Shurvonn Laketa Chizzy Byrd, 40, was found dead on January 11, 2024, in a friend’s home in West Portsmouth, Ohio. Her mother discovered the body covered in blood and called emergency services. Deputies detained 73-year-old Danny Vanhoose, described as a longtime family friend, at the scene; he was arrested after witness interviews and charged with aggravated murder, a first-degree felony, then held without bond.

The Scioto County Sheriff’s Office worked with the Ohio Attorney General’s Bureau of Criminal Investigation to process the scene. Byrd’s body was sent to the Montgomery County Coroner’s Office for autopsy. A Scioto County grand jury later returned two counts of aggravated murder against Vanhoose; authorities said the investigation is ongoing and additional charges may follow.

Byrd was born September 9, 1983, in Portsmouth and is survived by her parents Rick Grooms and Erika Byrd Gammon; stepfather William Sadler Jr.; two sons, Devon Jared Phillips and Jonah James Phillips; a brother, Blue Byrd; a sister, Brettney Byrd; and a half-sister, Mindy Grooms. A memorial service took place January 26, 2024, at Roger W. Davis Funeral Home in West Portsmouth.

If anyone has information about Byrd’s death, contact Detective Sergeant Jodi Conkel at 740-351-1091.