Post by hi224 on Mar 4, 2021 16:06:26 GMT
February 7, 2018, 64 year old Wanda Skanes was found dead inside of her home. According to police, she had trauma on her body "consistent with homicide." This would mark the city's eighth homicide of the year. Her case quickly went cold and unfortunately there is not much information about her case online or in the media.
Wanda's page on Temple & Son's Funeral Home: www.templeandsons.com/visitations.php?id=3049
Less than a year later, on January 7, 2019, police responded to a welfare check at the same house around 12:30 am. Upon entering, they would discover the bodies of Elijah Malachi X Mothershed Bey (often reported as Elijah Mothershed), his fiancée Carnesha Powell, and Carnesha'a 15 year old daughter Roshawna Stevens. Elijah had been shot once in the temple, while Carnesha and Roshawna had been shot multiple times. It appeared as though Elijah had been the initial target and was shot once, and Carnesha and Roshawna had been shot while attempting to flee.
Carnesha had six other children. Elijah was also a father and is described as a pillar in the community, with OKC police chief speaking very highly of him at a press conference following his death. He founded MAN 101 to mentor young men in the community and was a member of the local Guardian Angels chapter. Elijah and Carnesha owned and operated a cannabis dispensary on NE 23rd St, called Cannabis Aid. Cannabis Aid began as a CBD shop and grew into a cannabis dispensary after medicinal marijuana became legal in Oklahoma in October 2018, just a few months before Elijah and Carnesha would be killed.
Between Wanda's murder and the triple homicide, there appears to be no connection. In an article about Elijah's case, a neighbor states Wanda's daughter (NOT Carnesha) is the owner of the home where Elijah and Carnesha had lived for about six months. (Presumably, Wanda's daughter came into possession of the home after her mother's death, and Elijah and Carnesha were renting the home from her.)
Quick Timeline Recap:
February 7 2018: Wanda is murdered.
June 26 2018: Prop 788 for legalization of medicinal marijuana passes in the state of OK.
June/July 2018(?): Elijah and Carnesha move into the house where Wanda was murdered.
October 26 2018: Legalization of medicinal marijuana takes effect, and dispensaries across the state open.
January 6 2019: Elijah, Carnesha, and Roshawna are murdered.
May 9 2019: Cannabis Aid permanently closes.
January 2020: Local news stations report that there have been no developments in either case, Carnesha's mother states detectives will not give her any information.
Police have stated there is no known motive, as it appears nothing was stolen.
All of the victims in this case are Black, and both crimes occurred in the city's predominantly Black neighborhood. OKCPD is one of the most violent and deadly police forces in the country and there is major distrust between the Black community of OKC and the police department. These are likely factors in these cases remaining unsolved.
There has been speculation Elijah was targeted due to his legal medical marijuana operation and Carnesha and Roshawna were killed because they were witnesses, but no information has been released and there have been no updates. There have also been questions about if the two crimes are connected, but it does not appear that there is any connection at this time.
So who killed Wanda? And who killed Elijah, Carnesha, and Roshawna? Could there be an unknown connection between the two cases? Were Elijah and his family targeted due to the nature of their business? Are there potential witnesses who have not come forward, either due to retaliation by the perpetrator or mistrust of the police department? (Notably, many of the witnesses and family members interviewed by local media preferred to remain anonymous.)
additional sources:
www.news9.com/story/5e345e293196993fcfd0582a/new-details-released-in-unsolved-ne-okc-triple-homicide
okcfox.com/news/local/police-body-found-in-ne-oklahoma-city-home-homicide-investigation-launched
www.koco.com/article/police-investigating-after-64-year-old-woman-found-dead/16768285
kfor.com/news/police-investigate-triple-homicide-in-ne-oklahoma-city/
oklahoman.com/article/5619695/names-of-victims-released-in-northeast-oklahoma-city-triple-homicide-monday
oklahoman.com/gallery/6039461/police-report-triple-homicide-in-oklahoma-city
www.news9.com/story/5e345e293196993fcfd0582a/new-details-released-in-unsolved-ne-okc-triple-homicide
kfor.com/news/police-say-no-motive-yet-in-triple-slaying-as-third-victims-family-pleads-for-public-with-information-to-come-forward/
Wanda's page on Temple & Son's Funeral Home: www.templeandsons.com/visitations.php?id=3049
Less than a year later, on January 7, 2019, police responded to a welfare check at the same house around 12:30 am. Upon entering, they would discover the bodies of Elijah Malachi X Mothershed Bey (often reported as Elijah Mothershed), his fiancée Carnesha Powell, and Carnesha'a 15 year old daughter Roshawna Stevens. Elijah had been shot once in the temple, while Carnesha and Roshawna had been shot multiple times. It appeared as though Elijah had been the initial target and was shot once, and Carnesha and Roshawna had been shot while attempting to flee.
Carnesha had six other children. Elijah was also a father and is described as a pillar in the community, with OKC police chief speaking very highly of him at a press conference following his death. He founded MAN 101 to mentor young men in the community and was a member of the local Guardian Angels chapter. Elijah and Carnesha owned and operated a cannabis dispensary on NE 23rd St, called Cannabis Aid. Cannabis Aid began as a CBD shop and grew into a cannabis dispensary after medicinal marijuana became legal in Oklahoma in October 2018, just a few months before Elijah and Carnesha would be killed.
Between Wanda's murder and the triple homicide, there appears to be no connection. In an article about Elijah's case, a neighbor states Wanda's daughter (NOT Carnesha) is the owner of the home where Elijah and Carnesha had lived for about six months. (Presumably, Wanda's daughter came into possession of the home after her mother's death, and Elijah and Carnesha were renting the home from her.)
Quick Timeline Recap:
February 7 2018: Wanda is murdered.
June 26 2018: Prop 788 for legalization of medicinal marijuana passes in the state of OK.
June/July 2018(?): Elijah and Carnesha move into the house where Wanda was murdered.
October 26 2018: Legalization of medicinal marijuana takes effect, and dispensaries across the state open.
January 6 2019: Elijah, Carnesha, and Roshawna are murdered.
May 9 2019: Cannabis Aid permanently closes.
January 2020: Local news stations report that there have been no developments in either case, Carnesha's mother states detectives will not give her any information.
Police have stated there is no known motive, as it appears nothing was stolen.
All of the victims in this case are Black, and both crimes occurred in the city's predominantly Black neighborhood. OKCPD is one of the most violent and deadly police forces in the country and there is major distrust between the Black community of OKC and the police department. These are likely factors in these cases remaining unsolved.
There has been speculation Elijah was targeted due to his legal medical marijuana operation and Carnesha and Roshawna were killed because they were witnesses, but no information has been released and there have been no updates. There have also been questions about if the two crimes are connected, but it does not appear that there is any connection at this time.
So who killed Wanda? And who killed Elijah, Carnesha, and Roshawna? Could there be an unknown connection between the two cases? Were Elijah and his family targeted due to the nature of their business? Are there potential witnesses who have not come forward, either due to retaliation by the perpetrator or mistrust of the police department? (Notably, many of the witnesses and family members interviewed by local media preferred to remain anonymous.)
additional sources:
www.news9.com/story/5e345e293196993fcfd0582a/new-details-released-in-unsolved-ne-okc-triple-homicide
okcfox.com/news/local/police-body-found-in-ne-oklahoma-city-home-homicide-investigation-launched
www.koco.com/article/police-investigating-after-64-year-old-woman-found-dead/16768285
kfor.com/news/police-investigate-triple-homicide-in-ne-oklahoma-city/
oklahoman.com/article/5619695/names-of-victims-released-in-northeast-oklahoma-city-triple-homicide-monday
oklahoman.com/gallery/6039461/police-report-triple-homicide-in-oklahoma-city
www.news9.com/story/5e345e293196993fcfd0582a/new-details-released-in-unsolved-ne-okc-triple-homicide
kfor.com/news/police-say-no-motive-yet-in-triple-slaying-as-third-victims-family-pleads-for-public-with-information-to-come-forward/