Disclaimer: This article contains mentions of murder. Reader discretion is advised.
The upcoming episode of Mean Girl Murders, titled “Straight A Killer,” will air on ID on Monday, April 22, 2024, at 9 p.m. ET. It will delve into the fatal stabbing of Danyna Gibson by Tanaya Lewis in a classroom at the Fitzgerald High School in Warren, Michigan.
Danyna Gibson died on September 12, 2018, after Tanaya Lewis stabbed her with a kitchen steak knife in a classroom at their school. There were 20-30 students, as well as a teacher, in the classroom when the stabbing occurred. The school authorities reportedly performed CPR on her before the paramedics arrived. ABC News reported that she was rushed to St. John Macomb-Oakland Hospital, where she succumbed to her injuries.
The violent confrontation was the result of a love triangle between Gibson, Lewis, and another male student. This reportedly angered Lewis and pushed her to kill Gibson in what was proved to be premeditated murder since she carried the steak knife to school that day. Independent reported that following the murder, the school authorities worked closely with the police to prevent such instances in the future.
Aside from being a straight-A student, Gibson was reportedly an athlete. According to Fox 2, she was aspiring to pursue a computer engineering profession. Danyna Gibson was 16 years old at the time of the murder, while Tanaya Lewis was 17. Neither of the girls had any history of causing trouble in school and were known to be bright students.
What did Danyna Gibson’s autopsy reveal?
Having chased Gibson with a knife around the classroom, Lewis reportedly stabbed her four times. Two of the stabs were to her chest and two to her back. One of the stabs hit her heart, and one of her lungs was punctured because of the stabs. The autopsy established the cause of Danyna’s death as multiple stab wounds. The death was ruled a homicide and was announced to be the first one in a Macomb County School, reported Detroit Free Press.
Tanaya Lewis was convicted of premeditated first-degree murder after she pleaded guilty to killing Danyna Gibson. She made this plea after a deal promised that she would be given an opportunity for parole later. The prosecution did not argue and demanded a life sentence without parole. They had been considering Tanaya’s age and her inability to understand the gravity of her crime, per CBS News.
A separate report from the Detroit Free Press mentioned that Tanaya Lewis was sentenced to 27 to 60 years in prison for the murder of Danyna Gibson. At the time of the sentencing, Lewis had already spent 735 days in prison, which were taken into account. The court then prevented her from having contact with Danyna’s family. Moreover, it was established that premeditation was evident since she brought a knife to school and also chased Gibson before stabbing her, reported Independent.
The upcoming episode of Mean Girl Murders will air on Monday, April 22, 2024, at 9 p.m. ET.
