The Brevard County Grand Jury has indicted TRAVION DEMETRIUS DEAN, 22, for first-degree premeditated murder for the shooting of his ex-girlfriend early Nov. 4 in unincorporated West Melbourne.
The body of 20-year-old Aniya Sheppard was discovered by a passerby within hours after the shooting along Eber Boulevard near Hollywood Boulevard, not far from where the two had been dropped off around 4:20 a.m. by a rideshare driver. Video from a passing water-delivery truck placed DEAN and Sheppard at the location, and other surveillance video captured the sound of gunshots from the area. The number of shots matched the number of wounds Sheppard suffered, including three from behind.
Sheppard’s family described DEAN as the victim’s former boyfriend, with whom she had a toxic and violent relationship, they said. Nevertheless, the two stayed together for five nights before the killing at a hotel on West New Haven Avenue, sheriff’s investigators found. Both lived in Fort Pierce.
DEAN flew to Jamaica after the incident, but was arrested Jan. 2 in Ft. Lauderdale as he re-entered the country.
The Grand Jury indicted DEAN Jan. 21 on two counts:
- First-degree premeditated murder with a firearm
- Tampering with evidence related to a capital felony, a charge stemming from his removal of Sheppard’s backpack and footwear from the hotel as he fled the area.
DEAN remains in the Brevard County Jail with no bond.
