Alaysia Monique Bennett was 19 when she was fatally shot on December 21, 2016, in the Georgetown Townhomes complex parking lot in Springfield, Illinois. She was sitting in a car with three other people, including a 3-year-old girl, when gunfire erupted in the early morning hours. Reports state Alaysia was not the intended target; the vehicle was being targeted in an attempted armed robbery and the driver’s attempt to flee placed her in the line of fire.

The investigation resulted in convictions. Devante Taylor, 31, of Belleville was identified as the gunman; he pleaded guilty but mentally ill to first-degree murder and received a 50-year sentence. Demarco M. Jones, 37, of Springfield, was convicted in connection with the attempted armed robbery and given 44 years. Roderick Gailes, 33, of Springfield, pleaded guilty to his role and was sentenced to 20 years in November 2024.

Alaysia worked as a patient registration specialist at Memorial Express Care, graduated from Lanphier High School and attended Southern Illinois University Edwardsville for one year. Does anyone have memories of Alaysia or information about that night that could help fill gaps in the timeline?