23-year-old Dinwiddie man sentenced to over 30 years for I-85 deadly shooting in 2023
VENN
DINWIDDIE COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) -- A 23-year-old man who shot and killed a Chesterfield County woman on Interstate 85 in Dinwiddie County nearly three years ago was sentenced to 30 years in prison on Wednesday.
On Wednesday, Feb. 4, 23-year-old Zayah Elijah Phelps, of Dinwiddie, was sentenced to 30 years in prison after pleading guilty to first-degree murder, use of a firearm in the commission of a felony and malicious shooting at a vehicle, for the killing of a 19-year-old T’Miya Murphy in August 2023.
“This case was never just about a conviction -- it was about honoring the life of the victim, T’miya Murphy and ensuring accountability for a senseless act of violence,” said Amanda Nicole Mann, Commonwealth’s Attorney for Dinwiddie County. “Our office, alongside the Virginia State Police, pursued justice with purpose and resolve every step of the way. While no sentence can ever replace a life lost, today’s outcome affirms that violent acts in Dinwiddie County will be met with firm and unwavering consequences.”
The conviction follows an extensive investigation by the Virginia State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation and Richmond Field Office and the Commonwealth's Attorney, after Murphy, of Chesterfield County, was shot in the head while driving on I-85 in Dinwiddie on Aug. 1, 2023, per the Office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney.
Murphy had been driving a 2017 Kia Optima on I-85 South at around 11 a.m. that Tuesday when her car was shot at by a passing vehicle near Exit 63. The shooting caused her to run off the road, cross the southbound lanes and crash on the right shoulder.
State police said Murphy was taken to the hospital with injuries considered life-threatening, and she later died the following morning due to her injuries.
"While the road to justice was long, both agencies remained steadfast in their commitment to accountability and never lost sight of the vibrant young woman whose life was tragically taken," state police wrote in a release.
