Khaliaka Meardry

A dispute in a Mobile, Alabama, neighborhood on the late afternoon of Sunday, January 28, 2024, violently escalated, ending the life of Khaliaka Meardry. The 44-year-old Black woman, who was born in Mobile, was a resident of the street where the confrontation occurred.

The incident began around 5:13 p.m. in the 600 block of Chin Street. According to investigators, three women who were on their way to a Mardi Gras parade stopped at a house on the street, across from where Ms. Meardry lived. An argument began, reportedly stemming from a comment Ms. Meardry had made to the 12-year-old nephew of one of the women. The verbal dispute quickly turned into a physical attack. A detective later testified that the women beat Ms. Meardry with bats and their fists. During the assault, one of the women shot her. When Mobile Police Department officers arrived, they found Ms. Meardry unresponsive; she was pronounced dead at the scene from a gunshot wound to the cheek.

Police arrested three suspects and charged them with murder: 37-year-old Sierra Giles, 32-year-old Kendra Nettles, and 35-year-old Terrilyn Williams. During the investigation, prosecutors alleged that the three women went to Chin Street with the intent to fight Ms. Meardry. According to court testimony, Ms. Williams, who is Ms. Giles’s sister, told investigators that she retrieved a gun Ms. Giles had left on a car and gave it to her. Court records also indicate that Ms. Nettles provided a statement to police.

A judge set bail at $275,000 for Sierra Giles and $100,000 each for Kendra Nettles and Terrilyn Williams. In early February 2024, both Ms. Giles and Ms. Nettles pleaded not guilty to the murder charges. At a preliminary hearing on February 28, 2024, a judge determined there was sufficient evidence to send the murder charges against Kendra Nettles and Terrilyn Williams to a grand jury. Ms. Giles’s preliminary hearing was postponed. As of February 2024, the case was proceeding through the court system.