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Dateline's upcoming episode re-covers the story of Egypt Covington, a 27-year-old singer-songwriter and bartender from Michigan, who was discovered dead in her Van Buren Township home on June 23, 2017. She was found to have been shot in the head, with her hands restrained behind her back, using Christmas lights. This was discovered after her boyfriend, Curtis Meadows, checked on her when she did not answer his morning text message.
Early investigation by the Van Buren Township police centered on individuals around her, but the case remained unsolved for years. Her family, frustrated by this, demanded that more action be taken. The Michigan State Police reopened the case in 2020. They utilized cell phone pinging to obtain new leads, indicating that the killing was one of a botched robbery that occurred at the wrong residence.
Three Ohio and Michigan men were indicted and subsequently pleaded guilty to second-degree murder. The case was in the news due to the use of computer technology in solving the crime. It also illustrated the ways in which family pressure can drive investigations along. Dateline season 9 episode 19 & 20, titled A Girl Named Egypt, airs on September 24, 2025, on Oxygen. However, the case was initially covered as a two-hour special on March 22, 2024.
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Dateline's A Girl Named Egypt: The victim's background
Born on July 19, 1989, Egypt Covington grew up in the Detroit area and eventually settled in Belleville, near Ann Arbor. She worked at Fraser’s Pub as a bartender and also held a job as an account manager for a beer distributor. Nevertheless, her true passion was music. Covington was a gifted singer who performed at local venues, and friends remembered her charismatic and generous spirit.
She was known for lighting up any room she entered, often described as the kind of person who gave endlessly to others, as per Oxygen. At the time of her death, Covington was in a relationship with Meadows and was planning new beginnings in her life. She had previously been in a relationship with Kenny Michalak, but the two had parted ways before the tragedy. Her close family included her mother, Tina Covington, her father, Chuck Covington, and her brother, D’Wayne Turner.
Her loved ones created the Justice for Egypt Foundation after her death, which provides scholarships for music students, supports animal welfare, and helps victims of abuse. Arbor Brewing Company even created a seasonal beer, A Girl Named Egypt, to honor her memory, with proceeds supporting the foundation’s work, according to NBC News.
Also Read: Dateline - A Girl Named Egypt season 9 episode 19 - A detailed case overview
The murder and discovery
On the evening of June 23, 2017, Meadows stopped by Covington’s home on Hull Road after she failed to respond to him all day. When he arrived, he noticed her car parked outside and the door partially open. Inside, he made the horrific discovery: Covington was face down on the floor, hands tied with holiday lights, and dead from a single gunshot wound to the head, according to ClickOnDetroit.
Investigators found signs of a struggle, but nothing appeared to be stolen. A bullet hole in a couch cushion suggested the shooter had tried to muffle the sound. The crime scene baffled detectives, who initially suspected the killing might be personal. However, the truth turned out to be far more random and senseless.
Covington lived in a duplex. Her neighbor, who grew medical marijuana legally, was away at a music festival that weekend. That neighbor’s unit was the intended target of a robbery, but the intruders broke into the wrong home. This mistake turned a planned theft into a deadly encounter, as per Oxygen.
Also Read: The true story behind Stacy Feldman's murder ahead of Dateline
The investigation and challenges
The Van Buren Township Police started the probe, looking at people Covington knew. They questioned Meadows, who passed a lie detector test and was cleared. Attention turned to ex-boyfriend Kenny Michalak, who was named a person of interest after failing a polygraph. But no arrest came, stalling the case for three years. Family members disagreed on suspects, with Covington's mother supporting Michalak and her father backing the police focus, as per NBC News.
This split the family and community. Lindsay Brink, linked to the family, did her own checks and pushed for change. She started petitions and protests, leading to the Michigan State Police taking over in August 2020. Detectives James Plummer and Sean Street reviewed old files and ruled out Michalak. They used a geofence warrant on Google data to find phones near the scene at the time of the crime, according to NBC News.
Challenges included privacy issues with the data tool and the initial wrong focus. Google later said it would stop sharing such data by 2024, affecting future cases. Experts note this change helps privacy but makes solving crimes harder.
Also Read: The true story behind Bryan Capnerhurst's death ahead of Dateline
Arrests, convictions, and aftermath
In November 2020, police arrested Timothy Eugene Moore from Toledo, Ohio, charging him with homicide. Shane Lamar Evans from Sumpter Township was arrested soon after, then Shandon Ray Groom, also from Toledo. Groom and Moore are cousins. All faced murder and home invasion charges. Evans, who knew the area from lawn work, told police he pointed out the neighbor's home for a marijuana theft, but the others entered Covington's by mistake, according to ClickOnDetroit.
He got a text saying, "Oops, wrong house." Evans cooperated and pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in April 2023, getting 15-25 years in May 2023. Groom pleaded guilty on July 14, 2023, and Moore on July 20, 2023. Both got 17-26 years in October 2023, though Moore's term was listed as 20-55 years, as per Oxygen. The case ended without a trial. No further arrests happened, as a possible fourth person was killed elsewhere.
The family started a fund for music education in Covington's name. The geofence tool's role sparked talks on privacy and police methods. As of 2025, no new updates exist, and the men remain in prison.
