He Kept Threatening Her — Then Shot Her and Drove Off With Their Son
“Raven was always like a second mother to us for a long time. Raven protected me. She’s the kind of person that when she walks in the room, everything just lights up. But you see that she smiles with her eyes. Her light is powerful.”
Those words were spoken by a grieving sister, standing in the shadow of a loss that should never have happened. On February 11th, 2026, at 4:39 in the afternoon, officers responded to the 4100 block of W Street Northwest in Washington, D.C. When they got there, they found thirty-four-year-old Raven Amuan Edwards—a woman fighting kidney failure and undergoing dialysis every single day just to be present for her three children—had been struck multiple times in her own courtyard.
Despite every effort made at the scene, Raven did not survive. Her ten-year-old daughter was wounded. Her three-year-old son was nowhere to be found.
“I tell you, she never did anything to anyone. You couldn’t even get her to say nothing bad. It’s been an ongoing situation with the gentleman. Just been a constant struggle with me trying to help her till she could get to a place where she would just be okay.”
The part that makes this even harder to process is that the person responsible was someone Raven had reportedly known since second grade. Her ex, thirty-five-year-old Stefan Marque Jeter.
“It’s been an ongoing situation with him threatening her, wishing her death, taking keys to her apartment. We’ve had to pay to change locks.”
Raven Amuan Edwards was born in Washington, D.C. She grew up surrounded by her parents, siblings, and a close-knit family. Her mother was Ivonne Lucy Edwards, and her father was Raymond Allen Washington Jr. The bond between Raven and her mother ran deeper than most people could fully understand from the outside.
Raven attended the District of Columbia Public School system and graduated from Young America Works Public Charter School in June 2009. Her senior year, however, came with something that changed the course of her life entirely. At just seventeen years old, Raven was diagnosed with lupus—a chronic autoimmune disease that her body carried from that point forward.
The same year Raven received that diagnosis, she was crowned prom queen. She got news that would have broken most people, but still showed up fully for life.
After graduation, she continued her education at the University of the District of Columbia, majoring in theater arts. She also completed extensive coursework in early childhood development, which reflected how deeply she cared about children and learning. By the fall of 2025, Raven’s lupus had progressed to a critical stage. Both of her kidneys had failed completely, and she was placed on daily dialysis treatments and added to a kidney transplant waiting list.
The illness made it impossible for her to maintain traditional employment. So she took on flexible work when her body allowed it. Because of her medical condition, no insurance company would cover her for life insurance, leaving her family with no financial safety net whatsoever.
But even in the middle of all of that, Raven was still building. In 2025, while managing kidney failure and daily dialysis, she completed her studies as a peer case manager. That same year, she also finished writing a children’s book—a dream she had been holding on to for a long time.
Motherhood became the center of everything Raven did. She had three children: a daughter born in 2015, a son born in 2019, and a second son born in 2022. That was the child she had with Stefan Marque Jeter.
Stefan was thirty-five years old, also from Northwest Washington, D.C. According to reports, Raven and Stefan had actually been classmates as far back as second grade, though neither of them realized that until they reconnected as adults through mutual friends. That reconnection eventually led to a relationship, and together they had Raven’s youngest child.
In 2019, Stefan pleaded guilty to a federal charge: conspiracy to illegally purchase firearms in the state of Georgia and resell them on the streets of Washington, D.C. Court records show he was sentenced to five years in prison, with three years of supervised release.
By February 2026, court records also confirmed he had protective orders against him. Washington, D.C. police had responded to numerous domestic-related calls connected to his situation with Raven. By the time things kept escalating, Raven had already ended the romantic relationship with Stefan. What she wanted was for him to be a father to their son—co-parenting, civil, and nothing more.
But Stefan did not accept that.
He had been sending Raven threatening messages. Not just hostile texts, but messages wishing that she would lose her life. He took the keys to her apartment on more than one occasion, causing the family to get the locks changed repeatedly.
According to Lucy, Stefan eventually demanded to move into Raven’s apartment. Lucy had been Raven’s primary support system through all of it. The two of them were in daily contact, and Lucy carried the weight of watching her daughter navigate an increasingly dangerous situation while dealing with a body that was already under enormous strain. The family was always worried, and as the months went on, that worry grew.
Years earlier, when Raven was active on social media, her posts gave a clear picture of her beliefs while navigating the challenges. She once wrote: “The people most close to you are potentially your enemies. I learned that family and friends, jealousy.”
In another post, she shared: “God would not have allowed it unless he had a purpose. Do not just go through it, grow through it. So many changes are happening in my life, some great, some bad.” Then in another: “Refocus and stay determined.”
In the months leading up to February, Raven had reportedly been in a better place emotionally. Those who were close to her noted she had been happy and had reconnected with people who brought something genuinely positive into her life.
On February 11th, 2026, Stefan Marque Jeter went to the Park Crest Gardens Apartments at the 4100 block of W Street Northwest in Washington, D.C.’s Glover Park neighborhood. A confrontation began inside the apartment, moved into the hallway, and then spilled out into the courtyard of the building.
At 4:39 p.m., Raven Amuan Edwards was struck multiple times in that courtyard. D.C. Fire and EMS responded and did everything they could. Despite all life-saving efforts, Raven was pronounced deceased at the scene.
Raven’s ten-year-old daughter was also struck in the arm. Family members believed she was targeted because she had always stood up for her mother every single time.
“Raven Edwards was a single mother of three living with kidney failure since last fall. Her mother, Lucy, told us Raven was killed because she didn’t want to have a relationship with Jeter beyond him being a father to their son. Wounded in the shooting was Raven’s ten-year-old daughter, who was apparently targeted, they believe, because she always stood up for her mother. She’s already out of the hospital and with her younger brother who witnessed the deadly violence are staying with their father.”
After the incident, Stefan fled the scene in his black pickup truck, and he took their three-year-old son with him.
At 5:00 p.m., the Metropolitan Police Department issued an official Amber Alert for the three-year-old. Every law enforcement agency across the D.C., Maryland, and Virginia region was now looking for that black pickup truck. Officers distributed images of Stefan and his vehicle to the public immediately.
Around 6:30 that evening, members of the Prince George’s County Police Department located the suspect vehicle in Maryland and initiated a pursuit. The chase crossed from Prince George’s County back into Washington, D.C., with MPD officers joining. The vehicle crashed at 30th Street and Nash Place in Southeast D.C.
When officers reached the vehicle, Stefan Marque Jeter was found unresponsive inside. He was pronounced deceased at the scene and was transported to the office of the chief medical examiner.
But the three-year-old was not in the truck.
At some point after fleeing the scene, Stefan had stopped and dropped the toddler off at a relative’s home in Prince George’s County. Police did not initially know this, which is why the Amber Alert had already gone out. Once officers located the child safe at the relative’s home, the Amber Alert was cancelled.
Interim Police Chief Jeffrey Carroll addressed the situation that night, describing it as one of the most tragic circumstances he had ever seen and extended gratitude to the Prince George’s County Police Department for their partnership throughout the investigation.
“This is one of the most tragic circumstances I’ve ever seen. I mean, an entire family is destroyed. We have a mother who’s dead. Her children will never have their mother again. They have a father who’s deceased as well. So, this is just tragic all the way around.”
Because Stefan Jeter lost his life, there were no criminal charges filed. Raven’s ten-year-old daughter was transported to the hospital and treated for injuries. She was released and went home to recover with her father, along with her six-year-old brother. The three-year-old remained with his paternal grandmother in Prince George’s County.
The next day, February 12th, 2026, the Metropolitan Police Department released an official update confirming the full details of the incident. Neighbors who spoke publicly described what happened as unexpected. One neighbor speaking to reporters described it as a complete tragedy.
“Never expected a situation like that, that someone lost their life or has something to do with someone being hurt or even children in the matter. So it was definitely a little bit jarring. That is just another very tragic situation that had to happen. You just hope that it’s not something that becomes a norm anywhere.”
On February 14th, 2026, a GoFundMe campaign was launched to support Raven’s family. The campaign sought to cover funeral and memorial expenses, legal fees for Lucy to pursue custody of all three children, and the ongoing medical and daily needs of the kids. The campaign made it clear that because of Raven’s medical conditions, she had been unable to obtain life insurance, leaving her family with no financial protection at all.
By February 16th, the campaign had raised over twenty-nine thousand dollars toward its one-hundred-thousand-dollar goal. Currently, that number has grown to over sixty thousand dollars—a grandmother fighting through the courts just to see her grandchildren after everything this family had already been through.
On Monday, February 16th, 2026, family, friends, and community members gathered in the courtyard of the Park Crest Gardens Apartments for a candlelight vigil in her memory. Raven’s brother, Raymond, was there and spoke about what Raven meant to him and to the family.
“Raven protected me,” an emotional Raymond Edwards said, honoring his late sister. “It’s all about Raven right now. Like, we loved her. It’s going to be hard without her. I said before, Raven was the one that was going to keep us together, and Raven is bringing us together right now.”
Her sister Rain also spoke. “Raven was always like a second mother to us for a long time.”
Raven’s aunt Kathy Alston described the kind of presence Raven carried with her. “She’s the kind of person that when she walks in the room, I mean, she just—everything lights up. But you see that she smiles with her eyes. Her light is powerful.”
Raymond also gave a separate interview around this time, speaking further about his sister and the impact of her loss on the family. “But this is what Raven represented—this love, this unity. This is what she always wanted. She just wanted people to be good to each other, love each other, come together in times like this.”
Someone who was close to Raven wrote: “I want to express all the support for Lucy and her children. The event yesterday was remarkable for the love, with many people sharing kind words about Raven Edwards and her message of love, happiness, and peace. She was happy over the past few months. It’s vital for families to maintain open lines of communication and to recognize that violence is never a sign of affection.”
On March 5th, 2026, Raven Amuan Edwards was laid to rest at Northwest Community Church at 4116 16th Street Northwest in Washington, D.C. The repass followed at Capitol City Hall of Distinction at 1251 Saratoga Avenue Northeast. Raven’s GoFundMe campaign remains active with a goal of one hundred thousand dollars.
A former principal at Young America Works Public Charter School spoke about the Raven he remembered. “I interacted with Raven a great deal. She was an exemplary student. A wonderful bright light in an environment where teenage angst rules. Raven managed to make friends across the board.”
“There was one morning when Raven came to school and Raven wasn’t feeling well. She went immediately to the nurse that we had. The nurse called me and said she was taking Raven to the hospital. That morning, it caused me some concern because Raven was never sick. She was never out. And she called me from the hospital and said, ‘This is very serious.’ Later on, we learned that Raven was diagnosed with lupus.”
“That hospital visit, that nurse we had, was lifesaving for Raven. Raven was treated. She was out of school for at least a month, I remember, and probably more. But when Raven came back, she got right to work. She was vigilant about getting every assignment that she had missed because she wanted to graduate with her class. That was her aim. It was very clear. She was just very focused and diligent about doing her work.”
“I’m going to miss Raven, and I think the world will miss her because right now we need bright lights with all of the darkness. I’m just hoping—because I know this—wherever Raven is, God is. Let us pray for Raven that she can take flight the way I know she will. She’ll take flight, and we can then later call her one of our angels, and I certainly will be satisfied with that.”
Raven’s mother, Lucy, stood before the gathered mourners and spoke from a place of raw, unguarded grief. Her voice cracked, but she did not look away.
“I want to say thank you to everyone for being here. For me, presence is everything. When you show up, it means everything for me. I’m not talking about presence as in gifts or money. Presence is seeing you, knowing that you were there, knowing that you showed up. That’s how I accept love. That’s how I receive love. And that’s how I give love. I show up. I’m there. I’m present. To me, that means everything.”
“So if you know my daughter and you love my daughter, you know she showed up as well.”
She read a letter from Raven’s brother, Rasheed Edwards.
“Not a day goes by that I don’t think about you, big sis. Me and my big sister Raven talked constantly about any and everything every single week. I’ll never forget how she encouraged and motivated me with her persistent positivity. She believed in me even when I didn’t believe in myself. I was so inspired by all she taught me. Through all her hard times, she was never broken or bitter. She handled her afflictions with strength and resilience, growing stronger and wiser through it all. Her soul was always lit with love, and she shared it unselfishly with the world.”
“Though she had only three children, her motherly instincts nurtured and cared for us all. Truly, I will miss her cool and calm demeanor, her soft and gentle voice, her silly nature and joyful laugh, and most of all, how easy she made it to love her. Big sis, you were my protector, my guardian angel. My deepest regret is not being there when you needed me most. But I’m grateful God blessed me with you, one of the greatest gifts of my life. And I will love you and appreciate you forever. Until we meet again, be free. Be at peace. Love you always and forever. Rasheed.”
Raven had also written a letter to herself in her journal. Her godmother, Tiffany Lopez, read it aloud.
“Raven, I love you. You are beautiful, smart, and strong. Life is too short. Chase your dreams and don’t be scared to follow your heart. Do only what your heart desires. Use your voice to be heard. Be kind to everyone, but don’t let people use you. Please understand that not everyone has the same heart as you. Things in life will get hard. It’s not always easy. Tap into your spirituality. Be serious about getting to know yourself and God. This will make you evolve. Be confident in who you are. Say how you feel and be unapologetic about it. Whenever you are feeling down, pray and affirm. Believe in yourself. Love yourself. Trust yourself. You can do and be anything you want to be. Make your dreams happen. I love you from the woman you became. Raven.”
Raven’s sister Rain spoke again, her voice trembling. “How can I say goodbye to my sister? I don’t know this life inside of me with this one. I didn’t see it coming. I wish I could have protected my sister. My mind’s been all over the place. I don’t know about this one. I ain’t even have to write what I’m even saying right now because none of this feels right. It’s not what I’m supposed to be doing right now.”
“But in my quiet moments when I’m thinking about us, I think about our deep talks. We always kind of had small talk, and then it just turned into a whole hour or two, and we’d make everything make sense. She lived with her heart, and she thought with logic. Raven was balanced. She always wanted to do what’s right. As kids, she couldn’t do no wrong, and I’d be hoping she ain’t tell Mom, but she told her, and I’d be mad. But then I started to understand.”
“And I just miss laughing with her. I miss—we made our skits back in the day before we had Instagram. We’d just find our favorite scenes from movies and redo them. We used to say we were ahead of our time. Last time we were actually speaking and talking, that always came up. Running through the house, playing around, pranks. My childhood was good for real because of my sister, because she was with me with that stuff.”
“Life pulled us apart. Time, distance, changed everybody in certain ways, but we all stayed connected. Raven was the closest to me, of course, not just because of age but because we really grew up together. A year apart. Mom’s side, dad’s side—I couldn’t escape her. So we’ve been through a lot. We fought. We made up. She believed everything could be better. You could be better. The house could be looking better. You could clean up. You could pick up. She was always on me some kind of way.”
“You always thought everybody could be better, Raven. Better than yesterday, better than the version of the world we inherited. She carried that belief in how she lived and how she loved and showed up for others. Showed up for all of us. She was ahead of everybody when it came to gifts and birthdays. I’m telling you.”
“And I loved her every year we had together, even now. And I’m really confused. I really don’t know how to feel sometimes. I’m trying to be strong. And I love you, baby. You know I’mma miss you. You know I love you, girl. Always have, Raven. Always.”
Raven’s mother, Lucy, returned to the podium one final time. Her voice was heavy, but her words were deliberate, each one chosen with care.
“Pastor Dan and I had a meeting, and he asked me if I had enough strength to speak to you all or if I felt like I could be strong enough about Raven’s passing. I think mostly everyone in here is safe to say they know that Raven was tragically killed by her ex-boyfriend, which is her youngest child’s father. So we just kind of wanted to touch on domestic violence.”
“Raven was a very quiet, soft-spoken person. Even though we talked every day, like I tell everyone who listens, Raven would tell me things, but it was hard to decipher when she really was upset or even mad. Raven was always, like everyone says, always a calmness about her. And it was a lot of things that she shared with me. But I just want to say—when someone is talking to you, you have to listen. You have to listen for the undertones. They’re there.”
“Sometimes we don’t always hear them. I know that I knew that she was going through things, and I was there for her daily, and she was trying to get through, and she was trying to get away. She had already said enough was enough. But they were the ones that just kept persisting and persisting. Raven had already cut her ties.”
“I know sometimes we fault the people that things happen to and say, ‘Oh, well, why didn’t they leave? Why didn’t they do this? Why didn’t they do that?’ Well, what do you do? If that’s someone that you care about, what do you do? What can you do to say to them or to help them? They don’t always have to have all the strength themselves.”
“I was always there for my daughter on a daily basis. When her kidneys stopped working, I washed her clothes every week. Her and her kids. I’m not the strongest person, but I dragged her clothes up three flights of stairs every week because I just didn’t want her to do it. Those were the things that mattered.”
“I have so many cards from Mother’s Day, birthdays, any day, from Raven and all her kids telling me how much she appreciated me. But really, in actuality, when I found out Raven was gone, I felt like I lost my purpose. Because Raven is the one that kept me going. Raven is why I got up every day. Raven is why I worked seven days a week. Raven is why I love my kids. Raven is the reason why I’m talking to you now.”
“Raven was everything to me. Raven was my best friend. Raven was my only daughter for seven years. She’s always been so special to me. When they told me she was gone, I said there’s no reason for me to be here anymore. But it is. I understand that. But it’s just how I felt. Because Raven is the reason I got up every day. Raven was everything for me.”
“I love my daughter so much. I love all my kids. Raven, just like the kids say, she could do no wrong. It hurts so bad to know that someone has so much hate in their heart. She just didn’t deserve it. No one does. If someone doesn’t love you, if someone is hurting you, they don’t love you. They don’t love you more than you love them. I don’t know what else to say, but you have to love yourself.”
“Even when it comes to your kids, your kids cannot be okay if you’re not okay. Don’t say you’re staying because you have kids. And that was Raven’s thing. She wanted her kids’ fathers to be a father. She wanted her kids to have a father. Your kids are not okay if you’re not okay. These are her kids now. We’re her kids.”
“If someone doesn’t love you, they don’t love you. If someone’s hurting you, they don’t love you. Love yourself first.”
The courtyard fell silent. Candles flickered in the evening air. Somewhere in the crowd, a child cried. Somewhere else, a mother held her daughter tighter. The light that Raven had carried—the one her aunt described as powerful, the one that lit up rooms, the one that kept her fighting through kidney failure and daily dialysis, the one that wrote a children’s book and became a peer case manager while her body was failing—that light was gone.
But the family she left behind was still fighting. Her mother was still speaking. Her siblings were still standing. Her children—ten, six, and three—were still here. And as long as they were, Raven’s light would not be extinguished.
The man who took her from them was gone too. No charges would be filed. No trial would be held. No answers would ever come from his lips. The only thing left was the silence where his voice should have been—and the louder, more urgent silence where Raven’s voice used to be.
Her GoFundMe campaign remains active. Her children are being cared for by family. Her mother is still dragging laundry up stairs, still showing up, still present. Because that’s what Raven taught her. That’s what Raven taught all of them.
If you or someone you know is in danger, listen for the undertones. Ask the questions. Show up. Be present. Because sometimes, showing up is the difference between a life saved and a candlelit vigil.
Raven’s letter to herself ended with these words: “Believe in yourself. Love yourself. Trust yourself. You can do and be anything you want to be.”
She did. She was. And she will be remembered.
