Timothy Eugene Moore (left) and Shandon Ray Groom (right) pleaded guilty to murdering Egypt Covington (inset). Their co-defendant Shane Evans previously pleaded guilty and was sentenced. (Mugshots: Michigan State Police; image of Covington: Crime Stoppers of Michigan)
The two men charged with breaking into the wrong side of a Michigan duplex and murdering the resident have pleaded guilty to the fatal attack.
Timothy Eugene Moore, 37, pleaded guilty on Thursday to second-degree murder and a firearms charge, records show. Authorities previously said he pulled the trigger, killing Egypt Covington, a singer and account manager, as she was bound with Christmas lights in her Wayne County duplex in late June 2017.
Shandon Ray Groom, 30, who broke into the residence with Moore, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder on July 14.
Sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 5 in both their cases.
A third defendant, Shane Evans, 34, already pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and was sentenced in May to 15 to 25 years in prison with credit for 869 days time served. He had agreed to testify against Moore and Groom.
There could be a fourth suspect, but investigators aren’t sure, and even if so, this person is dead.
“We received information about a fourth possible suspect who may or may not have been there at the scene,” First Lieutenant Michael A. Shaw, a public information officer for the Michigan State Police, told Law&Crime in an email. “However with that person being dead it will be pretty tough to determine. Detectives will do what they can to make sure we have everything completed to close this complaint.”
Authorities said Evans worked at Covington’s complex. He knew her neighbor and also knew that this particular individual kept marijuana at home. On top of that, this person was going to be out of town, so Evans planned on stealing the drugs when the residence was empty.
Evans, Groom, and Moore drove there together, prosecutors said. Evans pointed out which door to the duplex to break into, and he stayed behind.
Groom and Moore, however, entered through the wrong door, barging in on Covington while she was watching a movie.
They tied her up in Christmas lights. Then Moore shot her in the head as she remained helpless.
“I hurt you all and I’m so sorry for what happened,” Evans told Covington’s family in court, according to The Detroit News. “I don’t know what to say. I pray for your forgiveness but I understand if you don’t forgive me, but I’m truly sorry.”
Covington’s father, Chuck Covington, characterized the guilty plea as self-serving.
“That plea deal was just for him,” he said.
Evans “deserves nothing less than the maximum sentence allowed for my daughter, for my family,” he said.
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