Murder of Yetunde Price
Yetunde Price | |
---|---|
Born | Yetunde Hawanya Tara Price August 9, 1972 Saginaw, Michigan, U.S. |
Died | September 14, 2003 (aged 31) Compton, California, U.S. |
Cause of death | Murder (gunshot wound) |
Children | 3 |
Parent |
|
Yetunde Hawanya Tara Price (August 9, 1972 – September 14, 2003)[1] was the oldest half-sister of and personal assistant to the leading tennis players Venus and Serena Williams. On September 14, 2003, she was murdered in a drive-by shooting in Compton, California, United States by Robert Maxfield.
Background
Price was the oldest of Oracene Price's five daughters. She was one of Venus and Serena Williams’ three other sisters, a half-sibling from a previous marriage between their mother, tennis coach Oracene Price, and Yusef Rasheed.[1]
For a time, Price worked as a personal assistant to her tennis-playing sisters and as a
Murder
On the night of September 14, 2003, Price was chatting with her boyfriend in her
Both the prosecutor and the defense at the murder trial agreed that Price was an innocent victim passing through the area.[3]
Trial
Southside Compton
A murder charge against a second defendant, who was accused of firing a handgun during the incident, was dismissed after the first trial, when authorities stated he did not cause the fatal wound.[5]
On April 6, 2006, Judge Steven Suzukawa sentenced Maxfield to 15 years in prison with the possibility of parole.[5] He was released in 2018, but was subsequently re-arrested after violating his parole.[6]
Aftermath
Compton rapper
In 2016, the Williams sisters opened a
On March 8, 2018, Maxfield, was released on parole from the Deuel Vocational Institution in Tracy, California, having served approximately 12 years of a 15 year sentence in prison. He was re-arrested later that year for violating parole.[8][9]
In an interview with TIME, Serena Williams said she learned of his release on July 31, through Instagram, ten minutes before her match against Johanna Konta at the 2018 Silicon Valley Classic, a match she went on to lose 6–1, 6–0 to Konta in 52 minutes.[10]
References
- ^ a b c Carlson, Adam (August 1, 2018). "Man Sentenced for Killing Serena and Venus Williams' Sister Was Released This Year – Then Was Re-Arrested". People. Retrieved August 18, 2018.
- ^ Poole, Oliver; Parsons, John (September 15, 2003). "The Williams sister left behind in the ghetto". The Daily Telegraph. London. Retrieved August 18, 2018.
- ^ a b c "Williams sister shot by gangster defending crack house, court told". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. London. October 26, 2004. Retrieved August 18, 2018.
- ^ Poole, Oliver; Parsons, John (April 30, 2005). "Mistrial Declared in Price Case". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved August 18, 2018.
- ^ a b c "Gangster gets 15 years for killing tennis stars' sister". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. April 30, 2005. Retrieved August 18, 2018.
- ^ "Man Sentenced in Serena Williams' Sister's Death Was Released | PEOPLE.com".
- ^ Helm, Angela (July 31, 2018). "Man Convicted in the Killing of Yetunde Price, Eldest Sister of Venus and Serena Williams, Released and Then Re-Arrested". The Root. Retrieved August 18, 2018.
- ^ Jefferson, J'na (July 31, 2018). "Venus And Serena Williams' Sister's Killer Released From Prison". The Vibe. Retrieved August 18, 2018.
- ^ "Man Sentenced in Serena Williams' Sister's Death Was Released | PEOPLE.com". Retrieved May 8, 2022.
- ^ "Serena Williams reveals she learned of parole of sister's killer just before match". ESPN. August 17, 2018. Retrieved August 19, 2018.
External links
- Yetunde Price Resource Center official website