3 suspects have pleaded guilty to Egypt Covington's death

The three men charged in connection with the slaying of Egypt Covington in 2017 have pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, Michigan State Police announced Thursday.

Shandon Ray Groom and Timothy Moore, both of Toledo, had been slated to face a trial this month. But Moore entered his guilty plea Thursday, and Groom did so on July 14, Wayne County Circuit Court records show.

Both are scheduled for sentencing on Oct. 5 before Judge Wanda Evans.

A third man charged, Shane Lamar Evans of Sumpter Township, pleaded guilty in April. He was sentenced the following month to 15-25 years in prison.

"The investigation has revealed that there are no other living persons that are responsible for her death," Michigan State Police said in a statement Thursday on Twitter.

Special Investigation Section detectives were investigating another possible suspect, "however that suspect was shot and killed in another incident in Toledo, Ohio."

"It is through the persistent work of the Second District SIS detectives that Egypt’s family can now have a small piece of closure," MSP said.

Covington, 27, was found June 23, 2017, bound and shot to death in her home on Hull Road in Van Buren Township. She was a singer and worked as an account manager for a wine and beer distributor. She was last seen alive the day before her body was discovered.

"The lengthy investigation involved electronic data multiple witness interviews, and covered multiple states," MSP tweeted Thursday. "The investigation revealed Moore and Groom were alerted by Evans of a residence which may contain marijuana. The suspects were led to a duplex by Shane Evans for the purpose of a robbery. Moore and Groom entered Egypt’s residence, instead of the neighboring residence, which was supposed to contain the marijuana."

All three suspects were arrested in 2020.