The parents of a Tennessee graduate who was sexually assaulted before being killed in the bathtub of her apartment are demanding justice for the death of their daughter.
On July 9, cops found 19-year-old Aaliyah Kyles dead with many gunshot wounds, naked in the bathtub of her Memphis home around 3 am.
Investigators say the 17-year-old suspect donned an all-black outfit, reportedly sneaking in through a window and fleeing from the Hickory Hill apartment complex after he fired the shots.
RELATED STORIES
READ ALSO: Quintuplet who weighed 8 ounces and was world’s 2nd smallest baby finally goes home
‘The suspect admitted to breaking into her apartment, sexually assaulting her, and fatally shooting her,’ a statement written by Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy read.
Mulroy has requested that the suspect accused of sexually assaulting and killing Kyles be tried as an adult after he was arrested and charged with first-degree murder and rape last week.
‘The differences between juvenile and adult consequences for the same crimes can be vast,’ Mulroy wrote.
‘That said, the victim, Aaliyah Kyles, was a teenager too with a promising life ahead of her…Seeking justice for Aaliyah and her family warrants this request.’
READ ALSO: Babysitter arrested for killing boyfriend’s toddler, leaving horrific message in blood
The parents of the victim say the death of their daughter could have been prevented, claiming the apartment complex’s wayward security measures contributed to the fatal break-in.
They have decided to sue the company that owns The Boulevard Apartments, where their daughter lived, and also the site’s property manager and security company.
Montina and Anthony Kyles have filed a $30 million lawsuit seeking compensatory and punitive damages, according to WREG.
The parents allege that the property was not properly secured, though they knew they had an extensive history of homicides, robberies and assaults.
READ ALSO: Family heartbroken as girl, 9, dies after routine dentist surgery
“We’re learning he (the suspect) biked onto the property. He had easy access to the property and broke into her home,” the family’s lawyer Esperanza King told WREG.
‘This apartment complex seems to be the epicenter of crime in the Hickory Hill area.’
The complaint alleges a “complete lack of security measures” at The Boulevard and Parkway Apartments, citing inadequate fencing and gates.
Between July 2019 and July 2024, the complexes saw five homicides, 85 aggravated assaults, 224 assaults, 54 burglaries, and 28 weapons violations.
According to reports, more than 300 police reports, including three homicides, have been filed since July 2024.
Aaliyah Kyles was described as determined and hardworking, murdered at only 19, and her grieving parents remember her as their “everything.”
“It has been hard for us, it has been so hard”, Anthony Kyles said.
READ ALSO: Woman whose husband died of cancer urges people to be aware of ‘unusual symptoms’
A GoFundMe organized on behalf of the grieving family was put in place to honor her memory, as it highlights her work at Chick-fil-A since 2023.
