Moore, Groom, Evans all sentenced to prison for Egypt’s murder

On Oct. 5, Wayne County Circuit Court Judge Wanda Evans sentenced to prison the last two defendants on trial for the shooting death of Jacqueline Elizabeth “Egypt” Covington in 2017 in her Hull Road home in Van Buren Township.
Timothy Eugene Moore, 37, of Toledo had originally been charged with nine counts, including first-degree murder. In July he accepted a plea deal where he would plead guilty to one count of second-degree murder and one felony firearm charge and the other charges would be dismissed.
Judge Evans sentenced him according to the agreement to 20 to 55 years in state prison for second-degree murder and two years consecutive for felony firearm. She gave him credit for a total of 1,064 days time served on the two counts. She also fined him a total of $1,566.
The second-offender notice was withdrawn, as well.
Another defendant in the case, Shandon R Groom, 30, of Toldeo, also was sentenced by Judge Evans on Oct. 5. He had seven charges against him and six were dismissed when he pled guilty to second-degree murder, as part of a plea deal.
Judge Evans sentenced Groom to 17 to 26 years in state prison, with credit for 752 days served. She also sentenced him to fees totaling $1,498.
Groom and Moore are cousins
A third defendant, Shane Lamar Evans, 34, of Sumpter Township pled guilty to second-degree murder in May and was expected to testify against the other two if it went to trial. He was sentenced to 15-25 years in prison.
On Oct. 5, eight people got up to speak in court and asked the judge to impose the most severe sentences she could.
Chuck Covington, Egypt’s father, said in other states the murderers would be put to death. He said the defendants are playing the system and chose to enter pleas rather than face trial.
Covington stressed that he is talking only of the defendants and not to their families, since no family raises their children to be murderers.
“They know what they did,” he said. “They killed my daughter execution-style” and then left. He said they offered no words for years, instead of coming forward.
“They deserve the death penalty. At least they deserve to be in the prison system as long as possible,” he said, referring to her death as a slaughter.
He said the text message said, “Oops,” after the two went into the wrong door that led into his daughter’s home. He said that “Oops” was his daughter’s life.
Covington said the charge was first-degree murder at first. “They illegally entered my daughter’s home, one armed with a gun. Why bring a gun to make a quick marijuana score? They hogtied – hogtied my daughter,” he said in tears.
They used a pillow at the back of her head to deaden the sound of the shot, he said.
“They executed her and left her on the floor to die,” he said. “There is no doubt they planned to kill my daughter.”
Emotional statements also came from Egypt’s brothers D’Wayne and Samuel Turner, sisters Katelyn and Kristin Covington, friend Sherry Hartley, and cousin Casey Carson.
D’Wayne Turner thanked the justice system, state police, and media, “who makes the public aware of what could happen to them.”
Groom’s retained defense attorney David Goldstein said there were some statements made that were not factually correct. He said it was said “they” murdered the victim, but there were three defendants and his client was involved in the crime that resulted in someone’s death.
Goldstein said the crime was not pre-meditated and Groom was not the one who had caused the death. He said his client was very sorry for what happened and will abide by the plea agreement.
Groom said he was sorry for what happened and asked the family to, “Forgive me for my actions.”
Moore’s retained attorney Kristina Marie Joseph said no words she could ever say could even attempt to mitigate the loss of the family.
“My heart goes out to them,” she said, noting the case was set for a jury trial and they were prepared to litigate several factors.
She said it was decided to have no jury trial because of the effect on the family. She said her client is 37 years old and was 31 at the time and next month he would mark three years in jail.
She said like any individual, her client has redeeming qualities. He had a job, a GED, and has supported his family and he is remorseful. She said in each step he has shown remorse and he takes full responsibility for his actions.
Moore apologized to the family and said he can’t take away what happened, but he wished he could.
“There’s more to the case than has come out,” he said. “I felt I was pushed into a plea. I’m not a bad guy …”
Judge Evans interrupted his statement noting that he said he did not willingly enter this plea. She reminded him she asked him questions about whether he was entering the plea without being pushed and he answered.
Attorney Joseph asked for three minutes to talk to her client and Judge Evans recessed the court for a short time.
Afterward, Judge Evans said she could withdraw that plea and they could go to trial.
“We had many conversations on this,” Joseph said. “He accepted a plea because he felt statements about him were untrue. … He asks for sentencing now.”
He was asked questions about the plea deal and replied he accepts it and wants sentencing now rather than a trial.
“I want to apologize,” he said. “Some statements were untrue about me.”
Wayne County Assistant Prosecutor LaDonna Logan said the sentencing is not 100% what the family wanted but it is a good resolution.
“If he wants to withdraw his plea and go to trial, he can,” Judge Evans said.
“He does not want to do so,” Joseph said.
Judge Evans said she would follow the settlement offer.
“To the family, there is nothing I can say to make the family feel better,” Judge Evans said. She said Egypt’s brother made a good point about the lessons Egypt taught to them and those lessons can be carried on.
“From the bottom of my heart, I wish you peace,” Judge Evans concluded.
Egypt was found dead at 7:15 p.m. June 23, 2017, in her home in the 45000 block of Hull Road in Van Buren Township. Her hands had been bound with holiday string lights, that she used to decorate a door, and she had been shot in the head.
She lived in a duplex, and on the other side was a neighbor who ran a legal marijuana business. Evans said in court that he led the other two men to Covington’s duplex and told them the neighbor had marijuana that would be easy to steal.
“I knew he was out of town,” Evans said in a police interview. “I knew he was out of his house. I said, ‘Go to the right.’ I knew 100% no one was in that house. They went to the wrong door.”
The Michigan State Police, which took over the murder from Van Buren Township Police, said there was a fourth suspect, but the person was shot and killed after the crime.
Egypt was a 2007 graduate of Belleville High School and a popular local singer. She was employed as an account manager for beer and wine distributor Rave and had worked at Johnny’s on the Lake and Bayou Grill in Belleville.