Yetunde Price
Encyclopedia
Yetunde Hawanya Tara Price (August 9, 1972 – September 14, 2003) was the elder half-sister and personal assistant to leading tennis players Venus Williams
and Serena Williams
. At the time of her death, she was 31 years old, the eldest of their mother Oracene Price's
five daughters and mother of three children, a registered nurse and owner of a beauty salon. Price came into the public eye when she was the victim of murder by shooting on September 14, 2003, in Compton
, in Los Angeles County, California
, known for its history of gang violence. She was shot in the head while riding in an SUV driven by her boyfriend (whom police reported was the intended victim) and died at Long Beach Memorial Medical Center
.
Compton rapper Game's song "Dreams" is dedicated to her memory, as it states at the end of the track.
Southside Crips
gang member Robert Edward Maxfield, 25, pleaded no contest to voluntary manslaughter
on March 22, 2006, the day before his third trial for the killing was scheduled to start. The first two trials ended in a mistrial after jurors were unable to reach a verdict
. Prosecutors alleged during trial that Maxfield, surrounded by fellow gang members at a crack
house, seized a firearm
and took aim at the SUV when it approached. On April 6, 2006, Judge Steven Suzukawa sentenced Maxfield to 15 years in prison.
Venus Williams
Venus Ebony Starr Williams is an American professional tennis player who is a former World No. 1 and is ranked World No. 101 as of 10 October 2011 in singles and World No. 20 in doubles as of 2011. She has been ranked World No. 1 in singles by the Women's Tennis Association on three separate...
and Serena Williams
Serena Williams
Serena Jameka Williams is an American professional tennis player and a former world no. 1. The Women's Tennis Association has ranked her world no. 1 in singles on five separate occasions. She became the world no. 1 for the first time on July 8, 2002 and regained this ranking for the fifth time on...
. At the time of her death, she was 31 years old, the eldest of their mother Oracene Price's
Oracene Price
Oracene Price is an American tennis coach. She is best known for being the mother of Venus and Serena Williams, top professional tennis players. She is the former wife of Richard Williams, whom she divorced in 2002. As a coach and parent, she has regularly been called unflappable and...
five daughters and mother of three children, a registered nurse and owner of a beauty salon. Price came into the public eye when she was the victim of murder by shooting on September 14, 2003, in Compton
Compton, California
Compton is a city in southern Los Angeles County, California, United States, southeast of downtown Los Angeles. The city of Compton is one of the oldest cities in the county and on May 11, 1888, was the eighth city to incorporate. The city is considered part of the South side by residents of Los...
, in Los Angeles County, California
Los Angeles County, California
Los Angeles County is a county in the U.S. state of California. As of 2010 U.S. Census, the county had a population of 9,818,605, making it the most populous county in the United States. Los Angeles County alone is more populous than 42 individual U.S. states...
, known for its history of gang violence. She was shot in the head while riding in an SUV driven by her boyfriend (whom police reported was the intended victim) and died at Long Beach Memorial Medical Center
Long Beach Memorial Medical Center
Long Beach Memorial Medical Center is a hospital in Long Beach, California.It was established as Seaside Hospital in 1907. Incorporated as Seaside Memorial Hospital on June 23, 1937...
.
Compton rapper Game's song "Dreams" is dedicated to her memory, as it states at the end of the track.
Southside Crips
Crips
The Crips are a primarily, but not exclusively, African American gang. They were founded in Los Angeles, California, in 1969 mainly by Raymond Washington and Stanley Williams...
gang member Robert Edward Maxfield, 25, pleaded no contest to voluntary manslaughter
Voluntary Manslaughter
Voluntary manslaughter is the killing of a human being in which the offender had no prior intent to kill and acted during "the heat of passion," under circumstances that would cause a reasonable person to become emotionally or mentally disturbed. In the Uniform Crime Reports prepared by the...
on March 22, 2006, the day before his third trial for the killing was scheduled to start. The first two trials ended in a mistrial after jurors were unable to reach a verdict
Hung jury
A hung jury or deadlocked jury is a jury that cannot, by the required voting threshold, agree upon a verdict after an extended period of deliberation and is unable to change its votes due to severe differences of opinion.- England and Wales :...
. Prosecutors alleged during trial that Maxfield, surrounded by fellow gang members at a crack
Crack cocaine
Crack cocaine is the freebase form of cocaine that can be smoked. It may also be termed rock, hard, iron, cavvy, base, or just crack; it is the most addictive form of cocaine. Crack rocks offer a short but intense high to smokers...
house, seized a firearm
Firearm
A firearm is a weapon that launches one, or many, projectile at high velocity through confined burning of a propellant. This subsonic burning process is technically known as deflagration, as opposed to supersonic combustion known as a detonation. In older firearms, the propellant was typically...
and took aim at the SUV when it approached. On April 6, 2006, Judge Steven Suzukawa sentenced Maxfield to 15 years in prison.