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Mike Gibson
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Mike Ferguson
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Mike Ferguson
Hello, everyone, and welcome to episode 493 of the True Crime all the Time podcast. I'm Mike Ferguson, and with me, as always, is my partner in true crime, Mike Gibson. Gibby, how are you?
Mike Gibson
I'm doing okay. How about you?
Mike Ferguson
I'm doing great.
Mike Gibson
Yeah.
Mike Ferguson
I am excited to get into another episode.
Mike Gibson
Well, me too.
Mike Ferguson
All right, let's do it. We're talking about Egypt Covington. Egypt Covington was an aspiring singer who was murdered inside her home in Bellevue, Michigan. Now, initially, investigators looked into the people closest to Egypt as. As they always do. We know that. But after the Michigan State Police took over the case, they discovered that the killers targeted her by mistake. We're going to get into it. Egypt Covington was born on July 19, 1989 in Detroit. She grew up in Belleville, Michigan. She enjoyed practicing yoga, playing golf, and bow hunting.
Mike Gibson
Really?
Mike Ferguson
But the thing she loved the most was singing. She dreamed of having a career in the music industry.
Mike Gibson
You know, I. I enjoy singing and yoga at the same time. I can do that. You know, I don't want to show off. I can do that one. Yoga.
Mike Ferguson
I don't know what that is. Are you sure you're not mixing up yoga with the Kama Sutra? I just want to make sure. That was like some weird.
Mike Gibson
You do the Kama Sutra with others or other.
Mike Ferguson
I think you. You can do yoga with others as well. I don't know. But. Egypt won Eastern Michigan's regional country Idol.
Mike Gibson
Oh, wow.
Mike Ferguson
Competition in 2014. And she once auditioned for the show the Voice. Okay, so, you know, big time. She must have been a pretty good singer. She was described as the type of person who was the life of the party. Probably not something that would be said about either of us.
Mike Gibson
No.
Mike Ferguson
We can party. I don't know that we'd ever be the life of the party. Of the party.
Mike Gibson
More of a sit back in that corner, just watch.
Mike Ferguson
Egypt and her brother Dwayne Turner worked together as bartenders at Fraser's Pub in Ann Arbor. They were popular among customers and were known for their performances involving flaming bottles of alcohol.
Mike Gibson
Oh, that's fun.
Mike Ferguson
Yeah. It was said that a lot of regulars came in just to see Egypt. So, you know, kind of reminds me a little bit of that movie Cocktail.
Mike Gibson
Yeah.
Mike Ferguson
Remember that one with Tom Cruise?
Mike Gibson
You know, that girl named Jordan?
Mike Ferguson
I don't remember the girl, but yeah,
Mike Gibson
you just remember Tom.
Mike Ferguson
I don't even remember the movie that much other than they were. He was doing a lot of bottle flipping.
Mike Gibson
Yeah.
Mike Ferguson
I don't know if there, there was anything flaming, but he was flipping bottles.
Mike Gibson
He did flip a lot of bottles, you know.
Mike Ferguson
Egypt's friend Kyle Coppock told Fox 2 Detroit, it didn't matter if you knew her for 10 years or 10 minutes. You wanted to be with her and to know and to be around her. She made everybody feel so good about themselves and always had somebody's back.
Mike Gibson
Oh, I love people like that.
Mike Ferguson
Yeah. I mean, you know, we talk about a lot of different types of people.
Mike Gibson
Yeah.
Mike Ferguson
You know, in these episodes you have some people that obviously do very bad things, are not very nice and then you have some people who it just seems that they are universally loved by everyone who meets them, knows them and I mean, that's really the vibe that you get here. About Egypt. In 2017, 27 year old Egypt was planning to start a new chapter with her boyfriend Curtis Meadows. Curtis said about Egypt she had this amazing canny talent of seeing you right into your heart. When you met Egypt, you walked away better, feeling better about your day and yourself.
Mike Gibson
And that is a special talent right there.
Mike Ferguson
Yeah, I mean, it is a talent. I think you're absolutely right. Now, some of it's just natural.
Mike Gibson
Right.
Mike Ferguson
But to be the type of person that people want to be around and for others to genuinely say that they feel better than after having, you know, talked to you or whatever, I mean, that's just. I don't even know what to say. Those are the type of people you want to be around.
Mike Gibson
Yeah, it's an amazing person.
Mike Ferguson
Yeah. Egypt had recently gotten a job as a sales rep for Rave Associates, a craft beer and wine distributor. She was still though pursuing her dream of being a singer after five years of an on and off again relationship. And Egypt and Curtis were fully committed and they had decided to move in Together.
Mike Gibson
That's a big decision.
Mike Ferguson
It is a big decision. You know, five years, a long time. But I always say it, I think there is, you know, the relationship when you live apart and then there is the relationship where you're living under the same roof and you're with someone almost mo, you know, most of your day. Yeah. I mean, except for when you're at
Mike Gibson
work, there's definitely things that you don't know about that person that happens. Why you are not with them that maybe, maybe not they would have issues with. I don't know.
Mike Ferguson
Well, you learn things about people when you live with them. Yeah, there's, you know, and, and sometimes you learn that there are some things that you, you don't like.
Mike Gibson
Just not okay with that about that person.
Mike Ferguson
Like, like you said. Egypt first met Curtis when she was 20 and he was 28. At first, the timing wasn't right for either of them. Curtis explained the dateline that he had a young daughter and he was working a 9 to 5 job while Egypt worked late hours as a bartender and often got home when he was just kind of waking up to start as that.
Mike Gibson
Yeah, those are rough hours to try to have a relationship and at the same time.
Mike Ferguson
Yeah. And especially to try to start one.
Mike Gibson
Exactly.
Mike Ferguson
So I can understand why the timing wasn't right. Egypt was seen on the night of June 22, 2017. She attended a yoga class with a friend. She texted her stepmother about getting off the family phone plan and texted her siblings about wanting a puppy. And also a photo of her niece.
Mike Gibson
I mean, who doesn't want a puppy?
Mike Ferguson
Puppies are awesome. Yeah, I like puppy breath. I mean, it just sounds like normal stuff. Right. Normal everyday type things. On June 23, Egypt didn't respond to Curtis's usual good morning text. And normally he said she always responded within 15, 20 minutes.
Mike Gibson
Right.
Mike Ferguson
And so, you know, here's kind of the point that we always get to where, you know, when does someone start to worry? Now, I don't know that we're at that point just because you've gone past the 15, 20 minute mark. But obviously we know it's going to get there. And looking back, this is the first kind of indicator.
Mike Gibson
You text your wife, good morning, baby.
Mike Ferguson
No, no, no. My wife gets up like four hours before I do.
Mike Gibson
She's already up. She already had her good morning by
Mike Ferguson
the time you wake and goes to bed like six hours before I do. So we have very different schedules.
Mike Gibson
But you probably don't want to rub it in when you say good morning, baby.
Mike Ferguson
Yeah, and it's like, I've been up for four hours. It's ten o'.
Mike Gibson
Clock. Yeah.
Mike Ferguson
Yeah. She wouldn't like that. She's getting ready to have lunch probably or whatever. So he said Curtis did that. He wasn't worried at first, but as the hours passed with no contact, he became concerned. And so he decided to stop by Egypt's duplex afterward. He found her car in the driveway and the exterior door to the units opened. Once inside, Egypt's apartment was on the left and her neighbor's apartment was on the right. Curtis walked in and was greeted by Egypt's dog Ruby, who was trying to lead him somewhere. Yeah. He took a few more steps inside and found Egypt's body on the living room floor. And you know, we talk about dogs a lot. Dogs are amazing for a variety of reasons.
Mike Gibson
Yeah.
Mike Ferguson
You know, we talk about specialty dogs, cadaver dogs, drug sniffing dogs, but just regular, everyday pets.
Mike Gibson
Loyal.
Mike Ferguson
They do stuff like this. You know, they know something is wrong with their mom.
Mike Gibson
Yeah.
Mike Ferguson
And as soon as they. Or as soon as the dog sees Curtis, they're like, hey, help, come help.
Mike Gibson
Check this out. Yeah.
Mike Ferguson
So, I mean, it's heartbreaking all around. Obviously we know that a young woman has lost her life. Egypt had been shot in the back of the head. Her hands were bound behind her back with Christmas lights. And as a boyfriend, a husband, a partner, I just didn't. I don't even know what you. I don't even know how you process the scene.
Mike Gibson
Can't even fathom what he had to think at that moment.
Mike Ferguson
Now he was in shock. He ran outside to get his phone to call 91 1, Curtis said in his 911 call. I just showed up at my girlfriend's house and I walked inside. She's there tied up. She's dead. There's blood around her head. She's dead. He could be heard sobbing as he waited for the police to arrive. Officers from the Van Buren Township Police Department responded to the call. The police confirmed Egypt was killed by one gunshot to the head. One of her couch cushions was pressed against her head to muffle the gunshot.
Mike Gibson
It sounds almost like a. Like a hit.
Mike Ferguson
Yeah. Or somebody who knows. I mean, I guess you don't have to know something about trying to lower the sound of a gunshot. I mean, movies, tv, we've all seen somebody use a pillow or in this case, a couch cushion. But a lot of times when you think about, you know, one to the head. Right. That, that is kind of a hit type mentality. Yeah. Now you've got the cushion involved. I see how you could maybe make that connection.
Mike Gibson
The hands tied behind the back with, you know, Christmas tree lights.
Mike Ferguson
Yeah. Seems like a strange thing to use. But that may have been the only thing that the person saw, you know, right away. Egypt's mother, Tina, recalled the devastation of learning that her daughter was dead. She said, I just dropped, and all I can remember is screaming and crying, not my baby. And how could that happen? It was like mommy wasn't there for you. You know, how could I have protected you? What could I have done better? But to know that she was scared to death and she knew she was going to die, it just makes me feel like, why? That just breaks your heart. Yeah, it really does. Egypt's father, Chuck Covington, told Ann Arbor News at the time. What Was she thinking 30 seconds before? What was she going through 30 seconds before? 15 seconds before? Was she crying out for dad or Mom? There's grief, but that's what brings up the anger. And that's again, you know, where I call out for anyone that knows anything to talk to the police. Because this entity, this animal, this pathetic son of a bitch, whoever could have done that, death isn't good enough for them. That doesn't bring her back.
Mike Gibson
I mean, think about this woman that everybody she touched, Right. Egypt, every person that she touched, was better for it.
Mike Ferguson
Yeah. They were better for having known her. Yeah, absolutely.
Mike Gibson
Somebody does this to her.
Mike Ferguson
So I think, you know, there's a couple of things here, right, as the police, you're thinking, number one, who has a problem with this woman who everybody seems to universally love? And then, obviously, you know, you feel for the boyfriend, but you feel for the mom and dad.
Mike Gibson
Yeah.
Mike Ferguson
I mean, these comments that they're making. What was she thinking 30 seconds before I wasn't there to help my baby? I mean, these are really tough, tough emotions that they're going through.
Mike Gibson
How scared she had to be.
Mike Ferguson
Yeah. Three days after Egypt was killed, the Van Buren Township police said the murder did not appear to be random and she likely knew her killer. And I get it. They're making that assessment. I think, you know, that there's a good chance it's not random, because most murders aren't. You know, there's a very high percentage of murders where the victim and the killer are known to each other. Investigators looked at those close to closest to Egypt.
Mike Gibson
Yeah.
Mike Ferguson
Including Curtis Meadows.
Mike Gibson
I mean, that's a given.
Mike Ferguson
They have to. Right. You always look at the boyfriend, the husband, the ex husband, or the girlfriend.
Mike Gibson
Yeah.
Mike Ferguson
Ex wife, wife. Curtis was cooperative and passed a polygraph. He was eventually ruled out as a suspect. And, you know, I've made no secret of it. I'm not a huge fan of polygraph tests, but obviously if you know, you didn't do it and he felt comfortable taking the polygraph, it's going to go a long way in, you know, the police's mind of thinking, well, obviously he didn't have anything to do with it. Number one, he's cooperative and he's willing to take the polygraph.
Mike Gibson
I think it's a good gauge too. You know, I think, you know, during the test they can ask questions that you are going to either confirm or deny.
Mike Ferguson
Are you telling me that's how a polygraph works? There's questions just in case you didn't know. Okay, explain to the audience you're doing
Mike Gibson
it in front of the police. So now you have. If their story ever changes, you can say, well, we asked you these questions. You said no. Yes, whatever you said. And now you're contradicting yourself.
Mike Ferguson
Well, that's a great point because we talk a lot of times about police kind of locking in people's stories. Yeah, that's another way to do it.
Mike Gibson
Sure it is.
Mike Ferguson
Right outside of just kind of in, inside the interrogation room. A polygraph does that as well.
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Mike Ferguson
Police also questioned Egypt's ex boyfriend, Kenny Michalak. Five days before Egypt was killed, she and Kenny got into an argument at a local strawberry festival. Egypt's stepmother Kristen told Dateline that Egypt planned to tell Kenny, who wasn't Taking the breakup well, that she could no longer have him in her life because she had moved on with Curtis.
Mike Gibson
I mean, good for her, right? I mean, that's what you should do when you're in a new relationship, is, you know, in that old one.
Mike Ferguson
And be honest.
Mike Gibson
And be honest, like, hey, we had whatever we had. Good knowing you. But.
Mike Ferguson
Yeah, I don't know if. I don't know if that's the exact way I would word it. People may not take that, but to
Mike Gibson
be fair to my new relationship, I gotta let you go.
Mike Ferguson
Yeah, I mean. I mean, I think that part's fair. But I'll see you when I see you. Or whatever you said. It's a little.
Mike Gibson
I'll see you when I see you.
Mike Ferguson
But police also noted that Kenny failed the polygraph test. Kenny told police and a PI Hired by Egypt's family that on the night of the murder, he was bar hopping with friends. He returned home alone and streamed shows on his phone. Kenny also said he handed over his phone to authorities to confirm his alibi. He denied harming Egypt and said she was like family to him. And. Okay, when you fail the polygraph. Yeah, it's not good.
Mike Gibson
No.
Mike Ferguson
Doesn't help. You also, you know, this alibi. When you're home alone now, is your phone going to be able to confirm that shows were streaming? Okay, maybe. Maybe they can, you know, figure that out from your account or whatever. But you're also going to need to know exactly where that phone was, and there's going to be some more components to it.
Mike Gibson
I mean, it doesn't sound like it's a solid, solid alibi.
Mike Ferguson
No, no. I mean, even if the phone was there and it somehow showed that you stream Netflix all night.
Mike Gibson
Yeah.
Mike Ferguson
Well, how do we know you were there exactly? Maybe the phone was there. Maybe the phone was just on and. And doing its thing. Now Egypt's family was divided by suspicion. In March 2018, the Van Buren Township police named Kenny as a person of interest. They noted that he was not a suspect. Police had interviewed him in the past, but were hoping he would return to speak with them about the circumstances surrounding Egypt's death. And I don't know how he couldn't be a person of interest. He's the ex, right? He apparently didn't take the breakup all that well, and he failed a polygraph.
Mike Gibson
And his alibi is not rock solid.
Mike Ferguson
Yeah, it's not rock solid. Egypt's mother, Tina, was convinced Kenny was not involved and publicly stood by him.
Mike Gibson
Wow.
Mike Ferguson
Okay, so that's a big deal.
Mike Gibson
It is.
Mike Ferguson
But Egypt's father, Chuck, supported the direction that the police were taking.
Mike Gibson
Yeah.
Mike Ferguson
So there, there's the division, got a
Mike Gibson
little disagreement and with the family members.
Mike Ferguson
Yep. And tensions between the family and investigators rose when Lindsay Brink, the girlfriend of Egypt's brother Dwayne, launched her own investigation. She questioned suspects, asked police type questions, and called for the Michigan State Police to take over the case.
Mike Gibson
Well, that's definitely going to cause some ripples.
Mike Ferguson
Yeah. It's going to ruffle the feathers. Right. Of. Of local authorities. And, you know, we talked about it in a recent case where, you know, the family decided to launch their own investigation. That one did not work out well. But I don't think it's unusual, especially if the family, and I think this happens quite a bit. Is not 100% sure that police are doing everything they should be doing.
Mike Gibson
Yeah. I mean, it's going to have an impact on the ego of the investigators of the current case. Right. I mean, you're basically saying, you know, we appreciate what you're doing, but we don't think you're qualified.
Mike Ferguson
You're messing it up or you're not.
Mike Gibson
Yeah.
Mike Ferguson
You're not getting the results quick enough or whatever it is.
Mike Gibson
It's like being put on the bench.
Mike Ferguson
Yeah. And I think it's going to strain the relationship, and it often does. Lindsay began copying top Michigan State Police officials and all her email correspondence about the case. She also started an online petition and organized a public protest. So she kind of did more than just kind of question the police and how well they were doing. I mean, she was really railing against them.
Mike Gibson
Yeah. She didn't put a flashlight on it. She put a spotlight on it.
Mike Ferguson
Although she never knew Egypt personally, she took on this mission, according to her, because of the man that I love so dearly, Dwayne. And that's why I wanted him and her family to find justice, which. Okay, yeah, obviously she. She was newer to the family because she didn't even know Egypt. In June 2020, Egypt's family held a rally on the third anniversary of her murder, asking for the Michigan State Police to take over the investigation. Her family wanted to send the message that they would not stop applying pressure to the Van Buren Township police. Now you get three years on. I can imagine the family's frustration has grown to. Maybe it's breaking point by that time.
Mike Gibson
I mean, sometimes you need some fresh eyes coming in to look at stuff.
Mike Ferguson
Yeah. It doesn't hurt.
Mike Gibson
No.
Mike Ferguson
But as we've often talked about, you know, people, some departments, they. They really Want to hold on.
Mike Gibson
Sure.
Mike Ferguson
They don't want to let other people help. Sometimes departments turned down the help of the FBI.
Mike Gibson
The. They do. Yeah.
Mike Ferguson
Which. Which I always think is strange because the FBI has incredible resources and the amount of experience. Yeah. Yeah. And I think a lot of times it is ego. Right. We can solve this ourselves. We don't need any outside help. Egypt's brother Dwayne told Fox 2 Detroit. We're not against authority. We are against injustice. Lindsay's efforts paid off in August 2020, when the Michigan State Police took over the case. The MSP ruled Kenny Mishlak out as a suspect and soon found evidence that pointed in a new direction. They conducted a geofence search that identified phones in the area at the time of the murder. And that's fascinating technology.
Mike Gibson
And you immediately would say, well, why didn't the township police do that at that time?
Mike Ferguson
Probably because they didn't have the resources or the technology.
Mike Gibson
Yeah. And there's the difference between sometimes going with a more.
Mike Ferguson
A bigger. Yeah. I mean, obviously the. The state police are going to have more resources than a local.
Mike Gibson
For sure.
Mike Ferguson
Township police department, just like the FBI is going to have more resources than all of them. But I still don't understand it, why some departments are so hesitant to either ask or even accept help when it's offered.
Mike Gibson
I think you're always better off working together.
Mike Ferguson
But this geofence search. Right. You're not. You're not looking at one person's phone records to see where they are. You're looking for any phone in the area.
Mike Gibson
Yeah.
Mike Ferguson
That's amazing.
Mike Gibson
It's going to give you a pool of phones and you can figure out what you want to do with it from there.
Mike Ferguson
Detective James Plummer determined that one of those phones was in Egypt's house at the time police believe she was killed. The phone was linked to Shandon Groom, an Ohio man with no obvious connection to Egypt. Surveillance footage showed Groom's blue truck pulling into a convenience store near her duplex around the time of the murder. So, you know, you can say what you want about the family. You know, should they have railed so hard against the. The local police department? You can say what you want about the local police department, but there's no denying the fact that the state police kind of broke this thing once they got their hands on it.
Mike Gibson
Yeah. Seems like it didn't take them very long.
Mike Ferguson
No. So, I mean, that part is kind of undeniable. According to NBC, while geofencing is a useful tool for law enforcement, its future is Uncertain. You know, it allows law enforcement to gather anonymous location data for anyone whose location history is turned on and is in a designated area during a designated time. According to Google, this setting is off by default.
Mike Gibson
I mean, look, is it a perfect tool? No, but it's a tool.
Mike Ferguson
Yeah.
Mike Gibson
Right. It's a tool that if you can access that information, it may or may not help at all. But in this case, it seems like it might be helping.
Mike Ferguson
Well, it's one of those tools where you can't exclude people.
Mike Gibson
Yeah.
Mike Ferguson
Because if the killer had their location turned off, they wouldn't show up. So just because your phone wasn't there, you can't exclude somebody. But it could help identify an individual, and seems like that's kind of what it did here. Investigators use the data to identify and track a potential suspect's movements in or around a crime scene. Google is the main recipient of most geofence warrants. In December 2023, Google announced that throughout 2024 changes would be introduced. So users location data is unavailable to Google.
Mike Gibson
They probably got tired of getting all
Mike Ferguson
those warrants or people thought it was an invasion of privacy. I mean, there are a lot of things that people think are an invasion of privacy. I don't like the fact that I search for something on Google and then the next time I go on YouTube, the very first ad I see is what. Is exactly what I just searched for. Of course.
Mike Gibson
So just sitting here, if we talked about something with our phones here.
Mike Ferguson
Yeah.
Mike Gibson
You'd go in and you see it. But, you know, talking about, you know, the. This geo.
Mike Ferguson
Fencing.
Mike Gibson
Fencing here. I mean, you see when you pull up something and it says, do you want to use this app only when the app is open all the time? Sometimes.
Mike Ferguson
Never.
Mike Gibson
Never. Yeah. I mean, when you say when the app is open or all the time, you're. You're allowing this to happen.
Mike Ferguson
Well, there's pros and cons, Right. I like the fact that I can track my. My girls and see where they are at any point, especially if they're out going somewhere at night or they're going, you know, why are you traveling to the bar?
Mike Gibson
I still don't understand that. Yeah.
Mike Ferguson
That's why I put you on my cell phone plan. So I know exactly where you are at all times.
Mike Gibson
I do like that because it doesn't cost me.
Mike Ferguson
And that's how I know how ready I have to be. Do I have 5 minutes notice or 30 minutes notice of. Of Givi being able to be in my perimeter?
Mike Gibson
Yeah.
Mike Ferguson
Google reported that they received the first request for geofence data in 2016. By 2020, they had more than 11,000 requests.
Mike Gibson
Wow.
Mike Ferguson
Google insisted that authorities obtain a warrant if they wanted the data. And the company developed a multi step process for investigators to follow. So it might be exactly what you said. It just became too much. Yeah. At some point. According to Adam Scott, want, an official associate professor of criminal justice interviewed by NBC, the geofencing technique offers details similar to a cell tower ping. The difference is that Google's data, which users previously agreed to provide when they agreed to conditions of using the company services, appeared more accurate. And that's, that's very interesting.
Mike Gibson
Yes, it is.
Mike Ferguson
That information was stored on a massive database that was searchable and accessible to law enforcement, according to court records that describe the warrant process. The process begins with an anonymized data and may end up with a suspect identification. In Egypt's case, a Van Buren Township detective obtained data from a geofence warrant in 2020, but the agency discounted it because it came from a phone that didn't belong to a person of interest. Oh, so that kind of debunks our theory.
Mike Gibson
Yeah.
Mike Ferguson
Right. Because they did have the technology they were able to, to get it. They just didn't put any stock into it because it didn't fit the people they were looking at.
Mike Gibson
Yeah. Yeah.
Mike Ferguson
And that's the, that's the exact problem with tunnel vision. Right. You'd have to call that tunnel vision, because instead of letting the evidence lead you to a conclusion, you're trying to find evidence to fit the people you think did it.
Mike Gibson
Right. You can't think that way.
Mike Ferguson
No, that's, that's the wrong way to do it. According to Detective James Plummer, they had it and they just never looked into it because they were so focused on the wrong person.
Mike Gibson
Yeah. Like you said, tunnel vision.
Mike Ferguson
Because geofence warrants require considerable manpower and analysis, they're often reserved for serious crimes, and obviously this is a very serious crime. For example, detectives investigating the Idaho College murders relied on a similar technique.
Mike Gibson
Yeah. As we talked about when we did that case, I don't know, a month, two months ago.
Mike Ferguson
It's been a while ago.
Mike Gibson
Yeah.
Mike Ferguson
Civil liberties advocates described geofence warrants as dangerous and unconstitutional, unfairly casting everyone within the geofence as potential criminals. And I could see that I. I could understand how, you know, a lot of people would say, you know, this is an invasion of privacy. Yeah, I didn't do anything wrong, but because I was in the area of the, the geofence, my name is now coming up as. As part of a murder investigation cast
Mike Gibson
this net pulled me in and I don't like it.
Mike Ferguson
Yeah.
Mike Gibson
And. And my legal eagle side of me says I don't like it either.
Mike Ferguson
Yeah. I wouldn't myself. Chris Marlow, senior policy counsel with the aclu, added that this umbrella of criminal suspicion is especially dangerous if the potential suspect is a person of color. In 2024, a Google spokesperson said the company has tried to protect user privacy while supporting the work of law enforcement. To they said, we examine each demand for legal validity consistent with developing case law and we routinely push back against over broad and otherwise inappropriate demands for user data, including objecting to some demands entirely. And you know, to me, these things are very interesting. You know, technology becomes available and often it's used in a certain way that really works. But then the issue of privacy gets brought up and a lot of times it changes. You know, you think about like the genetic genealogy stuff. You know, there for a while, law enforcement was pulling stuff off all kinds of sites.
Mike Gibson
Oh, they were, yeah, yeah.
Mike Ferguson
But you know, people brought up the fact that, hey, I didn't put my stuff on ancestry for you to look through for potential crime. So some changes had to be made. And I think it's the same type of deal here in California and Virginia where geofence data was used to make an arrest. In two cases, an appeals court and a federal judge found that the technique violated the Fourth Amendment. And we mentioned it. Right. In December 2023, Google announced an overhaul to its location history policy that will move user data from the sensor vault, which is kind of their internal company database, to the user's phone. So under the new rules, if a user wants to save their location history to the cloud, we'll automatically encrypt your backed up data so no one can read it. Including Google.
Mike Gibson
Yeah. So it's protected.
Mike Ferguson
Yeah. This ended Google's ability to respond to requests for location history data.
Mike Gibson
I'm just thinking the amount of resources they would have to have at a company to respond to things like that. You'd have to have a staff of a few attorneys, you know, oh, and
Mike Ferguson
you know, obviously a lot of people just to do the searching and all that. But I, I think, you know, it was that plus coupled with the, I'm sure users crying foul. Right. About invasion of privacy. You've got a few legal opinions that are kind of saying the same thing. I can kind of understand why they went that way. In addition to geofencing data, authorities also relied on forensic evidence in this case back in 2017, authorities pulled three genetic profiles from the Christmas lights used to bind Egypt's hands. One profile belonged to Egypt, but the other two came from unknown sources. The samples weren't strong enough to create a complete DNA profile to run through the CODIS database in 2017. But by 2020, there had been advances.
Mike Gibson
Yeah.
Mike Ferguson
As we know, that allowed the development of a more complete profile. And, you know, you think two, three years. That's not that long. It goes by pretty quickly. Two or three years in the world of DNA advancements. Oh, my gosh. That's like, you know, what did they. I think maybe they still say it, but computers get more powerful. They like, double every so many years.
Mike Gibson
Right.
Mike Ferguson
They've said that for ever since computers came out. And I think it's. It's pretty true. I think something similar happens with, with DNA. It's like every year there are advancements that allow them to do more than they could before with DNA.
Mike Gibson
Yeah. And then you think about, okay, so what does that mean? Where are we going to be at five years from now?
Mike Ferguson
Yeah.
Mike Gibson
Ten years from now. Wow.
Mike Ferguson
It'd be like Minority Report. There's going to be that one of those red balls that comes out that.
Mike Gibson
Yes.
Mike Ferguson
Tells you a murder is about to happen. I don't know if we'll ever get to that point. But now, one of the samples matched Tim Moore, an Ohio man with a criminal record who knew Shandon Groom. More cell phone data showed that on the night of the murder, he and Groom stopped at the home of Shane Evans, Moore's half brother. On November 5, 2020, the Michigan State Police announced two arrests, but they didn't identify the suspects at the time. Tim Moore was identified as the first suspect later that month after his arraignment. The second suspect, Shane Evans, was identified after his arraignment on December 18th. And then on December 31st, Shandon Groom was identified as the third suspect.
Mike Gibson
I mean, the family has to be really happy.
Mike Ferguson
Yeah. Happy that they're close to getting justice.
Mike Gibson
Yeah.
Mike Ferguson
Right. For. For Egypt. Groom was charged with first degree murder, felony murder, first degree home invasion, and three counts of felony firearm. Timothy Moore was charged with first degree murder, felony murder, first degree home invasion, possessing a firearm as a felon, and four counts of using a firearm in the commission of a felony. Shane Evans was also charged with felony murder and first degree home invasion. So I thought it was interesting that, you know, Shandon Groom kind of seemed to be the first person that police locked in on.
Mike Gibson
Yeah.
Mike Ferguson
With the geofencing information. But he was actually the. The third person arrested. There were two people identified before he was.
Mike Gibson
Yeah.
Mike Ferguson
And then a fourth person was arrested. That individual was later fatally shot in Toledo, Ohio. They were never identified by the media in connection with Egypt's murder.
Mike Gibson
You know, you think about these three guys that they probably thought, man, we're good. We're not going to be caught. Yeah.
Mike Ferguson
Because it's years later.
Mike Gibson
Yeah. Now all of a sudden, knock, knock on your door.
Mike Ferguson
And I always think about that. Right. When you've committed a heinous murder, what. What's it like? Are you always looking over your shoulder? Do you have that feeling that it's just a matter of time? Yeah. Or does every knock on the door kind of spooky? And think where you think, well, this could be the police. I don't know. Maybe for some people. Other people just don't think about it.
Mike Gibson
Right.
Mike Ferguson
Because they didn't think about the murder in the first place. Probably. Investigators learned that Shane Evans lived down the street from Egypt and worked for the company that cut her lawn. He had been cutting the grass outside the duplex the day before the murder. Evans was hanging out with Moore and groom in June 2017 when they decided they wanted to steal marijuana from Egypt's neighbor. Evans knew that the residents who lived on that side of the duplex had a business growing medical marijuana and that they were headed out of town for a music festival. Before she was killed, Egypt was concerned about the clientele that the business attracted, and she was planning on moving. Evans confessed that he agreed to drive down the street and point to the duplex so that Moore and Groom, who were following him in their truck, could rob the home while the neighbors were away. Bevin said he didn't want to participate in the crime. He said in his interview, I put my hand out the window, and I pointed. That's the right house. The right house. And I kept going. He also claimed he explained which door they needed to enter. Investigators determined that Moore and Groom mistakenly went to the left side of the duplex where Egypt lived, not the right side. They found Egypt walk watching a movie. They tied her up and shot her. They could have left her alive and gone through with the robbery. But according to Daeline, Moore was on parole for a crime in which a female witness identified him. He didn't want to leave another witness
Mike Gibson
behind, so he killed her.
Mike Ferguson
And we've heard that, yeah, about killers. You know, they start killing after. Let's say, they had a history of sexual assault or robbery or whatever it was, and they were identified by somebody. And they later came out and said that the reason they started killing is because they didn't want to take that chance.
Mike Gibson
Yeah.
Mike Ferguson
Of being identified again. Moore later texted Evans, wrong door. Evans didn't remember replying and claimed he found out about Egypt's death. When he saw the news, he told the police. Moore was like, do you want to know what happened? And I said, nope, I don't ever want to know what happened. In March 2021, a judge bound the three defendants over for trial. Prosecutors presented cell phone and GPS records that placed all three men at the crime scene. They also stole Egypt's cell phone, which pinged to the same locations as their phones before they threw it away.
Mike Gibson
Just not the smartest individual.
Mike Ferguson
No, we're not talking about criminal masterminds now. They were criminals, but they weren't all that smart about it. According to court testimony, Egypt was friends with the person who lived on the other side and would often leave the interior door open so they could go back and forth. Her neighbor kept marijuana in his home, was a licensed caregiver, and had talked about this on local programs. His home had been burglarized prior to the murder, and marijuana had been stolen.
Mike Gibson
So not uncommon.
Mike Ferguson
No. And I guess if you're going to go on a local show and advertise the fact that you grow marijuana in your home, you might be setting yourself up for a burglary or even worse. In the past, Egypt and her neighbor had attended a musical festival each June. The neighbor went to the festival in June 2017, but Egypt chose not to go because of her new job. The prosecution also noted that Tim Moore's DNA was found at the crime scene. Now, his defense attorney argued that that there was insufficient evidence and police failed to thoroughly investigate. She noted that Moore was in a car crash 10 days prior to the incident, which made him incapable of committing the crime within the four to five minute window offered by investigators.
Mike Gibson
I mean, that's what their theory is.
Mike Ferguson
Yeah. I mean, I. Again, is that proven medically, or is that just something the defense is trying to throw out there? Defense attorney Christina Joseph said is quoted by Ann Arbor News. The prosecution is saying a person with broken ribs who had a neck brace from a very serious accident ten days before was able to remove Christmas lights from a curtain rod, figure out where to go in the home, tie an individual up, find a cushion, shoot the person, and get out of the home in four to five minutes. The timeline is too tight.
Mike Gibson
I don't know if I agree with that.
Mike Ferguson
Yeah, I don't know. I mean, I think you can make the argument, you know, four to five minutes is not a lot of time.
Mike Gibson
No, but it, it could be enough time to do all that.
Mike Ferguson
Yeah, I, I don't, I don't know that it couldn't be done. I would say it's tight, though. Prosecutor Victoria Shackelford countered the argument that a crime like this can't happen in four to five minutes. It's too brief of a time. I'm certain Egypt Covington would have disagreed with that. Yeah, I'm certain those four to five minutes of her life felt like an eternity. And I think it's a good comeback. Right. By the, the prosecution. On April 7, 2023, Shane Evans pleaded guilty to second degree murder. As part of his plea, he agreed to testify against Groom and more at their upcoming trial.
Mike Gibson
There you go.
Mike Ferguson
And you talk about it all the time. Right. Who's the first person who's going to make a deal? That person is usually going to come out smelling like a roach.
Mike Gibson
Absolutely.
Mike Ferguson
They're going to get the most favorable treatment now. They're going to be required to testify against another person or other people, however many people are involved in the crime. But they're going to get a better deal.
Mike Gibson
Yeah. I mean, the loyalty during something like this doesn't pan out, you know. No, this is not back in the early days of the Mafia where no one ever spoke. You know, it's,
Mike Ferguson
I think for these people, a lot of times it's how do I cover my own ass?
Mike Gibson
Yes.
Mike Ferguson
And if that means I got to rat other people out, that's what I got to do because I not spending the rest of my life in jail. No, I don't blame them at all now. I do blame them for what they did for the crime. I don't, I don't blame them for cutting a deal because that's in their best interest. It's also in the best interest though, of the prosecution because now you have this testimony against the other two. It's just going to make your case that much more solid.
Mike Gibson
And you have to think that prosecution's probably talking to each and every one of them and who, you know, whoever says I'll do it, you know, wins. I mean, you really have to react pretty quickly. If you're going to sit back on something like that, you're probably going to lose out.
Mike Ferguson
Yeah. I think though, that Evans was the best person to go after because he really pointed he didn't go in.
Mike Gibson
Yeah.
Mike Ferguson
And so, yeah, he, he's not going to get off scot free. What he did is punishable and he should be punished. But the other two people, they, you know, played a much more egregious role in the murder.
Mike Gibson
Yeah.
Mike Ferguson
So they're going to want to go after them, you know, as much as they can. So they're going to cut Evans a better deal. No doubt about it. On May 4, 2023, Shane Evans received a 15 to 25 year prison sentence. Although Shane said he didn't want to participate in the crime, Egypt's father, Chuck Covington said at sentencing, per Fox to Detroit, he struck the match which led to the fire that extinguished her.
Mike Gibson
That's a perfect way to say that.
Mike Ferguson
It is. You know, there, there is something to be said about pulling the trigger or striking the fatal blow. Being in the apartment, tying up, being a part of all that. But there's also something to be said for the person who is kind of the instigator.
Mike Gibson
Yeah.
Mike Ferguson
Or the. I don't know if he's the mastermind, but I think he was at the very least, the instigator.
Mike Gibson
I mean, it's kind of like when someone hires a hitman, right? I mean.
Mike Ferguson
Yeah.
Mike Gibson
You didn't actually perform the murder, but you initiated it.
Mike Ferguson
Well, I think you can make the argument that maybe it doesn't happen.
Mike Gibson
Right.
Mike Ferguson
If not for you, I think that's
Mike Gibson
a perfect statement there.
Mike Ferguson
Chuck also pointed out that Evans didn't come forward on his own. He said year after year he did nothing. He's shown that he cannot and should not be a part of society.
Mike Gibson
That's a good point. He knew what happened, but chose not to ever say anything.
Mike Ferguson
Yeah. So, you know. Yeah, he's. I don't even know if you call it doing the right thing now. He's. He's doing something that's in his best interest.
Mike Gibson
That's why he's doing it.
Mike Ferguson
That's why he's doing it. It's the only reason that he's testifying against him. I think Chuck's absolutely right. The guy didn't come forward and just say, hey, I know what happened. I'm gonna tell you. He was caught.
Mike Gibson
Yeah.
Mike Ferguson
And then he, you know, he copped the deal, plain and simple. Evans briefly addressed the court saying, I'm truly sorry from the deepest part of my heart. And again, I don't know if that means a hill of beans to the family. I really don't.
Mike Gibson
This point in the process, I don't think it would.
Mike Ferguson
I don't think it does, because first of all, you probably don't believe them.
Mike Gibson
No.
Mike Ferguson
And then secondly, you're just like, I, I don't care. I mean, what. Your words aren't doing anything for me. It's not bringing Egypt back. It's, it's not, it's just what it is, I guess. On July 14, 2023, Shandon Groom and Timothy Moore pleaded guilty to second degree murder. Days before their trial was set to begin. Egypt's family said avoiding the trial was a relief. I think for a lot of families it is. You don't want to have to hear all of the details that the prosecution is going to lay. They have to lay it all out and they have to lay it out in detail. And if you're in that courtroom, you got to hear it all.
Mike Gibson
You don't want to hear how your daughter suffered again and again and again
Mike Ferguson
and see the pictures and whatever else that they're going to have to show to the jury. Her brother Dwayne told Fox 2 Detroit, we already saw them face to face, so that check mark's done. We don't need to sit and look through all the photos and all the evidence, things like that. On October 4, 2023, Groom was sentenced to 17 to 26 years. Moore received 20 to 55 years. And I'll be honest with you, I think those two are a little light.
Mike Gibson
That's what I was thinking. You know, it seems like Groom didn't really get that bad of a sentence compared to Evans.
Mike Ferguson
Yeah, that's what I was thinking as well. Now, if Moore did the entire 55 years, okay.
Mike Gibson
Yeah.
Mike Ferguson
But if he gets out in 20, I could see where the family would have a real issue with that.
Mike Gibson
Yeah, I, I'm. Real issue. I'm not happy at all with those two.
Mike Ferguson
No. The sentencing was briefly interrupted when Moore said he felt forced into pleading when he shouldn't have after a short recess more. And his attorney said his concerns were with alleged untrue statements his co defendants made about the crime. The judge told him he could withdraw his plea and go to trial, but he declined. And you know, to be honest, we, we think those are light, but those are plea deals.
Mike Gibson
That is true.
Mike Ferguson
So, you know, you are getting a secure conviction. Yeah, there, there's not going to be any chance for appeals, which is, is a big deal. But it also means you're probably not going to get the same length of sentence that you would have if they were found guilty at trial.
Mike Gibson
And clearly the family was okay with it.
Mike Ferguson
Yeah, you know, I, I imagine normally in those situations, the prosecutor does reach out to the family. Not always. We've heard where they didn't.
Mike Gibson
Well, that's true.
Mike Ferguson
And the family was upset about it, But I would say more times than not, they're in communication with the family.
Mike Gibson
Yeah.
Mike Ferguson
And we already heard that the family was glad to not have to go through or sit through the whole trial. Anyway, so as. As we wrap this one up, you know, Egypt Covington, we talked about her in such glowing terms.
Mike Gibson
Yeah.
Mike Ferguson
I mean, everybody had nothing but just unbelievable, wonderful things to say about her. She was looking forward to moving in with her boyfriend, starting a new job. She still had those dreams of becoming a singer. Her life was cut short far too soon by these three men. Shane Evans, Timothy Moore, and Shannon Groom. And I. And go back to Evans. Right. He is the one that kind of set the whole burglary thing into motion. Now, Moore and Groom kind of made the fatal mistake when they entered the wrong apartment and shot and killed a very innocent woman. And she was a truly innocent victim who thought that, you know, she was safe in her home. That's something that I think about a lot. You know, people killed inside their home. You know, we all kind of think that home is like safety haven. It is. It's the place where you should be the safest. Unfortunately, a lot of the stories that we do kind of prove that that's not always the case.
Mike Gibson
And all this for marijuana. I mean, it's like, how much marijuana could he have had there that they might have got their hands on? Is there any amount that would justify killing somebody over? No.
Mike Ferguson
Well, then I think the prosecutor said it correctly as well. They could have just left.
Mike Gibson
Yeah, exactly. Well, wrong place. Don't have it.
Mike Ferguson
Bye. But I think, you know, Moore felt that he would rather kill this woman. Yeah. Than risk the chance that she could possibly identify him. And that's just. Man, I. I don't get it. I don't understand it.
Mike Gibson
Yeah. It's unfortunate. You know, obviously, you know, Egypt was an amazing woman and had a. I mean, the future was. Could have been anything.
Mike Ferguson
Yeah. It was bright for her. And. And, you know, you think about all the people that she touched while she was alive. Think about all the people that didn't get to experience that because she died.
Mike Gibson
Right.
Mike Ferguson
You know, extrapolate that out over the next 60, 70 years, however long she lived, she would have touched the lives of a lot more people. And that's a really sad aspect of it as well.
Mike Gibson
Well, all because some guys wanted some pot, man.
Mike Ferguson
Yeah. But that's it for our episode on Egypt. Covington and another episode of True Crime all the Time. So for Mike and Gibby, stay safe and keep your own time. Ticking. Smokey the bears Then you know why Smokey tells you when he sees you passing through. Remember, please be careful. It's the least the deep. You can do what you desire. Don't play with matches. Don't play with fire. After 80 years of learning his wildfire prevention tips, Smokey Bear lives within us all. Learn more at smokeybear. Com. And remember, only you can prevent wildfires brought to you by the USDA Forest Service, your state forester, and the Ad Council.
Release Date: April 30, 2026
Hosts: Mike Ferguson & Mike “Gibby” Gibson
This episode explores the tragic murder of Egypt Covington, an aspiring singer and vibrant presence in her Michigan community, who was killed in her home in 2017. The hosts guide listeners through the details of the case—from Egypt’s background and the initial investigation, to years of stalled police work, the power of advocacy from her family, and, ultimately, the breakthrough that led to the killers’ arrests and convictions. The episode balances profound empathy for the victim and her family with a deep dive into law enforcement techniques, including the controversial use of geofencing technology.
Early Life and Interests
Her Impact
Relationships and Work
Events Leading Up to the Murder
Crime Scene Details
Family Grief
Early Suspects
Family Rift
Egypt’s mother Tina believed in Kenny’s innocence; her father Chuck supported police focus on him.
Tensions rose when Lindsay Brink (Dwayne’s girlfriend) began her own investigation, demanding Michigan State Police (MSP) takeover (20:11).
Quote (21:44):
“She didn’t put a flashlight on it. She put a spotlight on it.” – Mike Gibson on Lindsay’s activism
Three Years of Stalemate
Geofencing: New Technology, New Leads (23:48–27:04)
DNA Technology
Missed Opportunities
Shane Evans, who did yard work at Egypt’s duplex, gave his accomplices (Moore and Groom) directions to rob her neighbor, a registered marijuana grower.
The assailants broke into the wrong unit—Egypt’s.
Evans claimed he only pointed out the house and did not enter; Moore and Groom tied Egypt and killed her to avoid a witness (Moore had previously been caught due to witness identification).
Quote (40:26):
“He didn’t want to leave another witness behind, so he killed her.” – Mike Ferguson on Moore’s motive
Prosecution’s Strategy
All three men ultimately pleaded guilty: Shane Evans to second-degree murder, Groom and Moore to second-degree murder.
Evans testified against the others, receiving the lightest sentence.
Quote (47:07):
“He struck the match which led to the fire that extinguished her.” – Chuck Covington about Evans’ role (read by Mike Ferguson)
Sentences
Shane Evans: 15–25 years (45:46)
Shandon Groom: 17–26 years (50:20)
Timothy Moore: 20–55 years
The hosts question whether these sentences reflect the severity of the crime and echo potential family disappointment.
Quote (50:20):
“I think those two are a little light... if Moore gets out in 20, I could see where the family would have a real issue with that.” – Mike Ferguson
Family Relief vs. Justice
Loss and Impact
Hosts reflect on Egypt’s legacy as a loving, joyful person whose life was senselessly cut short due to a robbery gone awry.
The randomness and cruelty of the crime brings home the vulnerability that even our safest spaces can be violated.
Quote (54:16):
“She would have touched the lives of a lot more people. And that’s a really sad aspect of it as well.” – Mike Ferguson
On Motive
“It didn’t matter if you knew her for 10 years or 10 minutes. You wanted to be with her... she made everybody feel so good about themselves.”
– Egypt’s friend (03:39)
“He struck the match which led to the fire that extinguished her.”
– Chuck Covington (47:07)
“All because some guys wanted some pot, man.”
– Mike Gibson (54:43)