Danyale Harris, left, was convicted of murder after she led a group of people to confront her 12-year-old daughter’s alleged molester. A shootout ensued and one of the men in her group died. (DeKalb County Police Department)
Enraged after seeing a video of a 22-year-old man sexually abusing her 12-year-old daughter, Danyale Harris decided to seek revenge by taking a group of people to confront the suspect at his apartment, prosecutors in Georgia said.
During an ensuing shootout, one of the men Harris led to the apartment ended up dead. Now Harris, 42, could spend the rest of her life behind bars. A jury in DeKalb County convicted Harris of felony murder, aggravated assault, conspiracy to commit aggravated assault and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, District Attorney Sherry Boston said in a Friday press release.
The string of events began on March 31, 2020, when Harris found a video showing a sex act between her daughter and the man, later identified as Antonio Harley, authorities said. Harris reported the video to the DeKalb County Police Department the next day. Officers told her they would investigate the matter and get back in touch with her.
“He warned her not to let her anger get the best of her and not to try to get revenge,” the press release said.
Instead, Harris is accused of “trying to take the law into her hands.” Several hours later, Harris drove several people to an apartment complex near the intersection of Wesley Chapel Road and Snapfinger Road to confront Harley.
At around 1 p.m. on April 1, 2020, Harris had her daughter point out Harley’s apartment, authorities said. Armed with guns, Harris knocked on the apartment door with her cohorts standing behind her. Harley did not open the door but came around the side of the apartment to see who was there. That’s when Harris and the rest of the group chased Harley who ran into the apartment via the back door.
After Harley closed the door, someone in Harris’ group opened fire, hitting Harley in the chest, prosecutors say. Harley’s brother, protecting their five younger siblings who were also in the apartment, fired back, according to authorities. The shots hit one of the men in Harris’ posse, 19-year-old Juan Newkirk. Newkirk died.
Juan Newkirk died in April 2020 in DeKalb County, Georgia, during a shootout. Newkirk, 19, accompanied 42-year-old Danyale Harris, who was confronting a 22-year-old man who was caught on video molesting her 12-year-old daughter, prosecutors said. (Obituary)
Harley, now 26, survived the shootout and is charged with statutory rape, child molestation, and sexual exploitation of children. His case is pending.
Two other people were charged in the shootout and are awaiting trial, according to prosecutors.
A judge sentenced Harris to life in prison with the possibility of parole plus five years.
