On October 22, 2024, 18-year-old Ja'Niyah Kurstin Hardy was found dead from a gunshot wound in her apartment in the 5500 block of Autumn Woods Drive in Trotwood, Ohio. Responding officers discovered Hardy unresponsive near the front door around 3:15 p.m.; life-saving efforts failed and she was pronounced dead at the scene.

Investigators say Hardy and her 20-year-old boyfriend, Donte Lamar Cotton Jr., who shared the apartment, had been involved in a domestic dispute before the shooting. Cotton was arrested at the scene and initially charged with two felony counts of tampering with evidence related to Hardy’s death; he was later charged with murder. He pleaded not guilty to the tampering counts and was held on, then posted, a $1 million bond. A next court appearance was scheduled for November 1, 2024.

Hardy had recently graduated from Liberty High School and hoped to become a registered nurse like her mother. Her family and community describe her as sweet and loving, and her death has had a profound impact. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Trotwood Police Department or Crime Stoppers.