KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Three men suspected of murdering a 22-year-old woman in South Knoxville were formally arraigned in court on Friday.
A total of four people have been indicted in the death of Danishka Melina Sibaja Mejía, whose body was found in a South Knoxville home on April 5.
Marquis Ellis, Latawyne Osborne and Edward Wilson are all accused of first-degree murder and aggravated rape on top of several other charges in the case.
During a press conference earlier in April, Knoxville Police Department Chief Paul Noel said officers found the body of Danishka Melina Sibaja Mejía while responding to a home on Gilbert Lane.
Mejía attended Carter High School and played volleyball there for three years, according to her former coach, Dwayne Cupp. He coached her during her freshman and sophomore years before he retired.
KPD said they found two other gunshot victims inside the home on Gilbert Lane and both were 23 years old. While officers were at the scene, another suspect appeared at a hospital with a gunshot wound, who turned out to be a suspect indicted on Wednesday -- Latawyne Osborne.
KPD said a fourth person, Angela Greenberg, is also accused of being an accessory in the crime. She is facing charges for tampering with evidence and accessory after the fact. Police said Greenberg is Osborne's mother.
Earlier in April, the grand jury returned a 49-count indictment against the four. The indictment identified the two other victims in the case as Katia Young and D'Andre Thaxton.
Osborne, Wilson, and Ellis were also charged with a premeditated attempt to kill Young's unborn child, according to the indictment. They are also facing arson of Mejía's home on April 5.
The charges came just days after Meijia was found dead. The people and their charges are listed below.
- Latawyne Osborne, 39: Felony murder, first-degree murder, aggravated burglary, attempted first-degree murder, especially aggravated kidnapping, aggravated rape, arson
- Edward Wilson, 31: Felony murder, first-degree murder, aggravated burglary, attempted first-degree murder, especially aggravated kidnapping, aggravated rape, arson
- Marquis Ellis, 20: Felony murder, first-degree murder, aggravated burglary, attempted first-degree murder, especially aggravated kidnapping, aggravated rape, arson
- Angela Greenberg, 59: Accessory after the fact, tampering with evidence
10 of the counts in the April grand jury indictment are gang-related charges that specifically focused on Osborne and Wilson. According to the indictment, the two were part of the Gangster Disciples and were also facing another attempted first-degree murder charge of Young's unborn child. The two could face enhanced punishments in this case if found guilty because of the gang charges.
Police said Mejía's cause of death was not immediately clear, but said it was likely she did not die from a gunshot.
"This was truly a heinous crime," Noel said during a press conference earlier in April. "All officers and detectives immediately identified the urgency and complexity of this situation."
Osborne was also charged with rape in connection to a report filed by Meija a day before she was found dead. KPD said according to the report, the rape occurred between April 1 and April 2.