Chantel Lamay Shy-Shy Matiyosus was a 16-year-old student and former junior high cheer captain when she was shot twice and killed on April 25, 2009 in Brockton, Massachusetts. She had been leaving a baby shower that Saturday when the fatal shooting occurred, and her death devastated family, classmates and the community.

An investigation produced an arrest; Darryene Ware was charged in connection with Chantel’s killing and was convicted, but that murder conviction was later vacated amid findings of false testimony from a state trooper. The charge against Ware was reduced to manslaughter, and media reports indicate the man initially convicted was awaiting a new trial as of April 2023.

Chantel’s grave in a Brockton cemetery has been repeatedly vandalized over the years. On the 14th anniversary of her death in April 2023 her headstone was found covered in pink paint, prompting the family to seek funds to cremate her remains so she can be moved from the cemetery.

If readers knew Chantel, attended Brockton High, or have information about the shooting or the repeated vandalism, please share what is known.