The Murder of Tequila Suter

For this case, I watched an episode of See No Evil. It’s season 8 episode 9, titled ‘The White Cellphone.’

A 26-year-old woman is found dead in her apartment.

Background

Tequila Suter was just 26 years old when she was found dead. She had a strong faith, and never missed church on Sundays.

Tequila was also studying to earn her degree in criminal justice, and child psychology. She also worked as mentor to young people.

Tequila was described as having a glowing spirit, and was always making people smile, and laugh.

The Discovery

On February 14, 2015, Tequila contacted the Lackawanna, New York, police department around 3:30pm. She spoke to Detective Rodney Pietras, and told him that she was reported some suspicious transactions on her bank card. Detective Pietras told Tequila that he would check out the transactions the following Monday.

On February 16, 2015, a Sunday, Tequila’s friend arrived at her apartment to pick her up for church. She knocked on the door, but there was no answer. It wasn’t like Tequila to miss church, so her friend called her brother, who worked for Tequila’s landlord.

The brother knocked on the door, and let himself in when there was still no answer. He then called 911, to come to 29 Wilkesbarre. He told the dispatcher that Tequila was lying on the floor, and that there was blood everywhere.

The Investigation

Tequila was lying face down in her bedroom. The pool of blood had dried, but it was apparent that Tequila had been stabbed multiple times. Her autopsy revealed that she was stabbed 39 times in the neck area.

The police did a luminol test, and the place lit up. There was blood in Tequila’s bathroom, all over the tub, floor, and walls. The killer had obviously tried to clean up the scene before they fled.

The police canvassed the area for witnesses and surveillance cameras. There was a health center next door to the apartment, however, the angle didn’t show Tequila’s front door. It was a dead end.

The Boyfriend

The police learned that Tequila had been dating a man named Damoni Hall. He was brought in for questioning. Damoni was described as church going, and appeared normal, and polite.

Damoni told the police that he had been at church when he learned of Tequila’s death. He said he had just been with her the previous afternoon, and left around 5pm. He said that he and Tequila had been fighting, and were on the verge of a breakup. Damoni told her that he would be back the next day to grab the rest of his things. Tequila was apparently talking on her white Samsung Galaxy phone when he left.

The police asked Damoni where he went after leaving Tequila’s. Damoni said he went to the Trade Mart store, called a friend to get a ride to the bus station, and then went to his friend Latifa’s home, where he spent the night.

The Surveillance Footage

After Damoni left the police station, the police got to work. They obtained the surveillance footage from the several places Damoni said he had been.

Damoni can be seen walking into the Trade Mart store. He’s wearing a dark colored jacket, and hat. He’s also carrying a black backpack, and white plastic bag. (More on that later!)

Damoni appears calm, and can be seen talking to other people in the store. He purchased his items, and left.

By this point, the police started to believe that Damoni had taken Tequila’s cellphone. The Samsung phone hadn’t been found at the crime scene.

The police obtained the surveillance footage from the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority (NFTA). It had eight cameras in total, some were on the inside, and some on the outside.

Damoni can be seen on the bus. He appears normal, but during certain points, he pulls the white plastic bag towards him. He also can be seen texting on his black cellphone. At one point, Damoni pulls out another item, that the police believed was Tequila’s white cellphone. The footage was blurry, so they didn’t know for sure.

Damoni gets off the bus in the area that he said had been in. He then walked a block to his friend Latifa’s home.

The Plastic Bag

The police spoke to Damoni’s friend Latifa, and her cousin, who had also been at the home. They corroborated Damoni’s story, and said he left at noon on Sunday.

The police asked Latifa if Damoni had been carrying a white plastic bag. Latifa said no, Damoni had a black backpack, and two cellphones with him. One phone was white, and one was black. The cousin’s story was the exact same.

Damoni was brought in for a second interview. He was confronted about the cell phone and plastic bag. Damoni told the police that he had found a second cellphone near the bus stop. He said he picked it up, but had since gotten rid of it.

After Damoni continued to deny that he was involved, he asked for a lawyer. The police then went to search for that white plastic bag. In the back of Latifa’s yard, an officer found the bag in a garbage can.

Inside the bag, was a mop head, a woman’s jacket, men’s clothing, and two knives. All items were soaked in blood. The blood was tested, and came back as mixture of Damoni and Tequila’s blood.

The Conviction

Damoni Hall was arrested, and charged with second degree murder.

Those closest to Tequila, said that they had met Damoni, and that he seemed so nice. One friend said that he had a dark side that no one but Tequila had seen.

The prosecution and police believed that Damoni had been the one who stole money from Tequila. On the day of the murder, they fought over the money, and their possible break up. Damoni then stabbed Tequila, tried to clean up, and took the evidence with him.

In 2015, Damoni pleaded guilty to second degree murder. He was sentenced to 20 years to life.

FINAL THOUGHTS

I guess Damoni believed that he would get in trouble for stealing money from Tequila. Tequila reported it to the police, and sadly, they didn’t look into the transactions until it was too late. I’m not blaming the police per say, it’s just tragic.

Tequila seemed like a kind, caring person, and her life was cut short. Damoni deserves to spend the rest of his life in prison. The crime was so brutal, so I believe that many are safer with him behind bars.

Sources

https://www.wivb.com/news/crime/murderer-guilty-of-stabbing-girlfriend-39-times-sentenced/

https://www2.erie.gov/da/index.php?q=domestic-violence-homicide-case-prosecuted-fullest-extent-law

https://www.wkbw.com/news/police-blotter/man-admits-stabbing-former-girlfriend-39-times

https://spectrumlocalnews.com/nys/buffalo/news/2015/01/30/damoni-hall-sentenced