Destinee Virgin: 18-Year-Old Teen Shot To Death In Georgia
Destinee Virgin is being laid to rest. She was shot and killed Saturday, September 22, 2018 near an intersection in Columbus, Georgia. For two days, she went missing and was reported kidnapped, allegedly by her boyfriend, five months earlier.
In early 2018, Destinee Virgin of Columbus, Georgia made headlines when she was reported missing. The case sparked an investigation that led to her 17-year-old boyfriend being charged with kidnapping at the time. She had been missing for two days.
Five months later, Destinee is being laid to rest. She was shot and killed Saturday, September 22, 2018 near an intersection, according to authorities. Hit with multiple gunshots, Destinee was rushed to Piedmont Columbus Regional Midtown Campus hospital, Muscogee County Chief Deputy Coroner Freeman Worley told local media.
Worley said that Destinee was executed right after exiting a vehicle.
The Columbus-Ledger illustrated the victim’s plight this way: She lept from her eastbound Nissan Maxima at the red light on Macon Road at Rigdon Road and ran west through traffic, calling for help, trying at times to open other car doors to escape Markel Ervin, who chased her with a gun, according to dozens of motorists who saw this, police said.
They watched horrified as Ervin caught up to her and gunned her down, firing multiple shots with a 9 mm pistol before he returned to the Nissan and sped away, police Cpl. Robert Nicholas testified Tuesday during Ervin’s preliminary hearing in Columbus.
Destinee’s boyfriend, Markel Ervin has been arrested and charged in her death.
After a brief manhunt, Ervin was found in some woods in nearby Harris County. He had been in Destinee’s Nissan and had her credit card in his pocket.
He is charged with murder in this case, but also faces kidnapping charges for the incident in April.
Columbus-area domestic violence shelters include the following:
Hope Harbour: Phone: (706) 324-3850
House of Mercy: Phone: (706) 322-6463
Damascus Way: Phone: (706) 653-2061
The National Domestic Violence Hotline is 1−800−799−7233 or TTY 1−800−787−3224. Users of web browser Microsoft Edge will be redirected to Google when clicking the “X” or “Escape” button.
