DETROIT, MI – Two men from Toledo, Ohio, have been sentenced to prison for their roles in a tragic case of mistaken identity that resulted in the murder of a Michigan woman in 2017.
Shandon Ray Groom, 30, and Timothy Eugene Moore, 37, were handed down sentences on Thursday for the murder of Egypt Covington, a 27-year-old singer and account manager. The crime took place in a duplex in Wayne County, southwest of Detroit, where the men had intended to steal marijuana from a neighbor’s residence but broke into the wrong side of the duplex.
Groom received a sentence of 17 to 26 years after pleading guilty to second-degree murder, while Moore was sentenced to 20 to 55 years after admitting to second-degree murder and felony firearms charges. The victim’s father, Chuck Covington, expressed his belief in court that the men deserved the death penalty for their actions.
The men had tied up Egypt Covington with Christmas lights before shooting her in the back of the head. Jessica Covington, the victim’s sister, urged the judge to impose the maximum sentence, expressing her disbelief that such individuals could potentially walk free in the future.
A third man, Shane Lamar Evans, 34, was sentenced in May to 15 to 25 years after pleading guilty to second-degree murder. Evans, who worked at the complex where Covington lived, had planned the burglary and identified the duplex to Groom and Moore. However, he stayed behind while the other two men broke into the wrong residence.
Evans expressed remorse during his sentencing, apologizing to the Covington family for his role in the tragedy. Chuck Covington, however, insisted that Evans deserved the maximum sentence for his part in the crime.
In memory of Egypt Covington, Arbor Brewing, where she worked, created a beer named “A Girl Named Egypt,” a hazy golden ale brewed with pink guava and lemongrass. Proceeds from the sale of the beer will be donated to charities supporting music scholarships, animal welfare, and victims of domestic abuse.