Cell phone evidence helps convict woman who fatally shot boyfriend in 2020
Knox County prosecutors credited "critical" cell phone evidence for a murder conviction obtained against a woman who shot and killed her boyfriend when he broke up with her.
Shanida Nico Holland, 44, was convicted of first degree murder, tampering with evidence, and making a false report after a four-day trial, Deputy District Attorney Sean McDermott said in a press release. Criminal Court Judge Scott Green imposed a life sentence on the murder count and set the a Jan. 6 sentencing on the remaining counts.
Holland must serve at least 51 years in prison before she can meet with the parole board, McDermott said. Tampering with evidence is a Class C felony that carries a punishment of three to six years, while making a false report is a Class D felony carrying a punishment of two to four years.
On Sept. 17, 2020, Knoxville Police Department Investigator Robert Cook responded to a shooting call at the Southside Flats Apartments in South Knoxville.
At the scene, Holland denied knowing anything about how 39-year-old Shabaaka Awolowo ended up shot and killed in his apartment, the release said. Cook learned, however, that Holland had shot the victim on a previous occasion during a domestic altercation.
With the assistance of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation Cybercrimes and Digital Forensics Unit, investigators recovered cell phone video from the victim’s phone showing Holland kicking the door into the apartment shortly before the shooting, the release stated. In other recordings, Holland stated that she would shoot the victim again. Another video taken by the victim shows Holland in possession of a firearm within minutes of the shooting.
“This prosecution was possible because of the partnerships between law enforcement agencies that allowed us to recover this critical cell phone evidence,” said District Attorney Charme Allen.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Knox County jury convicts woman of murder in shooting of boyfriend
