Tyesha Oliver, 11, Was Shot and Murdered in 2002

Tyesha Oliver was sitting at her dining room table doing homework when the bullet entered through her home’s wall and struck her fatal blow.

Police later learned the shooter was a 16-year-old known to Bloods as “Skits”. A trajectory rod placed into one of the bullet holes pointed toward an area near Chicago Avenue.

Early Life and Education

Tyesha loves traveling, reading and spending time with her family in her free time. Additionally, she enjoys cooking new recipes in her spare time.

On November 22, 2002, 11-year-old Tyesha Edwards was shot while sitting at her table doing homework in South Minneapolis. A bullet pierced through her wall behind the dining room chair and hit Tyesha in the face, leading her to fall to her death from shock.

Investigators determined that the bullet originated in a yard on Chicago Avenue across from where it landed; when they reached out to its owner he reported hearing nine or 10 shots from across his property line. A trajectory rod placed in the bullet hole pointed in an direction southwest of his house.

Burrell initially told police he had no involvement with the shooting and was only visiting Bemidji with his mother. Later he denied having been with Williams and Tyson on the evening of their deaths.

Professional Career

Tyesha Oliver has played professional basketball both at Hillcrest-Evergreen High School and Southern University. As a varsity player on their girls’ basketball team, she led in scoring with 18 points per game during her junior year – leading her team in points per game scoring as a result! Tyesha went on to SUNY-Fredonia and Southern University for college play before finally making it in the NBA.

Tyson later testified that he, Williams and Burrell were driving along Chicago Avenue South when they noticed Oliver running towards them “acting as though he were pulling out a weapon”. They discussed their response and decided to shoot Oliver.

Tyesha Oliver currently resides at 5 Amen Cir, Hattiesburg MS 39402. She is married to Oliver L Sudduth SR.

Achievement and Honors

Award recipients included Jonathan Jones as district STAR student; Cassie Ingle, Danielle Brackins, D’Asia Davis, Shea Dickerson, Jada Branch and Josie Williams who all graduated honor graduates; Miles Norman, Ariel Rollins, Breanna Shippee Shanna Suggs and Jeremiah Helstrom who served as graduation marshals; students were asked to present “golden paw” awards to teachers who most contributed to their success, such as Jennifer Swafford for physical science; Alyssa Hodges who won in gifted/honors biology; Kyle Cutchens’ chemistry; and Stephanie Welch who won USR chemistry.

Winborn and Carlson both expressed satisfaction that Tyesha’s death brought about positive changes for the community, such as the end of the Rolling 30s Bloods gang. Burrell, the man charged with her killing, received life imprisonment plus 15 years for shooting at Oliver.

Personal Life

On a cold November afternoon in 2002, Tyesha Edwards was doing her homework when a bullet from across the street struck her at her dining table in her dining room home and hit her dead center. Police quickly arrested 17-year-old Myon Burrell for murdering Tyesha and attempted murder against Timothy Oliver; Myon later received an 18-month prison sentence.

But The Associated Press’s investigation of Burrell’s case has unearthed new evidence and many discrepancies that raise serious doubts as to whether she was railroaded by police. We scoured through thousands of pages of police records, trial transcripts and interrogation tapes as well as conducted in-depth interviews with current and former law enforcement officers, family members, friends and gang associates of Burrell.