Feb. 24, 2026
She Left. She Drew The Line. He Shot Her In Front Of Her Kids. | The Rayven Edwards Case
The player is loading ...
She did everything she was supposed to do. She ended the relationship. She set the boundary. She said the words. And on a quiet Wednesday afternoon in Washington, D.C., in front of her three children, that boundary became the trigger.
This week on No Tears For Black Girls: The Cases They Ignored, host Samantha Paul covers the February 11th, 2026 shooting death of Rayven Amuan Edwards — a 34-year-old mother of three from Northwest D.C. — whose ten-year-old daughter was injured at the scene, whose eight-year-old son witnessed everything, and whose three-year-old was taken by the suspect, triggering an Amber Alert before being found safe hours later. This episode also brings in the 2025 case of Alexis Walls out of Bryan, Texas — a 23-year-old mother killed by her common-law husband in front of their 18-month-old child — to show how intimate partner violence follows a recognizable, preventable script across state lines and zip codes.
This is not a crime story. This is a pattern story. And until we start naming it that way, the names keep piling up.
🚨 Content warning: domestic violence, child witnesses, intimate partner homicide, firearm violence, and self-inflicted gunshot wound.
If you or someone you know is in danger:📞 National DV Hotline: 1-800-799-7233 | Text START to 88788 | thehotline.org🏙️ DC SAFE: dcsafe.org🤍 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: Call or text 988
-------------------------
📌 CASES DISCUSSED
1. Rayven Amuan Edwards | Washington, D.C.
Date: February 11, 2026
Location: Glover Park, Northwest D.C. — 4100 block of W Street NW
Victim: Rayven Amuan Edwards, 34, mother of three
What happened: Shot and killed in front of her children by suspect Stephon Marquis Jeter, 35, her ex-partner and father of her youngest child. Her 10-year-old daughter was also shot (non-life-threatening). Her 3-year-old son was taken from the scene, prompting an Amber Alert. The child was later found safe at a relative's home in Prince George's County. The suspect led police on a pursuit into Southeast D.C., where he was found with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound and later pronounced dead.
Key detail: Rayven's mother, Lucy Edwards, told local reporters that the suspect had sent Rayven messages saying he wished she would die.
Source: Metropolitan Police Department public update; Washington Post; local D.C. television reporting.
2. Alexis Walls | Bryan, Texas
Date of killing: February 7, 2025
Date of sentencing: February 3, 2026
Victim: Alexis Walls, 23, mother of an 18-month-old child
What happened: Suspect Brandon Michael Dickerson called 911 and reported that he had shot and killed his common-law wife. Court documents, per local reporting, stated he shot Alexis Walls 15 times. Their toddler was in the home and physically unharmed.
Resolution: Dickerson pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 50 years in prison by Judge Kyle Hawthorne, Brazos County.
Key detail: Prosecutors described domestic violence as "a deadly and pervasive issue." They called Alexis "a light to everyone she met."
Source: Local Bryan/College Station reporting; KBTX; Brazos County District Attorney's Office statements.
CDC Report — Intimate partner homicides of women using National Violent Death Reporting System data (2018–2021): Most incidents occurred at the victim's residence; most involved firearms; proportion of non-Hispanic Black or African American women victims increased during 2020–2021; suspects were more frequently previously known to law enforcement — identified as a potential missed opportunity for prevention.
Violence Policy Center — Analysis of homicides of Black women and girls: Black females were murdered by males at a rate nearly 3x higher than white females in 2020; most Black female victims knew their killers, with many killed by an intimate partner.
These are not random tragedies. They are black women stories buried in pattern data that the media too often reduces to a two-paragraph brief.
CREDITS:
Created, Written, & Produced by John Reedburg
Hosted & Narrated by Samantha Paul
Production Company: John Reedburg Media
SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS:
https://www.youtube.com/@NoTearsForBlacksGirls
facebook.com/notearsforblackgirls
instagram.com/notearsforblackgirls
tiktok.com/@notearsforblackgirls
1
00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:02,680
Imagine this.
You are standing at the front
2
00:00:02,680 --> 00:00:04,960
door of the place that is
supposed to be safe.
3
00:00:05,640 --> 00:00:09,880
Not a club, not a dark parking
lot, not somewhere you have to
4
00:00:09,880 --> 00:00:12,200
watch your back.
Just home.
5
00:00:13,200 --> 00:00:16,079
A residential St. late afternoon
light.
6
00:00:16,480 --> 00:00:19,280
The kind of neighborhood where
you can almost convince yourself
7
00:00:19,280 --> 00:00:22,680
that whatever trouble exists in
the world stays on the other
8
00:00:22,680 --> 00:00:26,120
side of the city line.
Imagine you have already done
9
00:00:26,120 --> 00:00:29,520
the hard part.
You left the relationship, you
10
00:00:29,520 --> 00:00:32,479
drew the boundary.
You said the sentence that gets
11
00:00:32,479 --> 00:00:35,000
women punished every day.
We are done.
12
00:00:35,480 --> 00:00:38,520
We can Co parent, but we cannot
be together.
13
00:00:39,560 --> 00:00:43,680
You said it plainly, not to be
cruel, but because you were
14
00:00:43,680 --> 00:00:46,640
trying to survive.
Because you were trying to
15
00:00:46,640 --> 00:00:49,880
protect your children from the
kind of chaos that grows in the
16
00:00:49,880 --> 00:00:53,680
shadow of maybe now place
yourself at the moment when that
17
00:00:53,680 --> 00:00:57,800
boundary becomes the trigger.
You hear him before you see him,
18
00:00:58,320 --> 00:01:01,880
or maybe you see him first, and
your stomach drops because your
19
00:01:01,880 --> 00:01:05,160
body recognizes danger faster
than your mind can name it.
20
00:01:05,160 --> 00:01:10,840
A familiar voice, a familiar
posture, a familiar entitlement,
21
00:01:11,640 --> 00:01:15,000
the kind of presence that says
you do not get to decide when I
22
00:01:15,000 --> 00:01:17,640
am finished.
And you are not alone.
23
00:01:18,320 --> 00:01:22,320
Your kids are there, close
enough to hear adult words they
24
00:01:22,320 --> 00:01:25,880
were never supposed to have to
translate, close enough to
25
00:01:25,880 --> 00:01:29,240
witness the tension that is not
yelling yet but already feels
26
00:01:29,240 --> 00:01:31,400
like a storm pressing down on
the air.
27
00:01:32,200 --> 00:01:35,720
The 10 year old who can read
faces the 8 year old who will
28
00:01:35,720 --> 00:01:39,240
remember every sound, The
three-year old who does not
29
00:01:39,240 --> 00:01:42,960
understand what is about to
happen, only that grown-ups are
30
00:01:42,960 --> 00:01:47,040
suddenly moving differently.
Let the silence stretch like it
31
00:01:47,040 --> 00:01:50,880
does in real life, because the
worst moments do not arrive with
32
00:01:50,880 --> 00:01:54,160
music.
They arrive with a pause, a
33
00:01:54,160 --> 00:01:58,640
breath, a hand moving in a way
that changes the whole future.
34
00:01:59,600 --> 00:02:04,520
Now imagine the first gunshot.
Not as entertainment, not as
35
00:02:04,520 --> 00:02:09,080
shock value, as the instant your
life splits into before and
36
00:02:09,080 --> 00:02:12,560
after and your children's
childhood does too.
37
00:02:13,840 --> 00:02:16,960
Because that is what happened in
Washington, District of Columbia
38
00:02:17,360 --> 00:02:22,040
in the Glover Park neighborhood
on February 11th, 2026.
39
00:02:23,200 --> 00:02:26,760
This is no tears for black
girls, the cases they ignored.
40
00:02:27,360 --> 00:02:32,320
I am Samantha Paul.
Today's episode is about Raven
41
00:02:32,320 --> 00:02:36,640
Amwen Edwards, a 34 year old
mother of three who was shot and
42
00:02:36,640 --> 00:02:41,200
killed in Northwest Washington,
District of Columbia, and about
43
00:02:41,200 --> 00:02:43,720
the terrifying chain reaction
that followed.
44
00:02:44,080 --> 00:02:47,200
Her 10 year old daughter
injured, her three-year old son
45
00:02:47,200 --> 00:02:51,440
taken from the scene, an Amber
Alert and a police pursuit that
46
00:02:51,440 --> 00:02:55,040
ended with the suspect dead from
what police described as an
47
00:02:55,040 --> 00:02:57,240
apparent self-inflicted gunshot
wound.
48
00:02:57,840 --> 00:03:00,640
Before we go further, I need to
say this clearly.
49
00:03:01,080 --> 00:03:04,640
This episode includes domestic
violence, the death of a parent,
50
00:03:04,920 --> 00:03:08,000
children witnessing violence,
and a discussion of threats and
51
00:03:08,000 --> 00:03:11,480
intimidation.
If you need to pause, pause.
52
00:03:12,160 --> 00:03:14,720
If you need to come back later,
come back later.
53
00:03:15,200 --> 00:03:18,400
And if you are currently in
danger, your safety matters more
54
00:03:18,400 --> 00:03:23,040
than any story.
One more note for accuracy, The
55
00:03:23,040 --> 00:03:26,160
Metropolitan Police Department
spells the victim's first name
56
00:03:26,360 --> 00:03:29,320
as Raven.
Some local coverage spells her
57
00:03:29,320 --> 00:03:32,560
first name as Raven.
In this episode we will say
58
00:03:32,560 --> 00:03:35,880
Raven and when we reference
other reporting, we will state
59
00:03:35,880 --> 00:03:39,080
it as reported.
Everything we discussed today is
60
00:03:39,080 --> 00:03:41,640
grounded in publicly available
reporting and official
61
00:03:41,640 --> 00:03:44,440
statements.
Where something is an allegation
62
00:03:44,440 --> 00:03:46,960
or a family recollection, I will
say so.
63
00:03:47,880 --> 00:03:51,160
Now take yourself back to that
Wednesday afternoon.
64
00:03:52,120 --> 00:03:54,920
According to a public update
from the Metropolitan Police
65
00:03:54,920 --> 00:03:59,560
Department, on Wednesday,
February 11th, 2026, at
66
00:03:59,560 --> 00:04:04,000
approximately 4:39 in the
afternoon, officers responded to
67
00:04:04,000 --> 00:04:07,000
a report of a shooting in front
of an apartment complex in the
68
00:04:07,000 --> 00:04:09,920
4100 block of West St.
NW.
69
00:04:10,840 --> 00:04:13,960
Police said they found an adult
woman and a 10 year old girl
70
00:04:13,960 --> 00:04:17,800
suffering from gunshot wounds
and they found another child, a
71
00:04:17,800 --> 00:04:21,399
juvenile boy, at the scene who
was not physically injured.
72
00:04:22,240 --> 00:04:26,040
Fire and emergency medical crews
responded and police said the
73
00:04:26,040 --> 00:04:29,440
adult woman was pronounced dead
after life saving efforts
74
00:04:29,440 --> 00:04:31,920
failed.
The 10 year old girl was
75
00:04:31,920 --> 00:04:34,920
transported to a hospital for
treatment of injuries that
76
00:04:34,920 --> 00:04:37,120
police described as non life
threatening.
77
00:04:37,920 --> 00:04:41,000
The Metropolitan Police
Department identified the woman
78
00:04:41,000 --> 00:04:46,920
as Raven Amwan Edwards, age 34.
Local television reporting said
79
00:04:46,920 --> 00:04:49,760
the shooting happened near West
Street and 41st St.
80
00:04:49,760 --> 00:04:53,760
Northwest and noted that police
responded along with the Secret
81
00:04:53,760 --> 00:04:57,000
Service because the location is
close to the Vice President's
82
00:04:57,000 --> 00:04:59,640
residence.
That detail matters because it
83
00:04:59,640 --> 00:05:02,000
tells you how fast the scene
escalated.
84
00:05:02,000 --> 00:05:05,560
In terms of law enforcement
response, you are not just
85
00:05:05,560 --> 00:05:08,600
talking about patrol cars
arriving to a neighborhood call.
86
00:05:09,160 --> 00:05:12,400
You are talking about an
immediate high alert response on
87
00:05:12,400 --> 00:05:16,160
a residential St. while children
are still right there in the
88
00:05:16,160 --> 00:05:19,520
aftermath.
In the first hours after a
89
00:05:19,520 --> 00:05:23,440
homicide, the public usually
sees a family's devastation as a
90
00:05:23,440 --> 00:05:28,520
headline woman killed, child
injured, suspect on the run.
91
00:05:29,320 --> 00:05:33,120
But inside the story, there is a
smaller, more intimate tragedy
92
00:05:33,120 --> 00:05:35,360
that does not fit neatly into a
push alert.
93
00:05:36,200 --> 00:05:39,280
A mother is gone and her
children have to be gathered up,
94
00:05:39,680 --> 00:05:43,320
identified, comforted and
physically carried out of a
95
00:05:43,320 --> 00:05:45,360
scene they should never have
been inside.
96
00:05:46,200 --> 00:05:50,080
Raven Edwards was a mother of
three, local reporting said.
97
00:05:50,080 --> 00:05:53,600
She had a 10 year old daughter
who was injured, an 8 year old
98
00:05:53,600 --> 00:05:57,080
son who was not physically
injured, and a three-year old
99
00:05:57,080 --> 00:06:00,880
son who became the focus of an
Amber Alert after the suspect
100
00:06:00,880 --> 00:06:03,720
fled.
Police identified the suspect as
101
00:06:03,720 --> 00:06:08,440
Stefan Markey Jeter, age 35.
According to the Metropolitan
102
00:06:08,440 --> 00:06:11,560
Police Department, detectives
determined that Jeter fled the
103
00:06:11,560 --> 00:06:15,440
scene in a black pickup truck
with a three-year old boy, and
104
00:06:15,440 --> 00:06:19,040
police said the suspect and the
victim were the parents of that
105
00:06:19,040 --> 00:06:22,680
three-year old child.
Local reporting described the
106
00:06:22,680 --> 00:06:26,000
case as domestic violence and
said Jeter was Raven's
107
00:06:26,000 --> 00:06:29,280
significant other.
An interim police chief said it
108
00:06:29,280 --> 00:06:32,560
was one of the most tragic
circumstances he had ever seen
109
00:06:32,880 --> 00:06:35,960
and said an entire family was
destroyed through the acts of an
110
00:06:35,960 --> 00:06:39,200
individual.
Those words are hard to hear,
111
00:06:39,480 --> 00:06:43,920
but they are not exaggeration.
In a matter of minutes, three
112
00:06:43,920 --> 00:06:46,800
children were pushed into a life
where their mother is gone
113
00:06:46,800 --> 00:06:50,400
forever and their father is
either the person accused of
114
00:06:50,400 --> 00:06:54,840
taking her life or the person
they will never see again.
115
00:06:55,360 --> 00:06:58,520
Two days after the homicide,
local reporting included
116
00:06:58,520 --> 00:07:01,320
comments from Raven's mother,
Lucy Edwards.
117
00:07:01,800 --> 00:07:03,760
She said Raven was her best
friend.
118
00:07:04,240 --> 00:07:07,000
She described her daughter as
loving and nurturing.
119
00:07:07,400 --> 00:07:10,920
She said Raven had lupus and
that despite health challenges,
120
00:07:10,920 --> 00:07:14,400
she would work whatever job she
could, including delivery work
121
00:07:14,600 --> 00:07:18,600
to provide for her children.
Lucy Edwards also said there
122
00:07:18,600 --> 00:07:21,000
were warning signs before the
day of the shooting.
123
00:07:21,640 --> 00:07:24,400
She told a local reporter that
the suspect had sent Raven
124
00:07:24,400 --> 00:07:27,960
disturbing messages in the past,
including messages saying he
125
00:07:27,960 --> 00:07:31,320
wished she would die.
If you have never lived with
126
00:07:31,320 --> 00:07:34,560
that kind of threat hanging over
your life, it can be hard to
127
00:07:34,560 --> 00:07:38,840
understand how heavy it is.
Threats like that are not just
128
00:07:38,840 --> 00:07:41,560
words when they come from
someone who believes they own
129
00:07:41,560 --> 00:07:43,960
you.
They are pressure, they are
130
00:07:43,960 --> 00:07:46,360
control.
They are a person telling you
131
00:07:46,360 --> 00:07:50,320
who they are out loud before the
world is forced to see it.
132
00:07:51,800 --> 00:07:54,920
After the shooting, the danger
did not end at the scene.
133
00:07:55,680 --> 00:07:59,560
According to the Metropolitan
Police Department, around 6:30
134
00:07:59,560 --> 00:08:02,800
in the evening, members of the
Prince George's County Police
135
00:08:02,800 --> 00:08:06,040
Department located the suspect
vehicle in Maryland and
136
00:08:06,040 --> 00:08:09,960
initiated a vehicle pursuit.
Police said the pursuit entered
137
00:08:09,960 --> 00:08:14,640
Washington, District of Columbia
and officers joined the suspect.
138
00:08:14,640 --> 00:08:19,200
Vehicle crashed near 30th St.
and Nash Place SE and officers
139
00:08:19,200 --> 00:08:22,640
found Stefan Jeter inside the
vehicle with what police
140
00:08:22,640 --> 00:08:25,920
described as an apparent
self-inflicted gunshot wound.
141
00:08:26,560 --> 00:08:29,640
Police said he was pronounced
dead and transported to the
142
00:08:29,640 --> 00:08:31,680
Office of the Chief Medical
Examiner.
143
00:08:32,640 --> 00:08:36,240
In the middle of that chaos,
Raven's three-year old child was
144
00:08:36,240 --> 00:08:39,840
missing.
Police issued an Amber Alert and
145
00:08:39,840 --> 00:08:43,240
a short time later they said the
child was located unharmed at
146
00:08:43,240 --> 00:08:47,080
the residence of a family member
in Prince George's County and
147
00:08:47,080 --> 00:08:50,720
the alert was cancelled.
There is a particular kind of
148
00:08:50,720 --> 00:08:54,440
terror that exists when a child
is missing in the hours after
149
00:08:54,440 --> 00:08:58,600
domestic violence, not because
every missing child case is the
150
00:08:58,600 --> 00:09:02,800
same, but because the context is
the loudest part of the story.
151
00:09:03,400 --> 00:09:05,960
A man is accused of killing the
child's mother.
152
00:09:06,240 --> 00:09:09,080
A gun is involved.
A chase is involved.
153
00:09:09,840 --> 00:09:12,960
Nothing about that reads like a
simple custody dispute.
154
00:09:13,560 --> 00:09:15,840
Everything about it reads like
emergency.
155
00:09:16,920 --> 00:09:20,520
Local reporting also stated that
the suspect had an extensive
156
00:09:20,520 --> 00:09:24,040
criminal history and that court
records included domestic
157
00:09:24,040 --> 00:09:27,320
violence and that he had been
sentenced in a federal case
158
00:09:27,320 --> 00:09:30,800
years earlier involving illegal
firearm trafficking.
159
00:09:31,560 --> 00:09:34,880
Those details raise the
questions families always ask
160
00:09:34,880 --> 00:09:37,000
after an intimate partner
homicide.
161
00:09:37,560 --> 00:09:41,240
How did he have access, How did
he get close enough to do this?
162
00:09:41,560 --> 00:09:44,240
And how many warning signs were
already in the record?
163
00:09:44,720 --> 00:09:46,760
And then there are the children
left behind.
164
00:09:47,720 --> 00:09:50,960
A 10 year old girl who was shot
and expected to survive.
165
00:09:51,600 --> 00:09:54,320
An 8 year old boy who was
physically unharmed.
166
00:09:54,640 --> 00:09:57,680
A three-year old boy who was
missing long enough for an Amber
167
00:09:57,680 --> 00:10:02,600
Alert, then located alive.
That is what the public record
168
00:10:02,600 --> 00:10:05,920
can tell us.
What the record cannot quantify
169
00:10:06,200 --> 00:10:08,040
is what those children now
carry.
170
00:10:08,720 --> 00:10:10,760
The way a door sounds when it
closes.
171
00:10:11,400 --> 00:10:13,880
The way a man's voice rises in a
hallway.
172
00:10:14,560 --> 00:10:17,800
The way the body remembers fear
even when the mind wants to
173
00:10:17,800 --> 00:10:21,080
forget.
The way a child learns all at
174
00:10:21,080 --> 00:10:25,080
once that adults can be
dangerous and that safety is not
175
00:10:25,080 --> 00:10:28,360
guaranteed by a quiet street or
a familiar neighborhood.
176
00:10:29,120 --> 00:10:32,720
This is why we cover these cases
even when the suspect is dead
177
00:10:32,960 --> 00:10:34,520
and there is no courtroom
ending.
178
00:10:35,040 --> 00:10:38,520
Because the story does not end
with the suspect, the story
179
00:10:38,520 --> 00:10:41,200
continues in the lives of the
children who have to live with
180
00:10:41,200 --> 00:10:44,320
what happened.
When a case is described as
181
00:10:44,320 --> 00:10:48,480
domestic, people sometimes hear
it as smaller, private,
182
00:10:48,880 --> 00:10:53,080
contained, like it belongs
behind a closed door and not in
183
00:10:53,080 --> 00:10:56,680
the public square.
But there is nothing small about
184
00:10:56,680 --> 00:10:59,680
a mother being killed in front
of her children in broad
185
00:10:59,680 --> 00:11:04,400
daylight on a residential St.
And when you zoom out, this is
186
00:11:04,400 --> 00:11:06,560
not rare in the way we wish it
was.
187
00:11:07,640 --> 00:11:11,000
The Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention published a
188
00:11:11,000 --> 00:11:15,080
report analyzing intimate
partner homicides of women using
189
00:11:15,080 --> 00:11:17,920
data from the National Violent
Death Reporting System.
190
00:11:18,480 --> 00:11:21,640
Looking at the years 2018
through 2021.
191
00:11:22,760 --> 00:11:25,160
The report stated that most
incidents occurred at the
192
00:11:25,160 --> 00:11:28,360
victim's residence and most
involved firearms.
193
00:11:29,040 --> 00:11:33,160
It also stated that during the
period 2020 through 2021, the
194
00:11:33,160 --> 00:11:36,440
proportion of victims who are
non Hispanic, Black or African
195
00:11:36,440 --> 00:11:39,760
American women increased and
that suspects were more
196
00:11:39,760 --> 00:11:43,280
frequently previously known to
law enforcement, which the
197
00:11:43,280 --> 00:11:46,400
report described as a potential
missed opportunity for
198
00:11:46,400 --> 00:11:49,440
prevention.
A separate analysis from the
199
00:11:49,440 --> 00:11:53,360
Violence Policy Center focused
on homicides of black women and
200
00:11:53,360 --> 00:11:57,000
girls, reported that black
females were murdered by males
201
00:11:57,000 --> 00:12:00,200
at a rate nearly three times as
high as white females in the
202
00:12:00,200 --> 00:12:03,440
year 2020 and that where
relationships could be
203
00:12:03,440 --> 00:12:07,880
determined, most black female
victims knew their killers, with
204
00:12:07,880 --> 00:12:09,920
many killed by an intimate
partner.
205
00:12:11,320 --> 00:12:14,800
I am careful with statistics
because numbers can turn a
206
00:12:14,800 --> 00:12:18,920
person into a data point, but
they are important for one
207
00:12:18,920 --> 00:12:21,440
reason.
They prove that these are not
208
00:12:21,440 --> 00:12:25,080
random lightning strikes.
This is a pattern of violence
209
00:12:25,080 --> 00:12:28,320
with recognizable warning signs,
predictable points of
210
00:12:28,320 --> 00:12:32,040
escalation, and too often
preventable outcomes.
211
00:12:32,960 --> 00:12:36,200
Sometimes people ask why did she
not leave?
212
00:12:36,640 --> 00:12:40,120
Sometimes people ask why did she
keep talking to him?
213
00:12:41,000 --> 00:12:44,760
Those questions sound logical
until you realize they are built
214
00:12:44,760 --> 00:12:48,560
on a false assumption that the
most dangerous moment is
215
00:12:48,560 --> 00:12:51,480
staying.
In many situations, the most
216
00:12:51,480 --> 00:12:55,520
dangerous moment is leaving, or
trying to leave, or creating a
217
00:12:55,520 --> 00:12:58,040
boundary that removes an
abuser's access.
218
00:12:58,720 --> 00:13:02,520
That is when control is
threatened, and control is the
219
00:13:02,520 --> 00:13:05,920
fuel.
Now I want to bring in one more
220
00:13:05,920 --> 00:13:09,920
case, not to take attention away
from Raven Edwards, but to
221
00:13:09,920 --> 00:13:13,680
underline how often domestic
violence follows A recognizable
222
00:13:13,680 --> 00:13:17,560
script, even across States and
across very different
223
00:13:17,560 --> 00:13:21,880
communities.
In Bryan, TX, in the early hours
224
00:13:21,880 --> 00:13:27,840
of February 7th, 2025, police
said a man called 911 and
225
00:13:27,840 --> 00:13:29,960
reported that he had just killed
his wife.
226
00:13:30,840 --> 00:13:34,600
Local reporting, citing court
documents and police, said
227
00:13:34,600 --> 00:13:39,000
officers went to the 500 block
of E 18th St. around 12:40 in
228
00:13:39,000 --> 00:13:43,280
the morning and found 23 year
old Alexis Walls dead inside the
229
00:13:43,280 --> 00:13:45,800
home with apparent gunshot
wounds.
230
00:13:46,680 --> 00:13:49,920
The suspect was identified as
Brandon Michael Dickerson.
231
00:13:50,680 --> 00:13:54,000
Local reporting said.
Court documents described Alexis
232
00:13:54,000 --> 00:13:56,400
Walls as Dickerson's common law
wife.
233
00:13:57,160 --> 00:14:01,040
Reporting also stated that the
couple's 18 month old child was
234
00:14:01,040 --> 00:14:04,480
in the home at the time and was
not physically harmed.
235
00:14:05,800 --> 00:14:08,760
One local outlet reported that
police said Dickerson told
236
00:14:08,760 --> 00:14:13,400
detectives he shot Alexis Walls
15 times because he suspected
237
00:14:13,400 --> 00:14:17,480
she was cheating on him.
Nearly a year later, on February
238
00:14:17,480 --> 00:14:22,600
3rd, 2026, local reporting said
Dickerson pleaded guilty and was
239
00:14:22,600 --> 00:14:26,000
sentenced to 50 years in prison
by Judge Kyle Hawthorne.
240
00:14:26,720 --> 00:14:29,640
The reporting also stated that
the Brazos County District
241
00:14:29,640 --> 00:14:33,840
Attorney's Office said Dickerson
called 911 to report that he had
242
00:14:33,840 --> 00:14:36,800
killed Walls, shooting her 15
times.
243
00:14:37,440 --> 00:14:40,560
Another local outlet reported
that prosecutors called domestic
244
00:14:40,560 --> 00:14:44,280
violence a deadly and pervasive
issue and included a statement
245
00:14:44,280 --> 00:14:47,440
from the District Attorney and
assistant district attorneys who
246
00:14:47,440 --> 00:14:51,360
prosecuted the case, saying
Alexis was a light to everyone
247
00:14:51,360 --> 00:14:55,480
she met, a loving mother, a
beautiful daughter and a
248
00:14:55,480 --> 00:14:59,320
considerate friend.
In this case, there is something
249
00:14:59,320 --> 00:15:03,360
the public often begs for in
domestic violence homicides, a
250
00:15:03,360 --> 00:15:08,160
clear legal resolution.
There was an arrest, there was a
251
00:15:08,160 --> 00:15:12,560
plea, there was a sentence.
But I want to be honest about
252
00:15:12,560 --> 00:15:15,880
what resolution means here.
It means a man will spend
253
00:15:15,880 --> 00:15:19,240
decades in prison.
It does not mean a child gets
254
00:15:19,240 --> 00:15:22,520
their mother back.
It does not mean a family on
255
00:15:22,520 --> 00:15:26,480
lives the moment A911 call
turned their world into an
256
00:15:26,480 --> 00:15:30,680
evidence file.
When you place Alexis Walls next
257
00:15:30,680 --> 00:15:34,160
to Raven Edwards, you can see
the shared pattern without
258
00:15:34,160 --> 00:15:36,040
forcing the stories to be
identical.
259
00:15:36,840 --> 00:15:39,400
In both cases, the victim was a
mother.
260
00:15:39,960 --> 00:15:42,320
In both cases, a child was
present.
261
00:15:43,000 --> 00:15:45,880
In both cases, reporting
describes intimate partner
262
00:15:45,880 --> 00:15:50,640
violence that escalated into
homicide, and in both cases, the
263
00:15:50,640 --> 00:15:54,280
public is left staring at the
same question that always sits
264
00:15:54,280 --> 00:15:57,880
behind these tragedies.
What happened in the weeks and
265
00:15:57,880 --> 00:16:00,640
months before the day the world
found out?
266
00:16:01,880 --> 00:16:05,640
Because the day the world finds
out is never the first day the
267
00:16:05,640 --> 00:16:09,440
danger existed.
If you are listening and you are
268
00:16:09,440 --> 00:16:13,000
living inside a situation that
is getting darker, I need you to
269
00:16:13,000 --> 00:16:16,040
hear this plainly.
You do not have to wait for
270
00:16:16,040 --> 00:16:18,040
things to get worse to deserve
help.
271
00:16:18,760 --> 00:16:22,080
If you are in Washington,
District of Columbia, DC SAFE is
272
00:16:22,080 --> 00:16:25,080
a local organization that
supports survivors of domestic
273
00:16:25,080 --> 00:16:28,840
violence.
Their website is DC safe.org.
274
00:16:29,880 --> 00:16:33,320
The National Domestic Violence
Hotline is available 24 hours a
275
00:16:33,320 --> 00:16:39,120
day, seven days a week.
You can call 800-799-7233.
276
00:16:39,520 --> 00:16:44,960
That is 80799S AFE.
You can also text the word START
277
00:16:44,960 --> 00:16:49,280
to 88788.
Their website is thehotline.org.
278
00:16:49,800 --> 00:16:53,520
If you are in Bryan, TX, KBTX
reported that victims of
279
00:16:53,520 --> 00:16:56,040
domestic violence can contact
Phoebe's home.
280
00:16:56,840 --> 00:17:02,520
That phone number is
979-775-5355.
281
00:17:03,360 --> 00:17:06,680
And if you or someone you know
is struggling with thoughts of
282
00:17:06,680 --> 00:17:11,640
self harm, you can call or text
988 in the United States to
283
00:17:11,640 --> 00:17:16,960
reach the Suicide and Crisis
Lifeline, Raven Amwan Edwards
284
00:17:16,960 --> 00:17:19,920
should be here.
She should be irritated about
285
00:17:19,920 --> 00:17:23,200
school drop offs and grocery
prices and tired in the normal
286
00:17:23,200 --> 00:17:25,720
way, not absent in the permanent
way.
287
00:17:27,119 --> 00:17:29,760
Her children should not have a
memory bank that begins with
288
00:17:29,760 --> 00:17:32,720
violence.
If there is one reason we start
289
00:17:32,720 --> 00:17:36,840
this show the way we do it is
because imagination is how we
290
00:17:36,840 --> 00:17:40,200
practice empathy.
It is how we stop treating a
291
00:17:40,200 --> 00:17:43,960
woman's death like content and
start treating it like community
292
00:17:43,960 --> 00:17:46,960
loss.
When a mother is killed, the
293
00:17:46,960 --> 00:17:49,120
harm does not stop at the
victim.
294
00:17:49,760 --> 00:17:53,560
It echoes into every classroom
her children enter, every
295
00:17:53,560 --> 00:17:57,680
holiday, every quiet moment when
someone realizes they are
296
00:17:57,680 --> 00:18:00,320
waiting for a voice that will
never answer.
297
00:18:01,520 --> 00:18:05,720
This is Samantha Paul for No
Tears for Black Girls, the cases
298
00:18:05,720 --> 00:18:10,120
they ignored.
Stay loved, stay blessed, stay
299
00:18:10,120 --> 00:18:14,760
safe, and remember, whenever you
are trapped in a World of
300
00:18:14,760 --> 00:18:18,000
Darkness, never allow fear to
overwhelm you.
301
00:18:18,880 --> 00:18:22,360
Believe in your inner spirit and
remind yourself of God's first
302
00:18:22,360 --> 00:18:24,760
words.
Let there be light.
00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:02,680
Imagine this.
You are standing at the front
2
00:00:02,680 --> 00:00:04,960
door of the place that is
supposed to be safe.
3
00:00:05,640 --> 00:00:09,880
Not a club, not a dark parking
lot, not somewhere you have to
4
00:00:09,880 --> 00:00:12,200
watch your back.
Just home.
5
00:00:13,200 --> 00:00:16,079
A residential St. late afternoon
light.
6
00:00:16,480 --> 00:00:19,280
The kind of neighborhood where
you can almost convince yourself
7
00:00:19,280 --> 00:00:22,680
that whatever trouble exists in
the world stays on the other
8
00:00:22,680 --> 00:00:26,120
side of the city line.
Imagine you have already done
9
00:00:26,120 --> 00:00:29,520
the hard part.
You left the relationship, you
10
00:00:29,520 --> 00:00:32,479
drew the boundary.
You said the sentence that gets
11
00:00:32,479 --> 00:00:35,000
women punished every day.
We are done.
12
00:00:35,480 --> 00:00:38,520
We can Co parent, but we cannot
be together.
13
00:00:39,560 --> 00:00:43,680
You said it plainly, not to be
cruel, but because you were
14
00:00:43,680 --> 00:00:46,640
trying to survive.
Because you were trying to
15
00:00:46,640 --> 00:00:49,880
protect your children from the
kind of chaos that grows in the
16
00:00:49,880 --> 00:00:53,680
shadow of maybe now place
yourself at the moment when that
17
00:00:53,680 --> 00:00:57,800
boundary becomes the trigger.
You hear him before you see him,
18
00:00:58,320 --> 00:01:01,880
or maybe you see him first, and
your stomach drops because your
19
00:01:01,880 --> 00:01:05,160
body recognizes danger faster
than your mind can name it.
20
00:01:05,160 --> 00:01:10,840
A familiar voice, a familiar
posture, a familiar entitlement,
21
00:01:11,640 --> 00:01:15,000
the kind of presence that says
you do not get to decide when I
22
00:01:15,000 --> 00:01:17,640
am finished.
And you are not alone.
23
00:01:18,320 --> 00:01:22,320
Your kids are there, close
enough to hear adult words they
24
00:01:22,320 --> 00:01:25,880
were never supposed to have to
translate, close enough to
25
00:01:25,880 --> 00:01:29,240
witness the tension that is not
yelling yet but already feels
26
00:01:29,240 --> 00:01:31,400
like a storm pressing down on
the air.
27
00:01:32,200 --> 00:01:35,720
The 10 year old who can read
faces the 8 year old who will
28
00:01:35,720 --> 00:01:39,240
remember every sound, The
three-year old who does not
29
00:01:39,240 --> 00:01:42,960
understand what is about to
happen, only that grown-ups are
30
00:01:42,960 --> 00:01:47,040
suddenly moving differently.
Let the silence stretch like it
31
00:01:47,040 --> 00:01:50,880
does in real life, because the
worst moments do not arrive with
32
00:01:50,880 --> 00:01:54,160
music.
They arrive with a pause, a
33
00:01:54,160 --> 00:01:58,640
breath, a hand moving in a way
that changes the whole future.
34
00:01:59,600 --> 00:02:04,520
Now imagine the first gunshot.
Not as entertainment, not as
35
00:02:04,520 --> 00:02:09,080
shock value, as the instant your
life splits into before and
36
00:02:09,080 --> 00:02:12,560
after and your children's
childhood does too.
37
00:02:13,840 --> 00:02:16,960
Because that is what happened in
Washington, District of Columbia
38
00:02:17,360 --> 00:02:22,040
in the Glover Park neighborhood
on February 11th, 2026.
39
00:02:23,200 --> 00:02:26,760
This is no tears for black
girls, the cases they ignored.
40
00:02:27,360 --> 00:02:32,320
I am Samantha Paul.
Today's episode is about Raven
41
00:02:32,320 --> 00:02:36,640
Amwen Edwards, a 34 year old
mother of three who was shot and
42
00:02:36,640 --> 00:02:41,200
killed in Northwest Washington,
District of Columbia, and about
43
00:02:41,200 --> 00:02:43,720
the terrifying chain reaction
that followed.
44
00:02:44,080 --> 00:02:47,200
Her 10 year old daughter
injured, her three-year old son
45
00:02:47,200 --> 00:02:51,440
taken from the scene, an Amber
Alert and a police pursuit that
46
00:02:51,440 --> 00:02:55,040
ended with the suspect dead from
what police described as an
47
00:02:55,040 --> 00:02:57,240
apparent self-inflicted gunshot
wound.
48
00:02:57,840 --> 00:03:00,640
Before we go further, I need to
say this clearly.
49
00:03:01,080 --> 00:03:04,640
This episode includes domestic
violence, the death of a parent,
50
00:03:04,920 --> 00:03:08,000
children witnessing violence,
and a discussion of threats and
51
00:03:08,000 --> 00:03:11,480
intimidation.
If you need to pause, pause.
52
00:03:12,160 --> 00:03:14,720
If you need to come back later,
come back later.
53
00:03:15,200 --> 00:03:18,400
And if you are currently in
danger, your safety matters more
54
00:03:18,400 --> 00:03:23,040
than any story.
One more note for accuracy, The
55
00:03:23,040 --> 00:03:26,160
Metropolitan Police Department
spells the victim's first name
56
00:03:26,360 --> 00:03:29,320
as Raven.
Some local coverage spells her
57
00:03:29,320 --> 00:03:32,560
first name as Raven.
In this episode we will say
58
00:03:32,560 --> 00:03:35,880
Raven and when we reference
other reporting, we will state
59
00:03:35,880 --> 00:03:39,080
it as reported.
Everything we discussed today is
60
00:03:39,080 --> 00:03:41,640
grounded in publicly available
reporting and official
61
00:03:41,640 --> 00:03:44,440
statements.
Where something is an allegation
62
00:03:44,440 --> 00:03:46,960
or a family recollection, I will
say so.
63
00:03:47,880 --> 00:03:51,160
Now take yourself back to that
Wednesday afternoon.
64
00:03:52,120 --> 00:03:54,920
According to a public update
from the Metropolitan Police
65
00:03:54,920 --> 00:03:59,560
Department, on Wednesday,
February 11th, 2026, at
66
00:03:59,560 --> 00:04:04,000
approximately 4:39 in the
afternoon, officers responded to
67
00:04:04,000 --> 00:04:07,000
a report of a shooting in front
of an apartment complex in the
68
00:04:07,000 --> 00:04:09,920
4100 block of West St.
NW.
69
00:04:10,840 --> 00:04:13,960
Police said they found an adult
woman and a 10 year old girl
70
00:04:13,960 --> 00:04:17,800
suffering from gunshot wounds
and they found another child, a
71
00:04:17,800 --> 00:04:21,399
juvenile boy, at the scene who
was not physically injured.
72
00:04:22,240 --> 00:04:26,040
Fire and emergency medical crews
responded and police said the
73
00:04:26,040 --> 00:04:29,440
adult woman was pronounced dead
after life saving efforts
74
00:04:29,440 --> 00:04:31,920
failed.
The 10 year old girl was
75
00:04:31,920 --> 00:04:34,920
transported to a hospital for
treatment of injuries that
76
00:04:34,920 --> 00:04:37,120
police described as non life
threatening.
77
00:04:37,920 --> 00:04:41,000
The Metropolitan Police
Department identified the woman
78
00:04:41,000 --> 00:04:46,920
as Raven Amwan Edwards, age 34.
Local television reporting said
79
00:04:46,920 --> 00:04:49,760
the shooting happened near West
Street and 41st St.
80
00:04:49,760 --> 00:04:53,760
Northwest and noted that police
responded along with the Secret
81
00:04:53,760 --> 00:04:57,000
Service because the location is
close to the Vice President's
82
00:04:57,000 --> 00:04:59,640
residence.
That detail matters because it
83
00:04:59,640 --> 00:05:02,000
tells you how fast the scene
escalated.
84
00:05:02,000 --> 00:05:05,560
In terms of law enforcement
response, you are not just
85
00:05:05,560 --> 00:05:08,600
talking about patrol cars
arriving to a neighborhood call.
86
00:05:09,160 --> 00:05:12,400
You are talking about an
immediate high alert response on
87
00:05:12,400 --> 00:05:16,160
a residential St. while children
are still right there in the
88
00:05:16,160 --> 00:05:19,520
aftermath.
In the first hours after a
89
00:05:19,520 --> 00:05:23,440
homicide, the public usually
sees a family's devastation as a
90
00:05:23,440 --> 00:05:28,520
headline woman killed, child
injured, suspect on the run.
91
00:05:29,320 --> 00:05:33,120
But inside the story, there is a
smaller, more intimate tragedy
92
00:05:33,120 --> 00:05:35,360
that does not fit neatly into a
push alert.
93
00:05:36,200 --> 00:05:39,280
A mother is gone and her
children have to be gathered up,
94
00:05:39,680 --> 00:05:43,320
identified, comforted and
physically carried out of a
95
00:05:43,320 --> 00:05:45,360
scene they should never have
been inside.
96
00:05:46,200 --> 00:05:50,080
Raven Edwards was a mother of
three, local reporting said.
97
00:05:50,080 --> 00:05:53,600
She had a 10 year old daughter
who was injured, an 8 year old
98
00:05:53,600 --> 00:05:57,080
son who was not physically
injured, and a three-year old
99
00:05:57,080 --> 00:06:00,880
son who became the focus of an
Amber Alert after the suspect
100
00:06:00,880 --> 00:06:03,720
fled.
Police identified the suspect as
101
00:06:03,720 --> 00:06:08,440
Stefan Markey Jeter, age 35.
According to the Metropolitan
102
00:06:08,440 --> 00:06:11,560
Police Department, detectives
determined that Jeter fled the
103
00:06:11,560 --> 00:06:15,440
scene in a black pickup truck
with a three-year old boy, and
104
00:06:15,440 --> 00:06:19,040
police said the suspect and the
victim were the parents of that
105
00:06:19,040 --> 00:06:22,680
three-year old child.
Local reporting described the
106
00:06:22,680 --> 00:06:26,000
case as domestic violence and
said Jeter was Raven's
107
00:06:26,000 --> 00:06:29,280
significant other.
An interim police chief said it
108
00:06:29,280 --> 00:06:32,560
was one of the most tragic
circumstances he had ever seen
109
00:06:32,880 --> 00:06:35,960
and said an entire family was
destroyed through the acts of an
110
00:06:35,960 --> 00:06:39,200
individual.
Those words are hard to hear,
111
00:06:39,480 --> 00:06:43,920
but they are not exaggeration.
In a matter of minutes, three
112
00:06:43,920 --> 00:06:46,800
children were pushed into a life
where their mother is gone
113
00:06:46,800 --> 00:06:50,400
forever and their father is
either the person accused of
114
00:06:50,400 --> 00:06:54,840
taking her life or the person
they will never see again.
115
00:06:55,360 --> 00:06:58,520
Two days after the homicide,
local reporting included
116
00:06:58,520 --> 00:07:01,320
comments from Raven's mother,
Lucy Edwards.
117
00:07:01,800 --> 00:07:03,760
She said Raven was her best
friend.
118
00:07:04,240 --> 00:07:07,000
She described her daughter as
loving and nurturing.
119
00:07:07,400 --> 00:07:10,920
She said Raven had lupus and
that despite health challenges,
120
00:07:10,920 --> 00:07:14,400
she would work whatever job she
could, including delivery work
121
00:07:14,600 --> 00:07:18,600
to provide for her children.
Lucy Edwards also said there
122
00:07:18,600 --> 00:07:21,000
were warning signs before the
day of the shooting.
123
00:07:21,640 --> 00:07:24,400
She told a local reporter that
the suspect had sent Raven
124
00:07:24,400 --> 00:07:27,960
disturbing messages in the past,
including messages saying he
125
00:07:27,960 --> 00:07:31,320
wished she would die.
If you have never lived with
126
00:07:31,320 --> 00:07:34,560
that kind of threat hanging over
your life, it can be hard to
127
00:07:34,560 --> 00:07:38,840
understand how heavy it is.
Threats like that are not just
128
00:07:38,840 --> 00:07:41,560
words when they come from
someone who believes they own
129
00:07:41,560 --> 00:07:43,960
you.
They are pressure, they are
130
00:07:43,960 --> 00:07:46,360
control.
They are a person telling you
131
00:07:46,360 --> 00:07:50,320
who they are out loud before the
world is forced to see it.
132
00:07:51,800 --> 00:07:54,920
After the shooting, the danger
did not end at the scene.
133
00:07:55,680 --> 00:07:59,560
According to the Metropolitan
Police Department, around 6:30
134
00:07:59,560 --> 00:08:02,800
in the evening, members of the
Prince George's County Police
135
00:08:02,800 --> 00:08:06,040
Department located the suspect
vehicle in Maryland and
136
00:08:06,040 --> 00:08:09,960
initiated a vehicle pursuit.
Police said the pursuit entered
137
00:08:09,960 --> 00:08:14,640
Washington, District of Columbia
and officers joined the suspect.
138
00:08:14,640 --> 00:08:19,200
Vehicle crashed near 30th St.
and Nash Place SE and officers
139
00:08:19,200 --> 00:08:22,640
found Stefan Jeter inside the
vehicle with what police
140
00:08:22,640 --> 00:08:25,920
described as an apparent
self-inflicted gunshot wound.
141
00:08:26,560 --> 00:08:29,640
Police said he was pronounced
dead and transported to the
142
00:08:29,640 --> 00:08:31,680
Office of the Chief Medical
Examiner.
143
00:08:32,640 --> 00:08:36,240
In the middle of that chaos,
Raven's three-year old child was
144
00:08:36,240 --> 00:08:39,840
missing.
Police issued an Amber Alert and
145
00:08:39,840 --> 00:08:43,240
a short time later they said the
child was located unharmed at
146
00:08:43,240 --> 00:08:47,080
the residence of a family member
in Prince George's County and
147
00:08:47,080 --> 00:08:50,720
the alert was cancelled.
There is a particular kind of
148
00:08:50,720 --> 00:08:54,440
terror that exists when a child
is missing in the hours after
149
00:08:54,440 --> 00:08:58,600
domestic violence, not because
every missing child case is the
150
00:08:58,600 --> 00:09:02,800
same, but because the context is
the loudest part of the story.
151
00:09:03,400 --> 00:09:05,960
A man is accused of killing the
child's mother.
152
00:09:06,240 --> 00:09:09,080
A gun is involved.
A chase is involved.
153
00:09:09,840 --> 00:09:12,960
Nothing about that reads like a
simple custody dispute.
154
00:09:13,560 --> 00:09:15,840
Everything about it reads like
emergency.
155
00:09:16,920 --> 00:09:20,520
Local reporting also stated that
the suspect had an extensive
156
00:09:20,520 --> 00:09:24,040
criminal history and that court
records included domestic
157
00:09:24,040 --> 00:09:27,320
violence and that he had been
sentenced in a federal case
158
00:09:27,320 --> 00:09:30,800
years earlier involving illegal
firearm trafficking.
159
00:09:31,560 --> 00:09:34,880
Those details raise the
questions families always ask
160
00:09:34,880 --> 00:09:37,000
after an intimate partner
homicide.
161
00:09:37,560 --> 00:09:41,240
How did he have access, How did
he get close enough to do this?
162
00:09:41,560 --> 00:09:44,240
And how many warning signs were
already in the record?
163
00:09:44,720 --> 00:09:46,760
And then there are the children
left behind.
164
00:09:47,720 --> 00:09:50,960
A 10 year old girl who was shot
and expected to survive.
165
00:09:51,600 --> 00:09:54,320
An 8 year old boy who was
physically unharmed.
166
00:09:54,640 --> 00:09:57,680
A three-year old boy who was
missing long enough for an Amber
167
00:09:57,680 --> 00:10:02,600
Alert, then located alive.
That is what the public record
168
00:10:02,600 --> 00:10:05,920
can tell us.
What the record cannot quantify
169
00:10:06,200 --> 00:10:08,040
is what those children now
carry.
170
00:10:08,720 --> 00:10:10,760
The way a door sounds when it
closes.
171
00:10:11,400 --> 00:10:13,880
The way a man's voice rises in a
hallway.
172
00:10:14,560 --> 00:10:17,800
The way the body remembers fear
even when the mind wants to
173
00:10:17,800 --> 00:10:21,080
forget.
The way a child learns all at
174
00:10:21,080 --> 00:10:25,080
once that adults can be
dangerous and that safety is not
175
00:10:25,080 --> 00:10:28,360
guaranteed by a quiet street or
a familiar neighborhood.
176
00:10:29,120 --> 00:10:32,720
This is why we cover these cases
even when the suspect is dead
177
00:10:32,960 --> 00:10:34,520
and there is no courtroom
ending.
178
00:10:35,040 --> 00:10:38,520
Because the story does not end
with the suspect, the story
179
00:10:38,520 --> 00:10:41,200
continues in the lives of the
children who have to live with
180
00:10:41,200 --> 00:10:44,320
what happened.
When a case is described as
181
00:10:44,320 --> 00:10:48,480
domestic, people sometimes hear
it as smaller, private,
182
00:10:48,880 --> 00:10:53,080
contained, like it belongs
behind a closed door and not in
183
00:10:53,080 --> 00:10:56,680
the public square.
But there is nothing small about
184
00:10:56,680 --> 00:10:59,680
a mother being killed in front
of her children in broad
185
00:10:59,680 --> 00:11:04,400
daylight on a residential St.
And when you zoom out, this is
186
00:11:04,400 --> 00:11:06,560
not rare in the way we wish it
was.
187
00:11:07,640 --> 00:11:11,000
The Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention published a
188
00:11:11,000 --> 00:11:15,080
report analyzing intimate
partner homicides of women using
189
00:11:15,080 --> 00:11:17,920
data from the National Violent
Death Reporting System.
190
00:11:18,480 --> 00:11:21,640
Looking at the years 2018
through 2021.
191
00:11:22,760 --> 00:11:25,160
The report stated that most
incidents occurred at the
192
00:11:25,160 --> 00:11:28,360
victim's residence and most
involved firearms.
193
00:11:29,040 --> 00:11:33,160
It also stated that during the
period 2020 through 2021, the
194
00:11:33,160 --> 00:11:36,440
proportion of victims who are
non Hispanic, Black or African
195
00:11:36,440 --> 00:11:39,760
American women increased and
that suspects were more
196
00:11:39,760 --> 00:11:43,280
frequently previously known to
law enforcement, which the
197
00:11:43,280 --> 00:11:46,400
report described as a potential
missed opportunity for
198
00:11:46,400 --> 00:11:49,440
prevention.
A separate analysis from the
199
00:11:49,440 --> 00:11:53,360
Violence Policy Center focused
on homicides of black women and
200
00:11:53,360 --> 00:11:57,000
girls, reported that black
females were murdered by males
201
00:11:57,000 --> 00:12:00,200
at a rate nearly three times as
high as white females in the
202
00:12:00,200 --> 00:12:03,440
year 2020 and that where
relationships could be
203
00:12:03,440 --> 00:12:07,880
determined, most black female
victims knew their killers, with
204
00:12:07,880 --> 00:12:09,920
many killed by an intimate
partner.
205
00:12:11,320 --> 00:12:14,800
I am careful with statistics
because numbers can turn a
206
00:12:14,800 --> 00:12:18,920
person into a data point, but
they are important for one
207
00:12:18,920 --> 00:12:21,440
reason.
They prove that these are not
208
00:12:21,440 --> 00:12:25,080
random lightning strikes.
This is a pattern of violence
209
00:12:25,080 --> 00:12:28,320
with recognizable warning signs,
predictable points of
210
00:12:28,320 --> 00:12:32,040
escalation, and too often
preventable outcomes.
211
00:12:32,960 --> 00:12:36,200
Sometimes people ask why did she
not leave?
212
00:12:36,640 --> 00:12:40,120
Sometimes people ask why did she
keep talking to him?
213
00:12:41,000 --> 00:12:44,760
Those questions sound logical
until you realize they are built
214
00:12:44,760 --> 00:12:48,560
on a false assumption that the
most dangerous moment is
215
00:12:48,560 --> 00:12:51,480
staying.
In many situations, the most
216
00:12:51,480 --> 00:12:55,520
dangerous moment is leaving, or
trying to leave, or creating a
217
00:12:55,520 --> 00:12:58,040
boundary that removes an
abuser's access.
218
00:12:58,720 --> 00:13:02,520
That is when control is
threatened, and control is the
219
00:13:02,520 --> 00:13:05,920
fuel.
Now I want to bring in one more
220
00:13:05,920 --> 00:13:09,920
case, not to take attention away
from Raven Edwards, but to
221
00:13:09,920 --> 00:13:13,680
underline how often domestic
violence follows A recognizable
222
00:13:13,680 --> 00:13:17,560
script, even across States and
across very different
223
00:13:17,560 --> 00:13:21,880
communities.
In Bryan, TX, in the early hours
224
00:13:21,880 --> 00:13:27,840
of February 7th, 2025, police
said a man called 911 and
225
00:13:27,840 --> 00:13:29,960
reported that he had just killed
his wife.
226
00:13:30,840 --> 00:13:34,600
Local reporting, citing court
documents and police, said
227
00:13:34,600 --> 00:13:39,000
officers went to the 500 block
of E 18th St. around 12:40 in
228
00:13:39,000 --> 00:13:43,280
the morning and found 23 year
old Alexis Walls dead inside the
229
00:13:43,280 --> 00:13:45,800
home with apparent gunshot
wounds.
230
00:13:46,680 --> 00:13:49,920
The suspect was identified as
Brandon Michael Dickerson.
231
00:13:50,680 --> 00:13:54,000
Local reporting said.
Court documents described Alexis
232
00:13:54,000 --> 00:13:56,400
Walls as Dickerson's common law
wife.
233
00:13:57,160 --> 00:14:01,040
Reporting also stated that the
couple's 18 month old child was
234
00:14:01,040 --> 00:14:04,480
in the home at the time and was
not physically harmed.
235
00:14:05,800 --> 00:14:08,760
One local outlet reported that
police said Dickerson told
236
00:14:08,760 --> 00:14:13,400
detectives he shot Alexis Walls
15 times because he suspected
237
00:14:13,400 --> 00:14:17,480
she was cheating on him.
Nearly a year later, on February
238
00:14:17,480 --> 00:14:22,600
3rd, 2026, local reporting said
Dickerson pleaded guilty and was
239
00:14:22,600 --> 00:14:26,000
sentenced to 50 years in prison
by Judge Kyle Hawthorne.
240
00:14:26,720 --> 00:14:29,640
The reporting also stated that
the Brazos County District
241
00:14:29,640 --> 00:14:33,840
Attorney's Office said Dickerson
called 911 to report that he had
242
00:14:33,840 --> 00:14:36,800
killed Walls, shooting her 15
times.
243
00:14:37,440 --> 00:14:40,560
Another local outlet reported
that prosecutors called domestic
244
00:14:40,560 --> 00:14:44,280
violence a deadly and pervasive
issue and included a statement
245
00:14:44,280 --> 00:14:47,440
from the District Attorney and
assistant district attorneys who
246
00:14:47,440 --> 00:14:51,360
prosecuted the case, saying
Alexis was a light to everyone
247
00:14:51,360 --> 00:14:55,480
she met, a loving mother, a
beautiful daughter and a
248
00:14:55,480 --> 00:14:59,320
considerate friend.
In this case, there is something
249
00:14:59,320 --> 00:15:03,360
the public often begs for in
domestic violence homicides, a
250
00:15:03,360 --> 00:15:08,160
clear legal resolution.
There was an arrest, there was a
251
00:15:08,160 --> 00:15:12,560
plea, there was a sentence.
But I want to be honest about
252
00:15:12,560 --> 00:15:15,880
what resolution means here.
It means a man will spend
253
00:15:15,880 --> 00:15:19,240
decades in prison.
It does not mean a child gets
254
00:15:19,240 --> 00:15:22,520
their mother back.
It does not mean a family on
255
00:15:22,520 --> 00:15:26,480
lives the moment A911 call
turned their world into an
256
00:15:26,480 --> 00:15:30,680
evidence file.
When you place Alexis Walls next
257
00:15:30,680 --> 00:15:34,160
to Raven Edwards, you can see
the shared pattern without
258
00:15:34,160 --> 00:15:36,040
forcing the stories to be
identical.
259
00:15:36,840 --> 00:15:39,400
In both cases, the victim was a
mother.
260
00:15:39,960 --> 00:15:42,320
In both cases, a child was
present.
261
00:15:43,000 --> 00:15:45,880
In both cases, reporting
describes intimate partner
262
00:15:45,880 --> 00:15:50,640
violence that escalated into
homicide, and in both cases, the
263
00:15:50,640 --> 00:15:54,280
public is left staring at the
same question that always sits
264
00:15:54,280 --> 00:15:57,880
behind these tragedies.
What happened in the weeks and
265
00:15:57,880 --> 00:16:00,640
months before the day the world
found out?
266
00:16:01,880 --> 00:16:05,640
Because the day the world finds
out is never the first day the
267
00:16:05,640 --> 00:16:09,440
danger existed.
If you are listening and you are
268
00:16:09,440 --> 00:16:13,000
living inside a situation that
is getting darker, I need you to
269
00:16:13,000 --> 00:16:16,040
hear this plainly.
You do not have to wait for
270
00:16:16,040 --> 00:16:18,040
things to get worse to deserve
help.
271
00:16:18,760 --> 00:16:22,080
If you are in Washington,
District of Columbia, DC SAFE is
272
00:16:22,080 --> 00:16:25,080
a local organization that
supports survivors of domestic
273
00:16:25,080 --> 00:16:28,840
violence.
Their website is DC safe.org.
274
00:16:29,880 --> 00:16:33,320
The National Domestic Violence
Hotline is available 24 hours a
275
00:16:33,320 --> 00:16:39,120
day, seven days a week.
You can call 800-799-7233.
276
00:16:39,520 --> 00:16:44,960
That is 80799S AFE.
You can also text the word START
277
00:16:44,960 --> 00:16:49,280
to 88788.
Their website is thehotline.org.
278
00:16:49,800 --> 00:16:53,520
If you are in Bryan, TX, KBTX
reported that victims of
279
00:16:53,520 --> 00:16:56,040
domestic violence can contact
Phoebe's home.
280
00:16:56,840 --> 00:17:02,520
That phone number is
979-775-5355.
281
00:17:03,360 --> 00:17:06,680
And if you or someone you know
is struggling with thoughts of
282
00:17:06,680 --> 00:17:11,640
self harm, you can call or text
988 in the United States to
283
00:17:11,640 --> 00:17:16,960
reach the Suicide and Crisis
Lifeline, Raven Amwan Edwards
284
00:17:16,960 --> 00:17:19,920
should be here.
She should be irritated about
285
00:17:19,920 --> 00:17:23,200
school drop offs and grocery
prices and tired in the normal
286
00:17:23,200 --> 00:17:25,720
way, not absent in the permanent
way.
287
00:17:27,119 --> 00:17:29,760
Her children should not have a
memory bank that begins with
288
00:17:29,760 --> 00:17:32,720
violence.
If there is one reason we start
289
00:17:32,720 --> 00:17:36,840
this show the way we do it is
because imagination is how we
290
00:17:36,840 --> 00:17:40,200
practice empathy.
It is how we stop treating a
291
00:17:40,200 --> 00:17:43,960
woman's death like content and
start treating it like community
292
00:17:43,960 --> 00:17:46,960
loss.
When a mother is killed, the
293
00:17:46,960 --> 00:17:49,120
harm does not stop at the
victim.
294
00:17:49,760 --> 00:17:53,560
It echoes into every classroom
her children enter, every
295
00:17:53,560 --> 00:17:57,680
holiday, every quiet moment when
someone realizes they are
296
00:17:57,680 --> 00:18:00,320
waiting for a voice that will
never answer.
297
00:18:01,520 --> 00:18:05,720
This is Samantha Paul for No
Tears for Black Girls, the cases
298
00:18:05,720 --> 00:18:10,120
they ignored.
Stay loved, stay blessed, stay
299
00:18:10,120 --> 00:18:14,760
safe, and remember, whenever you
are trapped in a World of
300
00:18:14,760 --> 00:18:18,000
Darkness, never allow fear to
overwhelm you.
301
00:18:18,880 --> 00:18:22,360
Believe in your inner spirit and
remind yourself of God's first
302
00:18:22,360 --> 00:18:24,760
words.
Let there be light.
