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Kiauna Newsom (Shelby County Sheriff’s Office)
A 29-year-old woman in Tennessee was arrested over the weekend for allegedly killing her ex-boyfriend’s roommate, shooting the other man multiple times in what authorities say was a fatal case of mistaken identity.
Kiauna Newsom was taken into custody on Sunday and charged with one count of first-degree murder in the slaying of George Harris, court documents obtained by Law&Crime show.
According to an affidavit of probable cause, officers with the Memphis Police Department at about 1:53 p.m. on Saturday, March 2, responded to a call in regard to a shooting outside of a residence in the 5400 block of Apple Blossom Drive. Upon arriving at the scene, first responders said they located an unresponsive Harris inside of a parked Chevy Malibu.
He appeared to be suffering from multiple gunshot wounds and authorities said they saw four bullet holes in the driver’s side door of the vehicle. Emergency medical personnel transported Harris to Regional One Health where he was pronounced dead.
Investigators obtained surveillance footage from a nearby camera which allegedly showed footage of the fatal shooting.
The video allegedly showed a gray Nissan Altima with “unique body damage” following the Malibu “a short time before the shooting.” The driver of the Altima was said to be an adult female wearing a white V-neck T-shirt.
Police interviewed Harris’ roommate, who is also Newsom’s ex-boyfriend, and he told detectives he was the owner of the Malibu Harris was in when he was killed. He said that he had just let Harris borrow the car.
“(Newsom’s ex-boyfriend) explained that he believed that he was the intended target and Harris was the victim of mistaken identity. (The ex-boyfriend) stated that he and his ex-girlfriend Kiauna Newson got into an argument at a store at Kirby and Shelby Drive. (The ex-boyfriend) advised that he left the store and went home. When he got home, victim Harris asked (the ex-boyfriend) to borrow his car,” the affidavit states. “(The ex-boyfriend) loaned his car to Harris and advised that a short time later, he received a phone call that Harris had been shot. Video from the store at Kirby and Shelby showed that Kiauna Newson was wearing a white V-neck shirt and driving a gray Nissan a short time before the murder.”
Investigators went to Newsom’s home in the 4000 block of Germantown Road where they found a Nissan with the same unique body damage parked in the driveway.
The owner of the home provided authorities with video footage from the residence showing that Newsom arrived back at the Germantown Road address at about 2:06 p.m. on the day of the shooting.
Police at about 2 p.m. on March 3 took her into custody and she agreed to speak with investigators about the shooting, police said.
“Newsom admitted to driving the Nissan and searching for (her ex-boyfriend’s) vehicle with a male she knows as Boogie,” the affidavit states. “Newsom located the vehicle then pulled alongside (her ex-boyfriend’s) Chevy Malibu and Boogie pulled out a rifle-style firearm then fired multiple shots into the Chevy Malibu. Newsom advised she then fled the scene in the Nissan with Boogie.”
Newsom was presented with a photo lineup and positively identified “Boogie” as a man named Justin Howard. A warrant for Howard’s arrest was issued but he was not in custody as of Monday afternoon, jail records show.
Newsome is currently being held without bond in the Shelby County Jail and is scheduled to appear in court on Tuesday.
