A Richmond woman wanted out of a Norfolk-based gang shortly before her May 6 death, according to court documents. But first, her fellow members would have to “beat her out.”
She was later shot, and her body was found the same morning by a jogger along a tree line in York County.
For Tyosha Mitchell, 25, to be allowed to leave the crime ring, of which she was the highest ranking female member, she was to be beaten by a group of three women continuously for 31 seconds, the documents say. A witness told investigators that at one point during the thrashing, Mitchell dropped to the ground and curled into the fetal position before a man stood her up so that the battery could continue.
She returned to her Richmond apartment, according to a witness statement filed in York General District Court. Shortly after, the three women and two men — one with a gun and one wearing a mask — “banged” on her door. She let them in, and they began to beat her again, the statement says.
The witness told police that they believed the second round of violence stemmed from jealousy of Mitchell’s relationship with one of the women’s lovers. Police believe the group then took Mitchell away in a black Hyundai Sonata. About an hour later, at 3:47 a.m., is when a Yorktown resident said they heard gunshots in the area where her body was found along Old Williamsburg Road.
Four people have been charged with second-degree murder and conspiracy to commit a felony in connection with Mitchell’s death: Jamica Danielle Langley, 24, of Richmond; Acacia Jackson, 18, of Norfolk; Hezekiah “H.K.” Janile Carney, 24, of Norfolk; and Jayquan Allen Jones, 20, of Richmond.
When Richmond police and York-Poquoson sheriff’s deputies searched Mitchell’s apartment, it appeared someone had cleaned the floor with a mop. Investigators learned through text messages found on one of Mitchell’s phones that she, Langley, Jackson and Carney were members of the Vietnam Baby Gorilla gang, according to court documents, and the texts suggested that Carney was the leader. The group is a subset of the Norfolk-based Mad Stone Bloods, which is affiliated with the larger Black P Stone Nation gang, according to police.
The Hyundai Sonata, which was distinctive due to its passenger-side taillight being out, was caught on surveillance cameras 11 times during the relevant period of time on the morning of May 6 — seven times in the area of Mitchell’s apartment prior to a 911 call at 2:38 a.m. asking for help. The car is seen pulling into a 7-Eleven in Newport News at 3:29 a.m., at which point police identified Jones. It’s then caught by a surveillance camera at 3:43 a.m. near the American Revolution Museum in Yorktown, about a half-mile from Mitchell’s body and about four minutes before gunshots were reportedly heard.
The car passes back by the initial spot it was recorded in Newport News at 3:53 a.m. and is not captured again until it’s back in Richmond at 5:04 a.m., according to court records.
Police issued a “be on the lookout” notice for the vehicle later on May 6. Norfolk police came into contact with it early in the morning of the 7th with Jackson and Langley in the car along with its registered owner, who has not been charged. The car was seized, and police found cell phones, a black mask and a 9 mm bullet with the same make and model markings as the shell casings found at the scene of Mitchell’s death.
Phone records obtained by police showed Carney in the area near Mitchell’s Richmond apartment and near where the car was seen on video in Newport News about 15 minutes before the gunshots were heard.
“According to Mr. Carney’s records, it was found that his device communicates to all parties involved before and after the incident,” the documents read.
Jackson’s phone records show she called Mitchell twice shortly before the initial beating on the 6th. Jackson’s phone was used in the area of Mitchell’s residence and again near the scene where Mitchell’s body was found — about five minutes before the gunshots were heard.
All four suspects were scheduled to be arraigned this week over video, and their preliminary hearings have been set for September. They are being held without bail.
Jackson and Jones each have no prior convictions. Langley pled guilty in February to being an accessory after the fact to a homicide and robbery with a weapon stemming from an incident in May 2022 after she was initially charged with first-degree murder and use of a firearm in commission of a felony, according to court records.
Carney, who has worked at Amazon for two years, has been convicted of many assault and weapons charges, including multiple charges for wearing a mask to conceal his identity, court records show.
Gavin Stone, 757-712-4806, gavin.stone@virginiamedia.com
