MONTGOMERY COUNTY — The murder trial for a man accused of shooting and killing a teenage girl in a “rolling shootout” started on Monday.
[DOWNLOAD: Free WHIO-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]
As reported on News Center 7 at 6:00, Heaven Washington, 15, was shot and killed in Harrison Township on Nov. 17, 2023.
TRENDING STORIES:
- 12 arrested, officer injured after St. Patrick’s Day celebration at UD
- FAA releases new details after plane heading to Springfield crashes in Pennsylvania
- Invasive pest detected in Ohio; Quarantine starts today for several counties
Tommy Moreland, 30, is one of three people who prosecutors charged in connection with Washington’s death.
In court, prosecutors told a jury that Washington should have gone to school that morning, not to the hospital and then the morgue.
>>PREVIOUS COVERAGE: ‘Feud’ between 2 men allegedly led to deadly shooting of local 15-year-old girl; 2 more men charged
“A senseless act of gun violence. That’s what left 15-year-old Heaven Washington dead,” Assistant Prosecutor Ricky Murray said in his opening statement.
He said this case is simple, a teen was gunned down because of an ongoing problem between two drivers, Moreland and Baretta Byrdsong.
Washington was under the temporary custody of Montgomery County Children’s Services and had been in a group home at the time of her death. Byrdsong was a staff member of that group home, according to a previous News Center 7 report.
He was driving Washington to get money from an ATM for a field trip she was supposed to go on later that day.
Prosecutors accuse Moreland of shooting at the car on Turner Road and Philadelphia Drive.
“We’re going to ask you to hold this defendant accountable for his actions that day and find him guilty of all charges,” Murray said.
Moreland is facing 10 counts in all, murder being the most serious.
>>PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Person of interest in death of local teen led detectives on 100 mph chase, court records say
Byrdsong is one of the witnesses against Moreland, but he is also facing charges for Washington’s death.
Moreland’s lawyer told the jury that everyone thinks Washington’s death is a tragedy, but prosecutors do not have the evidence to convict him.
“There’s going to be pieces missing, there’s going to be a big hole right in the middle of the puzzle and that’s our doubt, who did the shooting?” Michael Pentecost, Moreland’s defense lawyer, said.
A forensic pathologist was the prosecution team’s first witness. She showed the jury how Washington was shot in the arm and suffered a gunshot wound to her head.
>>PREVIOUS COVERAGE: ‘She was a sweet child;’ Grandmother of local teen killed in shootout wants answers about her death
As previously reported by News Center 7, Alice Washington, Heaven’s grandmother, said she wants answers for her granddaughter and her surviving siblings.
“I’ve been praying and praying and asking God to bring him to justice,” Alice said.
Moreland’s trial is expected to last three to four days.
Darrell Bostic was the passenger inside Moreland’s car. He is also facing several charges including murder and felonious assault.
News Center 7 will continue to follow this story.
[SIGN UP: WHIO-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
©2025 Cox Media Group
