GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — The man accused of shooting a 23-year-old mom in front of her two children has been found guilty on all four charges.
Keyante Newbern has been found guilty in the shooting death of Mya Kelly on the following charges:
- Homicide - 1st-Degree Murder
- Carrying Concealed
- Firearm Possession by a Felon
- Felony Firearm
Since Newbern was found guilty of 1st-degree murder, he will serve a mandatory life sentence without parole.
On Dec. 26, 2022, Omar Dannah, Kelly's boyfriend and the father of her two children, was home with her and the children when the shooting happened shortly before 10 p.m.
He testified there was a knock on the door and Kelly looked through the peephole.
Shortly after, gunshots went off.
Kelly was killed on the other side of the front door.
Throughout three days of testimony, the jury heard from a variety of witnesses including Newbern's aunt, investigators and the man who drove Newbern to Kelly's house on Canton Street.
During closing arguments, prosecuting attorney Bonnie Prevette urged the jury to convict Newbern, saying that Kelly's two small children were near her when she was murdered.
"They have to continue their lives without their mother, they have this image in their minds forever of their mother being shot in front of their very eyes," she said. "I'm asking you to hold the defendant accountable for that."
She said two of Newbern's friends—Terrell Franklin, Dannah's cousin; and Marquis Welch, who drove Newbern to and from the scene of the shooting—were also involved.
"You heard a number of times the name Terrell Franklin, Marquis Welch and of course Keyante, the defendant," she said. "These three men in this somewhat inner circle, they were entwined. They all knew each other, they were friends, they hung out with each other. And what's something that they all had in common? They were not on good terms with Omar Dannah on the day of this murder, on Dec. 26, 2022."
She said after the shooting, Dannah spoke with police about anyone he may not get along with, and he claimed that he was the target of the shooting, not Kelly.
Prevette argued that Newbern had multiple opportunities to "think twice" about committing the shooting, and that he and Welch had a plan in place.
While the gun believed to be used was not found, Prevette said a search of Newbern's apartment uncovered a laser sight for a gun that was hidden inside a gift bag in a closet. Newbern was also not in the Grand Rapids area after the shooting. He was arrested in January 2023 at his aunt's home in Lansing.
"Please don't reward him for being smart enough to get rid of the gun and the coat," Prevette said.
An investigator also testified that cell phone data showed Welch and Newbern spending the evening of the shooting together, first to film a music video—where a gun was used as a prop—then to the shooting scene, and finally to meet a friend of Welch's.
Cell phone data appeared to place Newbern in the area of Canton Street around the time of the shooting.
Defense attorney Jeffrey Kirchhoff argued that there was not enough evidence to convict Newbern, even calling Prevette's argument a "house of cards."
He argued that Newbern and Welch went to the video shoot together, but Welch left to get food and Newbern got a Lyft home. He said Welch then picked up Newbern to meet with his friend, arguing that the two were not together the entire night of the shooting.
"Mr. Newbern did not commit this murder. Was he with some of these people, earlier in the day, yeah. And later in the day, yeah," he said. "But he was not there and they have not shown anything that proves he pulled the trigger in this murder."
Deliberations continued into Friday before the jury returned a guilty verdict.
Newbern is expected to appear in court on April 15 at 1:30 p.m. for sentencing.
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