Willie Eugene Harris, a 45-year-old Black man, was found dead at his Memphis residence in the Cherokee Heights area in the early morning of February 17, 2015. He had suffered a fatal gunshot wound to his side, near his back, and was pronounced dead at the scene.

His girlfriend, Martrice Thomas, was arrested and charged with first-degree murder after Harris’s body was discovered. Thomas told investigators she acted in self-defense, saying she had been abused and shot Harris because she feared for her life. Prosecutors introduced a recording of Thomas threatening to kill Harris, and the jury rejected the self-defense claim.

In September 2017 Thomas was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison. Did anyone in Cherokee Heights at the time notice signs of escalating conflict between Harris and Thomas?