DATELINE ‘The Wrong Door’ Who killed Egypt Covington?

On June 22, 2017, 27-year-old Egypt Covington, a singer and beer distributor account manager, was killed in her home while she watched TV. She was shot in the head and her body was wrapped in a string of Christmas lights. Authorities first looked to her ex-boyfriend and others close to her, but no one was ultimately linked to the murder, and the case went cold.

Egypt’s family was determined to find answers about their loved one’s death while all leads went nowhere for years. Her ex-boyfriend Kenneth Michalak was briefly a person of interest in the case. The two had recently broken up, and she had rekindled a romance with Curtis Meadows, with who she had been in an on-again-off-again relationship for a decade. Curtis was the one who found her body after she didn’t respond to calls or texts.

The Crime Stoppers award for information leading to an arrest in Egypt’s murder went up to $30,0000,according to The Daily Beast. It wasn’t until November and December 2020, however, that three arrests were made. Her family, who never wanted to give up, had held a rally that August to demand that the Michigan State police get involved in the investigation.

It’s been revealed in court in March of this year (2021) that her murderers, Shane Lamar Evans, Timothy Eugene Moore, and Shandon Ray Groom, had mistaken her for her neighbor when they killed her. GPS and cell phone records put all three men, who are related to each other, at the scene of the crime that night.

Egypt was sitting on her couch and watching a movie when three men entered her home in Van Buren Township, Michigan, and took her life. They were looking for her neighbor’s weed stash, which they knew about because he spoke on local TV programs about how he used marijuana in his role as a licensed caregiver. He had burglarized before because revealing this information publicly had made him a target.

Egypt and her neighbor were actually good friends and had previously attended the music festival Electric Forest in past years, which is where the neighbor was at the time of the home invasion. Egypt was supposed to go that year as well but had stayed home so she could focus on her new job.

Shane Lamar Evans testified in court that he was the one who knew about the marijuana in the apartment. He was with his brother Timothy Eugene Moore, and cousin Shandon Ray Groom on the evening of June 22, 2017. The trio wanted to smoke some weed but didn’t have any.

Shane, however, knew where some would be available to steal. He did yard maintenance at the duplex where Egypt and her neighbor lived, so he knew they were both planning on going to a concert. He testified that he didn’t want to be involved in a crime, but pointed out which apartment had the weed stash from the window of the car.

Timothy and Shandon then proceeded to go into the wrong apartment in the duplex, where Egypt was on her couch. Shane says Timothy texted him “wrong door.” Shane doesn’t remember what he texted back and says he asked that the other men not tell him what happened. He says he learned that Egypt was killed that night by watching a news report.

Timothy Eugene Moore is charged with first-degree murder, felony murder, first-degree home invasion, and four counts of felony firearm.

Shandon Ray Groom is charged with first-degree murder, felony murder, first-degree home invasion, and three counts of felony firearm.

Shane Lamar Evans is charged with felony murder and first-degree home invasion.

All three men are currently “bound for trial,” which means a judge has ruled that there is sufficient evidence to proceed with to a trial.

Egypt’s family was happy to see the people responsible for her death finally meet the consequences. “Now we’re happy, we’re excited,” her brother, D’Wayne Turner said in March before a court hearing. “Today was a victorious day.”

In 2018 D’Wayne has previously spoken with Fox2 in Detroit about how much he loved his sister: “She was just somebody that brought a lot of joy; she brought a lot of spirit to all of us, to her family. I loved to be around her, and so did everybody else.”