Naman Shrestha
A 16-year-old high school student named Danyna Gibson was looking forward to making a difference in the world when she was brutally killed. The entire community of Warren, Michigan, was rocked to its core when Danyna was fatally attacked in her high school in September 2018. As the investigators arrived at the horrific crime scene, they were shocked to learn that someone from the school was responsible for the murder. In Investigation Discovery’s ‘Mean Girl Murders: Straight-A Killer,’ the case is covered in a detailed manner as the detectives uncovered jealousy and a potential love triangle as the reasons behind the crime.
Danyna Gibson Met Her Tragic Demise in Her Classroom
On November 20, 2001, Angelina Ford and Preston Gibson were blessed by the birth of Danyna Unique Gibson, who entered their world as a little bundle of joy. Described as a bright and kind individual, the teenager had the ability to light up even the dullest of rooms through her cheerful personality. She was a student at Fitzgerald High in Warren, Michigan, where she was popular among her peers because of her impressive academic performances and her involvement in extracurricular activities. Danyna was not only a part of the student council but also a member of the robotics team and National Honor Society.
She was also into athletics and part of the marching band at the high school. The straight-A student was looking forward to pursuing computer engineering after graduating from school. Unfortunately, her dreams were shattered on the fateful morning of September 12, 2018. After a sudden attack erupted in her classroom, a school resource officer arrived at the scene and found Danyna lying on the floor in critical condition. Until the paramedics arrived, the officer performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) on her to save her. As soon as the authorities arrived, the 16-year-old student was rushed to St. John Macomb-Oakland Hospital in Warren, where she succumbed to two fatal stab wounds.
Danyna Gibson Was Chased by the Killer in her Classroom
When the investigators arrived at the scene of the crime at Warren Fitzgerald High School, they were told about the incident by multiple witnesses. According to reports, it was during a group project that 16-year-old Danyna Gibson was suddenly being chased by her 17-year-old schoolmate, Tanaya Lanay Lewis, who was armed with a kitchen knife. The teacher allegedly tried to keep the assailant out of the classroom but struggled to do so. Eventually, Tanaya managed to get to Danyna in the classroom and stab her multiple times in the chest and back in front of other students and the teacher. As per the witness accounts, the attacker was smiling and laughing while chasing down Danyna.
Right after the incident, Tanaya was escorted to the principal’s office, where the police took her into custody. They also collected the potential murder weapon, the kitchen knife, which she had allegedly brought from home. As the detectives delved deeper into the matter, they learned that the deadly confrontation was because of a male student named Evan. Since he was the killer’s ex-boyfriend, she was jealous when Danyna interacted with him. The investigators alleged that jealousy was the primary motivation behind the killing. When she was questioned about her crime, she claimed that she committed murder because Danyna was allegedly trying to steal her former boyfriend away from her. On September 14, 2018, Tanaya was formally charged with first-degree murder and kept in custody without bond.
Tanaya Lewis is Currently Incarcerated at a Michigan Prison Facility
Nearly two years later, on August 12, 2020, Tanaya Lewis pleaded no contest to first-degree premeditated murder, which meant that she did not admit her guilt but acknowledged that the evidence against her was enough for sentencing. As part of her plea deal, she was guaranteed that her sentencing would include parole eligibility later in life. On September 16, her sentencing hearing took place, where she took the stand. The killer stated, “If I could take it back, I would,” she said in emotional remarks before she was sentenced Wednesday. “I accept the punishment…and I know no amount of apologies will take it back…And I’m so, so sorry. I just hope one day, you’ll be (able to) forgive me.”
Danyna’s aunt, Christina Ford, also read a victim impact statement on behalf of her mother, Angelina Ford. She read out loud, “I mourn the loss of my baby every day. Time does not heal. It is more of a punishment because the more time that passes, the more I realize I will never see my baby again.” The statement also addressed the convict directly, stating, “You took a life that was so beautiful. All I ask is that the Lord have mercy on your soul.” Ultimately, Tanaya Lewis was sentenced to 27 to 60 years in prison for killing 16-year-old Danyna Gibson in 2018 in the classroom of Fitzgerald High School in Warren, Michigan. Since she had already served 735 days behind bars, she received credit for them. She was also ordered not to have any contact with Danyna’s family. As of today, she is serving her sentence at Women’s Huron Valley Correctional Facility in Ypsilanti, Michigan, with her earliest possible release date scheduled for 2045.
