A life brimming with promise and ambition was extinguished on the second day of a new year in New Orleans. Myeshia Harritte McDaniels, a 22-year-old Black woman, had recently graduated with honors from Dillard University and was eagerly embarking on her professional life. She was a beloved daughter, sister, and aunt, remembered for her bright spirit and dedication to her goals. Her dream was to become a doctor, a path for which she had laid a strong foundation with a degree in biology, earned just seven months before her death.
Myeshia was a proud New Orleans native, educated in the city's schools. She attended Mary McCloud Bethune Elementary School and Sophie B. Wright Middle School, where she was the captain of the dance team. She graduated from Warren Easton Senior High School in 2011, having been a member of the Jr. ROTC. In May 2015, she graduated from Dillard University, recognized for her academic excellence. While preparing for her future in medicine, she worked at Rite Aid and had just been hired for a new position as a Medical Supply Technician at CSL Plasma Technologies.
On the evening of Saturday, January 2, 2016, the hope of the new year was shattered by gunfire. At approximately 9 p.m., Myeshia was sitting in her Nissan Altima in the 3700 block of Clio Street in Central City when she was shot. She was not alone in the car, as a news report mentioned she was in the passenger seat of her friend's car when the shooting occurred. Critically wounded, she was rushed by a private vehicle to Tulane Hospital. Despite the urgent medical attention, her injuries were too severe, and she was pronounced dead, becoming the first homicide victim in New Orleans in 2016.
The New Orleans Police Department opened a homicide investigation, but the case quickly grew cold. In the years that followed, no suspects were publicly identified, and no arrests were made. The lack of progress left Myeshia's family in a state of prolonged grief and uncertainty. Her parents, Harry and Shirleen Jefferson, and her siblings, Obadiah and Tyeisha McDaniels, were left with only memories and unanswered questions.
Three years after her death, in January 2019, Myeshia's family expressed their profound pain and frustration. They confirmed they had received no new information from investigators and that the last they had heard, the case had been moved to the cold case files. "It hurts, it really hurts," her mother said in an interview, describing the pain of only being able to see her daughter in pictures and videos. The family felt a lack of presence from the police department, wishing for more communication and for officials to "be more human" and understand their loss.
The investigation into the murder of Myeshia McDaniels remains open but unsolved. Her family continues to hope that someone will come forward with the information needed to bring her killer to justice and provide a measure of closure. As of January 2019, the case was considered a cold case by the New Orleans Police Department. A reward of up to $2,500 is offered by Crimestoppers of Greater New Orleans for information leading to an arrest in this case. Anyone with information is urged to contact NOPD Homicide Section detectives or Crimestoppers.
