Tennessee Woman And Man Arrested After Allegedly Killing Man In A Case Of Mistaken Identity

The pair were charged with first-degree murder.

A Tennessee woman was arrested after being involved in a killing where she mistakenly killed a man who she thought was her former boyfriend.

According to Law & Crime, 29-year-old Kiauna Newsom was arrested and charged with one count of first-degree murder after reportedly killing George Harris, her former boyfriend’s roommate. Harris was shot in a Chevy Malibu that belonged to her ex, who was not identified but told police officers that he let Harris borrow the car shortly before the shooting. He also informed police officers that he and Newsom had just been arguing.

Kiauna Newsom, 29, was charged with First Degree Murder.

Justin Howard, 32, was charged with First Degree Murder. https://t.co/aHFIMAk2En pic.twitter.com/0JdyBK6LJl

— Memphis Police Dept (@MEM_PoliceDept) March 5, 2024

An affidavit of probable cause stated that police officers from the Memphis Police Department responded to a call on Saturday, March 2, at about 1:53 p.m. for a reported shooting. When first responders arrived on the scene, they said they discovered an unresponsive Harris inside a parked Chevy Malibu that had four bullet holes in the driver’s side door. He appeared to be suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. Emergency medical personnel took Harris to Regional One Health, where he was pronounced dead.

“(Newsom’s ex-boyfriend) explained that he believed that he was the intended target and Harris was the victim of mistaken identity. (The ex-boyfriend) stated that he and his ex-girlfriend, Kiauna Newson, got into an argument at a store at Kirby and Shelby Drive. (The ex-boyfriend) advised that he left the store and went home. When he got home, victim Harris asked (the ex-boyfriend) to borrow his car,” the affidavit stated.

“(The ex-boyfriend) loaned his car to Harris and advised that a short time later, he received a phone call that Harris had been shot. Video from the store at Kirby and Shelby showed that Kiauna Newson was wearing a white V-neck shirt and driving a gray Nissan a short time before the murder.”

The affidavit also stated that Newsom admitted to driving a Nissan Altima with someone she knew as “Boogie.” They went out looking for her former boyfriend’s vehicle, and when the pair saw the Mailbu, they “pulled alongside (her ex-boyfriend’s) Chevy Malibu and Boogie pulled out a rifle-style firearm then fired multiple shots into the Chevy Malibu. Newsom advised she then fled the scene in the Nissan with Boogie.”

Newsom picked Boogie out of a police lineup, and an arrest warrant was issued for Boogie, who was identified as Justin Howard. People reported that Howard was picked up and also charged with first-degree murder.