iPad leads to arrest of woman wanted in murder of 10-year-old Franklin boy

FRANKLIN, Va. — After nearly a year of searching for a woman accused of fatally shooting a 10-year-old Franklin boy, it was a beep on an iPad that finally led authorities to her arrest in June.

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Rapper wanted by US Marshals arrested for murder of 10-year-old Franklin boy

What happened before the shooting?

Tashawnda Drayton, also known by her rapper name “23 Brazy,” went into hiding after firing shots into a home on Artis Street in Franklin in August 2023, police said. The gunfire injured one man and killed 10-year-old La’Marj Holden, police said.

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The shooting was sparked by a dispute between Drayton and the man, police said. The nature of the dispute is unknown.

Drayton goes into hiding and an investigation begins

A search warrant issued by Franklin police states that Drayton’s cellphone was located in Portsmouth after the shooting, but law enforcement has been unable to locate her. U.S. Marshals say she received “material assistance” after the shooting, according to the warrant.

Video: US Marshals still searching for suspect in fatal shooting of 10-year-old in Franklin

U.S. Marshals still searching for suspect in fatal shooting of 10-year-old in Franklin

Franklin police obtained a search warrant for a townhouse-style apartment building in Boykins, Virginia, a Southampton County town about 20 miles from Franklin. That’s where Drayton would eventually be taken into custody, according to U.S. Marshals.

The day of Drayton’s arrest

On June 18, police officers finally arrested Tashawnda Drayton. The following details describe how the arrest was made, according to a search warrant:

• During surveillance in the Boykins building, marshals believed an iPad was being used by Drayton that was connected to the Wi-Fi in Apartment 305.
• Officers then saw a woman leaving Apartment 306. The woman had been seen with Drayton in a video received by police during the investigation. Officers followed and arrested her on Armory Drive.
• Marshals searched apartments 306 and 305, the apartment where they contacted the iPad they believed Drayton was using.
• While searching Apartment 305, officers found Drayton and arrested her.
• The relationship between the women arrested by the police commissioners and Drayton is unknown.

John Hood

Marshals previously told News 3 that a relative helped hide Drayton from Boykins.

According to the arrest warrant, law enforcement has yet to recover the gun used in the shooting or Drayton’s electronic devices. They said those items were critical to identifying the people who helped Drayton hide after the shooting.

The devices also potentially have communications and media related to the shooting.

According to the arrest warrant, they seized two cell phones and an iPad. It is not known who they belong to.

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A judge indicted Drayton on Monday, June 24, on two counts: one for an assault that occurred in December 2022 and the other for the shooting that killed Holden. She faces multiple charges, including first-degree murder, maiming and shooting into a building.

Drayton will appear in court on Aug. 26 for her first set of charges of 2022. She will then return to court on Oct. 7 for charges related to the shooting.