5 chilling details about Egypt Covington's murder investigation ahead of Dateline

Dateline revisits the Egypt Covington case, a 2017 homicide that moved from an early local review to a Michigan State Police led investigation after family advocacy. The investigation stretched for years, then produced arrests and guilty pleas tied to a wrong-address home invasion theory.

The new airings of Dateline: A Girl Named Egypt are listed on Oxygen for Wednesday, September 24, at 3 am and 4 am ET. The case also ran as a two-hour Dateline NBC broadcast on March 22, 2024, with state detectives discussing key clues on camera.

Case background on the Dateline story

Egypt Covington, 27, was found in her Van Buren Township duplex in June 2017 with her hands bound by string lights and a single gunshot wound to the head, according to Oxygen. Early work examined those close to her while relatives organized public outreach and pressed for a fresh review by state investigators.

By 2020, Michigan State Police reportedly took control of the stalled case after family advocacy and a community push for progress. The focus shifted from an early person of interest to leads pointing outside her circle.

5 key details about Egypt Covington's murder investigation

1) Phone data became the break investigators needed

State detectives rechecked prior work and used a geofence-based query to flag devices near the duplex around the time of the killing. Analysts then traced activity that helped steer the case to new suspects, according to NBC News (March 22, 2024).

Investigators reviewed phone location data through a geofence query during the reexamination (Image via Unsplash)

Also read: Dateline - A Girl Named Egypt Season 9 Episode 19 - A detailed case overview

2) The wrong-door robbery theory took shape

Prosecutors described a plan to target the other unit in the duplex, where a legal marijuana operation was known to neighbors. The intruders went to the wrong door, entered Covington’s home, and the encounter turned fatal, per ClickOnDetroit (Oct. 5, 2023).

3) Who was arrested and when

Arrests began in late 2020. Timothy Eugene Moore and Shane Lamar Evans were taken into custody in November, followed by Shandon Ray Groom in December. The case moved into 2021 preliminary hearings before plea talks commenced, as reported by CBS Detroit (July 21, 2023).

4) What pleas and sentences looked like

All three defendants ultimately pleaded guilty to second-degree murder. Evans received 15 to 25 years. Groom received 17 to 26 years. Moore received 20 to 55 years and also pleaded guilty to a firearm count, according to The Detroit News (Oct. 5, 2023).

5) Family impact and advocacy frame the Dateline narrative

At sentencing, relatives delivered statements about the loss and the years without arrests. Those voices, present throughout the case, helped keep attention on the investigation, as covered by FOX 2 Detroit (Oct. 5, 2023).

Where to watch the Egypt Covington murder investigation

Oxygen lists back-to-back airings of A Girl Named Egypt on Wednesday, September 24, at 3:00 am and 4:00 am ET. The presentation spans the investigation’s early steps, the shift to state detectives, and the courtroom outcomes.

Dateline - A Girl Named Egypt episode cover image (Image via NBC)

After broadcast, the episode is available to be streamed on Peacock Premium, Peacock Premium Plus, fuboTV, and NBC. Episodes can also be streamed with ads on The Roku Channel. Selected titles, including A Girl Named Egypt, are available for free on Spectrum On Demand.

Also read: The true story behind Egypt Covington's murder ahead of Dateline

About the author

Preethika Vijayakumar is an Entertainment writer at Sportskeeda with a keen interest in pop culture. Although a law student, her curiosity about the world and passion for writing inspired her to explore and analyze the complex narrative and diverse character arcs that define the daily soaps.

With experience as a legal content writer, Preethika also achieved a notable accomplishment as her work was published in a book about criminology and victimology. As a fellow binge-watcher, Preethika aims to provide insightful analysis based on her firsthand viewing experiences, ensuring accuracy and relevance in her writing.

Outside of professional endeavors, she enjoys reading, playing guitar, and creating ceramics. Her favorite celebrity is Jensen Ackles, and if given the opportunity, Preethika would love to be a part of his show, Supernatural, although she isn’t sure she could last until the end.

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Edited by Preethika Vijayakumar