SC Teens Denied Bond After Gruesome Discovery, South Carolina Mom Found Dead After Birthday Trip Gone Wrong, Military Love Triangle Results In Murder, Jay-Z’s Nemesis Tony Buzbee Gets Hit With Embarrassing Lawsuit And More

The Root’s most vital crime stories from the week.

SC Teens Denied Bond After Missing Body Turns Up in the Most Gruesome Way

MyAngel Walker, 18 Screenshot: Facebook

South Carolina police have arrested and charged two suspects in connection to the murder of 18-year-old MyAngel Walker. According to officials, Walker’s family filed a missing person’s report after the teen didn’t show up the work on Thursday (Dec. 12). – Phenix S Halley Read More

Video will return here when scrolled back into view
Tramell Tillman Talks Sparring with Tom Cruise and Bringing That Severance Heat to Mission: Impossible

Cleveland Mother Forced to Make an Impossible Decision When Both of Her Children Are Shot at the Same Time

Screenshot: [{‘styles’: [], ‘value’: ‘GoFundMe’, ‘type’: ‘Text’}]

A grieving mother is searching for answers after a fatal shooting in Cleveland left both of her children dead. Police say Mariana Grier, 21, and Antwon Grier, 20, were shot following an altercation between the daughter and a separate group of women. – Phenix S Halley Read More

This South Carolina Mom Was Found Dead After a Birthday Trip Gone Wrong, And There’s One Major Suspicion at Play

Photo: [{‘styles’: [], ‘value’: ‘Facebook’, ‘type’: ‘Text’}]

Ta’Haley Payton vanished in November during a trip to North Carolina celebrating her 22nd birthday. Almost four weeks later, Payton was found dead, and her family is seeking answers — especially since things don’t seem to be adding up. – Phenix S Halley Read More

Straight Out of Netflix, a Military Love Triangle Resulted in Murder and Shut an Entire Army Base Down

Natravien Landry (left) charged with the murder of Andre S. Stewart Jr. (right) Screenshot: Lincoln County Detention Center, Facebook

An Army National Guard soldier was charged with murder following a shooting which led to the death of U.S. Army Sgt. Andre S. Stewart Jr. According to U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia, the U.S. Marshals Service took 25-year-old Natravien Landry into custody on Saturday (Dec. 14), and now the Army National Guard soldier awaits another court hearing after a love triangle went terribly wrong. – Phenix S Halley Read More

Florida Father Arrested After Allegedly Physically Abusing His Child Over a Couch Cushion

Screenshot: Video: Osceola County Sheriff’s Office

Two Fla. parents were taken into custody after Kissimmee police were made aware of alleged child abuse claims. Now, both Lance Eugene Rachel and his wife, Kimberly Corene, face child abuse charges connected to a domestic incident from Saturday (Dec. 7), according to a statement made by the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office. – Phenix S Halley Read More

Jay-Z’s Nemesis Tony Buzbee Just Got Hit With The Most Embarrassing Lawsuit

Photo: Getty Images Marie D. De Jesus, Kevin Mazur

Tony Buzbee hasn’t had a break since he started representing alleged Sean “Diddy” Combs’ accusers. A civil lawsuit against Diddy and Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter— alleging the rappers raped a 13-year-old Jane Doe in 2000— has gotten messy over the weeks. Ironically, the Texas attorney is now facing a Jane Doe of his own in a new lawsuit against him. – Phenix S Halley Read More

A 3-Year-Old Washington D.C. Boy Allegedly Shoots His 5-Year-Old Sister, Here’s What Happened to Their Babysitter

Photo: Getty Images Al Drago

Washington, D.C. officials have officially charged two people in connection to a Monday (Dec. 16) incident that left a young girl hospitalized. Police say it all started when a mother left her two children at home with a family friend and an older sibling. – Phenix S Halley Read More

Convict Is Granted ‘Compassionate Release’ But Back Behind Bars for the… Same… Damn… Crime

Markham David Bond, 61, pictured robbing a Brinks truck at gunpoint. Photo: [{‘styles’: [], ‘value’: ‘X/ @USAO_LosAngeles’, ‘type’: ‘Text’}]

Prison is meant to rehabilitate criminals who are ready to turn over a new leaf and reenter society, but it seems like even 26 years in prison wasn’t enough to change 61-year-old Markham David Bond’s life around. – Phenix S Halley Read More

Straight From The Root

Sign up for our free daily newsletter.

Latest from The Root

A Full Timeline of Candace Owens' Bizarre Political Flip-Flops

A Full Timeline of Candace Owens’ Bizarre Political Flip-Flops

Candace Owens’ political affiliations have flipped and flopped so many times that now it’s time we finally talk about it all …
Carl Carlton and Other Black Celebs We Lost In 2025

Carl Carlton and Other Black Celebs We Lost In 2025

We are recognizing the Black celebs who left us in 2025 …
Inside the Explosive Delineation Debate Picking Apart Black Folk's Identity, History, and Who 'Belongs' 

Inside the Explosive Delineation Debate Picking Apart Black Folk’s Identity, History, and Who ‘Belongs’ 

From ancestry and reparations to defining identity, the delineation movement is sparking conversations, and controversy, across Black America …
Why Teyana Taylor's Latest Role Has Folks Comparing Her to Halle Berry in 'Monster's Ball'

Why Teyana Taylor’s Latest Role Has Folks Comparing Her to Halle Berry in ‘Monster’s Ball’

Teyana Taylor’s role in ‘One Battle After Another’ is sparking some serious conversations and it involves Halle Berry and broader representations of Black women …
Chicago-Area Man Allegedly Sexually Assaults Wheelchair-Bound Woman on Train, But it Gets Worse...

Chicago-Area Man Allegedly Sexually Assaults Wheelchair-Bound Woman on Train, But it Gets Worse…

Rasheed Griffin, of Calumet City, is accused of sexually assaulting a wheelchair-bound woman on the CTA. Then did the unthinkable in court …
How 'Owning Manhattan' Has Everyone Talking About Black Women's Struggle in Corporate America

How ‘Owning Manhattan’ Has Everyone Talking About Black Women’s Struggle in Corporate America

The newest season of ‘Owning Manhattan’ has Black women calling out the rough landscape of working in corporate America and the things they have to deal with! …
TikTok's Brenay Montague Breaks Her Silence on the $1.7M Cheating Scandal— And Fans Are Gagging

TikTok’s Brenay Montague Breaks Her Silence on the $1.7M Cheating Scandal— And Fans Are Gagging

Brenay Montague had viewers in a chokehold after admitting the $1.7 million cheating scandal “wasn’t worth it.” And the internet has some thoughts …
OnlyFans Model Connected to Sherrone Moore Breaks Her Silence About <i>That</i> Graphic Request

OnlyFans Model Connected to Sherrone Moore Breaks Her Silence About That Graphic Request

As the story around the Sherrone Moore scandal continues to get weirder, one OnlyFans model says the former football coach was frequently in her DMs …
Rep. Ilhan Omar's Beef with Trump Hits New Low After ICE Detains Her Son

Rep. Ilhan Omar’s Beef with Trump Hits New Low After ICE Detains Her Son

After months of beefing with Trump, Rep. Ilhan Omar claimed her son was targeted by ICE in Minnesota …
TGI Fridays Server’s Good Deed Goes Viral -- But There's a Problem

TGI Fridays Server’s Good Deed Goes Viral — But There’s a Problem

TGI Fridays server Brittany Bell touched millions with her heartfelt act of kindness, but the restaurant chain’s reward left social media unimpressed …
Why a N.C. Teen <i>Won't</i> Face Charges After Allegedly Stabbing His Classmate to Death

Why a N.C. Teen Won’t Face Charges After Allegedly Stabbing His Classmate to Death

A fight over a THC pen left one North Carolina 16-year-old dead. Now, his family wants justice after authorities refuse to press charges for this reason …
The Full Timeline of Ebro's Fiery Exit and Hot 97's Sudden Morning Show Collapse

The Full Timeline of Ebro’s Fiery Exit and Hot 97’s Sudden Morning Show Collapse

Now that the popular syndicated morning show “Ebro in the Morning” has come to an end, here’s what we know so far …
Stacey Abrams, New Report On Why Supreme Court's Louisiana v. Callais Is So Terrifying

Stacey Abrams, New Report On Why Supreme Court’s Louisiana v. Callais Is So Terrifying

Stacey Abrams and Cliff Albright say Louisiana v. Callais could roll back the core of the Voting Rights Act, putting the future of Black voters at stake …
Russell Simmons Finally Responds to Ex Kimora Lee Simmons With This Shocking Claim

Russell Simmons Finally Responds to Ex Kimora Lee Simmons With This Shocking Claim

Russell Simmons isn’t letting ex Kimora Lee Simmons latest words paint him in a negative light without speaking up! …
Photo by Evan Agostini/Getty Images

Professor: Why Have Black Women Stayed Silent About Diddy, Other Men For So Long?

The Diddy docuseries does more than expose Sean Combs’s misdeeds. It shows how Black women sometimes hurt themselves in their attempt to protect Black men …
Christian Louboutin African Looks and Roots Will Surprise You

Christian Louboutin African Looks and Roots Will Surprise You

Did you know that Parisian designer Christian Louboutin has African ancestry? …
Black Women Find Connection Through Ebony & Orchid Dinners in New York City

Black Women Find Connection Through Ebony & Orchid Dinners in New York City

The Root spoke with Danielle Belton and Junny Ann Hibbert about their mission to foster community among Black women with Ebony & Orchid dinners in NYC …
Y’all Wanna Make Sherrone Moore About White Women…at the Expense of Black Women

Y’all Wanna Make Sherrone Moore About White Women…at the Expense of Black Women

OPINION: Sherrone Moore’s profound fall from grace may involve white women…but they aren’t the reason for it all …
Black Love Blooms In A Surprise Central Park Wedding

Black Love Blooms In A Surprise Central Park Wedding

A young Black couple got married in Central Park and TikTok is loving it! …
Internet Backlash  Follows Video of Uncle Nearest Whiskey Co-Founder with Man Claiming to be Former Schoolmate

Internet Backlash  Follows Video of Uncle Nearest Whiskey Co-Founder with Man Claiming to be Former Schoolmate

A video circulating online shows Fawn Weaver, co-founder of the whiskey company Uncle Nearest, reacting to a man who approached her at a recent book signing (most likely for her latest book, “Love & Whiskey: The Remarkable True Story of Jack Daniel”). When he did speak, he asked her if …