On June 22, 2017, the life of 27-year-old Egypt Covington, a singer and beer distributor account manager, was tragically cut short in her home in Van Buren Township, Michigan. She was found shot in the head, her body wrapped in a string of Christmas lights. This heinous crime sent shockwaves through the community and ignited a relentless pursuit for justice by her family and law enforcement.
Map of Wayne County, Michigan, where Belleville and Van Buren Township are located.
NBC’s ‘Dateline: A Girl Named Egypt’ provides a detailed account of the 2017 murder case of the Belleville resident by taking us through the investigation process.
A Life Full of Joy and Promise
Born on July 19, 1989, in Detroit, Michigan, Jacquelyn Elizabeth Covington, affectionately known as Egypt, was a vibrant and free-spirited individual. She was the daughter of Chuck and Tina Marie Turner-Covington and grew up in Belleville with her siblings - DaJuan Gesco, Samuel Turner, D’Wayne Turner, Beth Covington, Jessica Covington, and Jordan Albert. Remembered for her infectious laughter and kind heart, Egypt had a zest for life and a passion for music. 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.
Read also: Egyptian Adventure
Egypt was on the cusp of a new chapter, with her boyfriend, Curtis Meadows, planning to move in the following month. The two were deeply in love with each other and were looking forward to living together. The two had been in an on-again-off-again relationship for almost 10 years, but had finally decided to commit to one another for good.
The Discovery and Initial Investigation
On June 23, 2017, around 7:15 pm, a worried Curtis reached Egypt’s doorstep 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.
Curtis immediately called 911, and the authorities quickly arrived at the residence and began inspecting the crime scene. Egypt Covington had been tied up with Christmas lights. She was shot one time in the back of the head. There was no sign of forced entry or of a robbery.
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. Investigators immediately believed that Egypt knew her killer.
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. Curtis told police that, after he and Egypt had gotten back together, he saw Kenny lurking around Egypt’s car while it was parked at Curtis’s apartment complex.
Read also: Learn Arabic in Egypt: Guide
Kenny Michalak: A Person of Interest
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. During Curtis and Egypt's time apart, Beth Covington says, the only person her sister ever dated was Kenny Michalak.
According to Egypt’s loved ones, their relationship was volatile. However, their relationship was quite toxic, especially for Egypt, as she had reportedly been subjected to controlling behavior and verbal abuse from Kenny. They allege his temper exploded when he learned Curtis Meadows was moving in with Egypt. 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. At that event, Kenny had apparently found out that Curtis and Egypt were moving in together, and he angrily confronted the couple. When he found out that she was moving in with Curtis, he apparently confronted them in anger. The last known time that Egypt personally encountered Kenny was at the Belleville National Strawberry Festival, shortly before her death. A week after that encounter, Egypt was found dead.
When there was no incriminating evidence against Kenny, the authorities stopped viewing him as a suspect. With no police reports ever filed, Crime Watch Daily cannot verify the allegations of abuse made by her family and friends.
Despite being publicly named a person of interest, police have still not charged him with anything related to Egypt’s case. In an interesting twist, one of the people who supports Kenny Michalak is Egypt's own mother, Tina Covington.
Read also: Clothing in Ancient Egypt
Tina Covington stated that he was not abusive to her and that he loves Ruby. She further added that she thinks they have a small department.
Breakthrough: Arrests and a Tragic Mistake
It wasn’t until November and December 2020, however, that three arrests were made. Her family, who never wanted to give up, had held a rally that August to demand that the Michigan State police get involved in the investigation.
It’s been revealed in court in March of this year (2021) that her murderers, Shane Lamar Evans, Timothy Eugene Moore, and Shandon Ray Groom, had mistaken her for her neighbor when they killed her. GPS and cell phone records put all three men, who are related to each other, at the scene of the crime that night.
Egypt was sitting on her couch and watching a movie when three men entered her home in Van Buren Township, Michigan, and took her life. They were looking for her neighbor’s weed stash, which they knew about because he spoke on local TV programs about how he used marijuana in his role as a licensed caregiver. He had burglarized before because revealing this information publicly had made him a target.
Shane Lamar Evans testified in court that he was the one who knew about the marijuana in the apartment. He was with his brother Timothy Eugene Moore, and cousin Shandon Ray Groom on the evening of June 22, 2017. The trio wanted to smoke some weed but didn’t have any. Shane, however, knew where some would be available to steal.
He did yard maintenance at the duplex where Egypt and her neighbor lived, so he knew they were both planning on going to a concert. He testified that he didn’t want to be involved in a crime, but pointed out which apartment had the weed stash from the window of the car. Timothy and Shandon then proceeded to go into the wrong apartment in the duplex, where Egypt was on her couch. Shane says Timothy texted him “wrong door.”
Shane doesn’t remember what he texted back and says he asked that the other men not tell him what happened. He says he learned that Egypt was killed that night by watching a news report.
Egypt and her neighbor were actually good friends and had previously attended the music festival Electric Forest in past years, which is where the neighbor was at the time of the home invasion. Egypt was supposed to go that year as well but had stayed home so she could focus on her new job.
Timothy Eugene Moore is charged with first-degree murder, felony murder, first-degree home invasion, and four counts of felony firearm. Shandon Ray Groom is charged with first-degree murder, felony murder, first-degree home invasion, and three counts of felony firearm.
Family's Reaction and Pursuit of Justice
Egypt’s family was happy to see the people responsible for her death finally meet the consequences. “Now we’re happy, we’re excited,” her brother, D’Wayne Turner said in March before a court hearing. In 2018 D’Wayne has previously spoken with Fox2 in Detroit about how much he loved his sister: “She was just somebody that brought a lot of joy; she brought a lot of spirit to all of us, to her family.
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.
D’Wayne has previously spoken with Fox2 in Detroit about how much he loved his sister: “She was just somebody that brought a lot of joy; she brought a lot of spirit to all of us, to her family.
The Crime Stoppers award for information leading to an arrest in Egypt’s murder went up to $30,0000,according to The Daily Beast.
Here's a table summarizing the key individuals involved in the case:
| Name | Role |
|---|---|
| Egypt Covington | Victim |
| Shane Lamar Evans | Perpetrator (pleaded guilty to second-degree murder) |
| Timothy Eugene Moore | Perpetrator (charged with first-degree murder, etc.) |
| Shandon Ray Groom | Perpetrator (charged with first-degree murder, etc.) |
| Curtis Meadows | Boyfriend who found the body |
| Kenny Michalak | Ex-boyfriend, person of interest |
| D'Wayne Turner | Egypt's brother, advocate for justice |
Boyfriend Charged in Slain Singer Case: Egypt Covington found dead wrapped in Christmas lights
Popular articles:
tags: #Egypt
