He was convicted of three counts of felonious assault, two counts of murder and tampering with evidence and one count each of discharge of a firearm on or near prohibited premises, improper handling of a firearm in a motor vehicle and failure to comply with the order or signal of a police officer.
Denisha Taylor, 33, of Jefferson Twp., was indicted Wednesday on three counts of tampering with evidence and one count of obstructing justice, all felonies.
Taylor is scheduled to be arraigned April 22.
All of the charges stem from the death of 15-year-old Heaven Washington.
On Nov. 17, 2023, Montgomery County sheriff’s deputies responded to a shooting near Turner Road and Philadelphia Avenue in Harrison Twp.
When they arrived, they found that the teenaged victim was taken to Miami Valley Hospital in a private vehicle. She was pronounced dead at the hospital from multiple gunshot wounds.
At the time of the shooting, she was staying at a group home and was being driven by a staff member, Baretta Byrdsong, to get money for a field trip, according to the Montgomery County Prosecutor’s Office.
On the way back, Moreland pulled up to their vehicle and fired multiple times, the prosecutor’s office said.
According to court documents, Byrdsong was the intended target of the shooting, and had an ongoing feud with Moreland. Byrdsong was also injured in the shooting, according to Vandalia Municipal Court records.
A license plate reader camera put Moreland’s rental vehicle in the area at the time of the shooting. While detectives were surveilling the SUV near the Englewood Kroger, Moreland fled the unmarked patrol vehicles.
Detectives activated their lights and sirens as they pursued, with Moreland reportedly driving about 70 mph and running red lights.
Moreland got onto Interstate 70 West and traveled through New Lebanon into Farmersville before abandoning it in a field on Havermale Road.
At its fastest, the pursuit reached speeds of 109.8 mph.
He was not found at the time, but was ultimately arrested in March 2024 after he showed up to Montgomery County Common Pleas Court for an unrelated case.
The SUV was rented in Taylor’s name, and she was a passenger in the SUV during the chase. She was identified afterward as a person of interest.
According to court records, she turned herself in and spoke to detectives, saying that Moreland had observed a vehicle he thought was an undercover detective, leading to the pursuit.
Byrdsong and another man, Darrell Bostic Jr., were also charged in the girl’s death.
Byrdsong was charged with involuntary manslaughter, reckless homicide and endangering children and is scheduled for trial May 12.
Bostic was allegedly in the SUV with Moreland at the time of the shooting, and was charged with two counts of murder, three counts of felonious assault, and one count each of discharge of a firearm on or near prohibited premises, improper handling of a firearm in a motor vehicle and having weapons while under disability, each of which carries some kind degree of firearm specification. His case is ongoing.
Staff writers Jen Balduf and Kristen Spicker contributed to this report.
About the Author
