beer and Wine products. At the time of her death, she had been in a wholesome relationship with Curtis Meadows.
The two were deeply in love with each other and were looking forward to living together. On the fateful day of June 23, 2017, around 7:15 pm, a worried Curtis reached Egypt’s doorstep at the 45000 block of Hull Road in Belleville after being unable to contact her for a while. After spotting her car outside, he entered through the unlocked door only to find the young woman’s dog, Pug-Chihuahua mix Ruby, barking continuously. Upon checking the source, he was greeted with the tragic sight of an unresponsive Egypt on the floor. In addition to her hands being tied up with Christmas lights, she was shot in the head.
Curtis immediately called 911, and the authorities quickly arrived at the residence and began inspecting the crime scene. Noting that the door was open and no evident burglary had transpired, the police determined that the heinous crime was committed by someone who knew Egypt. Furthermore, they also believed that no one heard the gunshot since a cushion was used to curb the sound. After determining the cause of death as a gunshot wound, the authorities launched a full-fledged investigation into the murder of Egypt Covington.
Egypt Covington’s Killers Mistook Her For Their Target for Robbery
Upon interrogating family members and friends of Egypt Covington, the police found out more details about the 27-year-old woman’s life. Since Egypt’s boyfriend Curtis was the one who found the body first, the authorities interrogated him but did not find anything suspicious about him. In the following year, hardly any development was made in the case until Egypt’s ex-boyfriend — Kenny Michalak — was declared a person of interest. While Egypt and Curtis had split for a while, the former dated Kenny for a short period of time.
However, their relationship was quite toxic, especially for Egypt, as she had reportedly been subjected to controlling behavior and verbal abuse from Kenny. Even after breaking up, Kenny purportedly stalked her around Curtis’ apartment complex. Shortly before her untimely demise, Egypt encountered Kenny at the Belleville National Strawberry Festival. When he found out that she was moving in with Curtis, he apparently confronted them in anger. Although the ex-boyfriend was named a person of interest, he kept denying any involvement in Egypt’s murder.
When there was no incriminating evidence against Kenny, the authorities stopped viewing him as a suspect. Egypt resided in a duplex, and one of her neighbors was allegedly running a legal marijuana business. On June 23, strange men arrived in the neighborhood of Egypt’s house. As per reports, one of her neighbors, Evans, pointed the two men in the direction of the Covington duplex and told them that the neighbor dealt with marijuana. Unfortunately, they entered the wrong house believing that Egypt was the one dealing with the drugs.
Soon, the robbery went bad and the men ended up killing the innocent 27-year-old. Three years after her death, in late 2020, the perpetrators — Timothy Eugene Moore, Shandon Ray Groom, and Shane Lamar Evans — were charged with the murder of Egypt. At first, the detectives were doubtful that the shooting was random and without any motive. Soon, the three men stood on trial for the murder charges and the confession of Evans essentially worked as a testament to the fact that Groom and Moore went inside Egypt’s place.
The long six years of waiting finally bore the fruit of justice as Shame Lamar Evans, who pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, was the first of the three men who got sentenced for the charges in May 2023 — 15-25 years behind bars. As for the remaining two culprits, Shandon Ray Groom and Timothy Eugene Moore stood on trial for their sentencing later that year. After pleading guilty, Moore was sentenced to 20-55 years in prison for second-degree murder and firearm charges, while Groom was sentenced to 17-26 years for the same charges with credit for the time served already.
