Summary of Offense:
Born on November 23, 1971 and sentenced to death in the City of Norfolk on April 1, 2005.
Anthony B. Juniper was sentenced to death for four capital murders committed on January 16, 2004, in Norfolk: Keshia Stephens; her brother Rueben Harrison III; and two of her daughters, Nykia Stephens, 4; and Shearyia Stephens, 2.
Juniper and Keshia Stephens had been having a rocky relationship for two years. A witness who drove Juniper to Keshia’s second-floor apartment said she later heard the two arguing, with Keshia saying, “’I told you I’m not seeing anybody but you.’”
The witness said as she drove from the apartment she heard four booms that she believed were gunshots.
The first police officers on the scene found the apartment door kicked in. Nykia’s body was lying across her uncle’s on the bed in the master bedroom. Shearyria’s body was lying across Keshia’s body on the floor beside the bed.
Keshia was stabbed in the abdomen, then shot three times in the torso and grazed by a fourth bullet. Sheryia was shot four times, including once the head, while in her mother’s arms.
Nykia was shot once behind the left ear and the bullet left her body through her chest. Rueben Harrison was shot three times, including one bullet that hit his pelvis and ricocheted into his abdomen, liver, heart and lung.
All of the bullets were fired from the same 9mm semi-automatic handgun that was never recovered. A knife blade found at the scene had a thumbprint matching Juniper’s and DNA on the knife and a cigarette butt found at the scene also matched.
A witness saw Juniper in the apartment with a white substance on his face and holding an automatic pistol. A Hampton Roads Regional Jail inmate testified that Juniper said he committed the murders and that he killed the children so there would be no witnesses.
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