Aric Hutchinson, 36, and Samantha “Sam” Miller, 34, had just said their “I do’s.” The couple wed at a beautiful ceremony in Folly Beach, South Carolina, on April 28, 2023. One-hundred and fifty guests were in attendance. Samantha told her sister, Mandi Jenkins, that she wished the night would never end. It was the best night of her life, she said.
Tragically, the couple’s union wouldn’t last for long.
Aric and Sam left their reception on a road-legal golf cart around 10 pm and headed back to their rental house. As Aric and Samantha rode on the back, they waved goodbye to their guests. Aric’s brother-in-law, Benjamin Garrett, drove the golf cart and was accompanied by his 17-year-old son, Brogan Garrett, in the passenger’s seat.
Suddenly and unexpectedly, a vehicle barreled into the back of the golf cart. It was traveling 65 miles per hour and directly impacted Aric and Samantha. The occupants were thrown more than 300 feet, nearly the length of a football field, and the cart rolled several times.
A photo taken just minutes before the deadly crash that killed Samantha Miller. Photo from the family’s GoFundMe.
The driver of the vehicle, a grey rental Toyota Camry, was 25-year-old Jamie Lee Komoroski. Jamie was on her way home from an evening of barhopping on Center Street, Folly Beach’s main strip, and the only road to and from Folly Island. She suffered not a scratch, but was dazed and confused from the impact. Her blood alcohol concentration (BAC) was 0.261%, more than three times the legal limit.
Paramedics did what they could, but they couldn’t save Samantha. She was still clad in her wedding dress when she died. The day that Samantha looked forward to and spent so much time planning, was her last. Her and Aric spent mere moments together as husband and wife before he became a widow.
Aric was taken to the Medical University of South Carolina, where he was treated for two broken legs, broken bones in his face, broken vertebrae and a brain bleed. Benjamin was treated for severe road rash and open wounds, and Brogan suffered minor injuries.
Ongoing Efforts For Justice
While recovering in the hospital, Aric faced the tough task of preparing for his new wife’s funeral, which was held on May 13, 2023, two weeks after their wedding day. A few days later, he filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Jamie, who remains incarcerated in Charleston County Jail.
The wrongful death suit also involves several bars, which include the establishments that Jamie visited that day. Jaime was recently hired as a server at Taco Boy, a Mexican restaurant, and the eatery hosted a function earlier that day. Allegedly at this function, a Taco Boy supervisor coerced Jaime to drink alcohol. The lawsuits seeks damages on grounds of breach of duty, negligence, negligent infliction of emotional distress, reckless hiring and training, and wrongful death.
Aric blames the four establishments that Jaime visited that day for negligently serving an intoxicated guest. A South Carolina statue prohibits establishments with permits to sell alcoholic beverages from serving guests who are noticeably intoxicated.
The complaint states, ‘Despite being noticeably and visibly intoxicated at each of these establishments, Jamie Komoroski continued to be served, provided, and/or allowed to consume additional and excessive amounts of alcohol at each of them.’
Lisa Miller, Samantha’s mother, started a GoFundMe to help cover medical and burial costs. So far, more than $720,000 has been raised. In lieu of flowers, the family requested that donations be sent to Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD).
The Post-Wedding Collision Culprit: Jamie Lee Komoroski
Jamie Lee Komoroski. Photo from Folly Beach Police.
Jamie Lee Komoroski, 25, is originally from Clinton, New Jersey. She moved to Charleston, South Carolina, to attend Coastal Carolina University from 2015 to 2020. She was a member of a sorority at her school, where she graduated with a bachelor’s degree in marketing and hotel resort tourism management. After graduation, she remained local. For the last two-and-a-half years, she worked as a logistics account executive for Total Quality Logistics, a truck transportation company.
Jamie spent the greater part of the evening barhopping on Friday, April 28, 2023. She started drinking at El Gallo Bar and Grill in Charleston, and then most likely drove to Center Street, where she visited The Drop In Bar & Deli, The Crab Shack and Snapper Jack’s. She left before 10 pm. Jaime lived in a one-story home with two roommates in James Island, a 19-minute drive from Folly Island.
When Jamie collided with the golf cart, she was traveling 65 mph in a 25 mph zone. She was also driving on Center Street, which is a dead-end that stops at the beach. It’s in an area known for its vacationers, which include children, families and bicyclists, and where legal golf carts are frequently driven.
Charges Pending
Jamie is being charged with three counts of driving under the influence (DUI) causing serious bodily injury/death and one count of reckless homicide. Jamie told police that she had one beer and one alcoholic beverage that contained tequila an hour before she drove. She was traveling the opposite way of traffic on a dead-end street when this occurred. She received no injuries, though her BAC was 0.216%.
Jamie repeatedly told police that she “did nothing wrong.” She refused to take a field sobriety test and become uncooperative on the scene. She demanded a lawyer and began calling out for her boyfriend, who was not present.
Jamie is being held without bail on suicide watch at the Charleston County Jail. If convicted, she faces up to 25 years in prison and a fine of up to $25,100 for Samantha’s death. She also faces an additional 15 years and a $10,100 fine injuring the other three passengers. For reckless homicide, she could face an additional 10 years in prison and a fine up to $5,000.
Samantha “Sam” Leigh Miller. Photo from her obituary.
Remembering Samantha ‘Sam’ Miller
Right before she died, Samantha “Sam” Leigh Miller, 34, turned to her husband, Aric, and said, “I want this day, this evening, to last forever.” Samantha was the only fatality of the crash.
Originally from Charlotte, North Carolina, Samantha loved the beach. At her memorial service, Aric described her as “a beach girl.” She was born on March 27, 1989, to parents Lisa and David Miller. Her parents divorced when she was young and her mother remarried her stepfather, Brad Warner. Samantha has four siblings: Nathan and Joseph Miller, Mandi Jenkins and Jake Warner.
Samantha was a wife, daughter, sister, aunt, friend and cat mom.
She considered her mom as one of her best friends. On her wedding day, she surprised her mom with a dance to their song: Bruno Mars’ “Just The Way You Are.” The DJ introduced it as “a dance with the most important person in the bride’s life.”
She believed her husband, Aric, was her soulmate.
Samantha had a contagious smile, she loved to laugh and she exuded natural confidence. As her obituary reads, “She was a beautiful force to be reckoned with. It is impossible to fully capture just how unbelievably special she was.”
Folly Beach, South Carolina. Photo from Wikipedia.
Scene of the Accident: Folly Beach
The fatal crash happened in Folly Beach, a city on Folly Island in South Carolina, just minutes outside of Charleston. Folly Island is a 12-square-mile region surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean and the Folly River, and it’s home to six miles of beautiful beaches.
Folly Beach is a popular area for locals and tourists alike. Center Street, where Jamie was barhopping, has many surf and souvenir shops, and restaurants. Because of the amount of vacationers, pedestrians and children who frequent Folly Beach, the island has a maximum speed limit of 25 mph. It’s also legal to drive certain golf carts on the streets there.
The brutal death of Madison “Madi” Brooks, a 19-year-old Louisiana State University student, was an absolute worst-case scenario. But with the dangers of our world becoming ever-more apparent, it’s an important case to discuss.
For the millions of young adults who go away to college each year in the U.S., it’s a time like no other. Free from the restricted atmosphere of high school and the watchful eyes of parents, students have the opportunity to delve into classes that pique their interests, and form bonds with like-minded people. With these new friendships experiencing the highs and lows of college life, relationship drama, life changes and self-discovery, many of them evolve into treasured connections that last a lifetime.
Madison was a sophomore pursuing an undergraduate degree in political communication when her life was taken in a devastating way. She’ll never get to see these relationships with her friends flourish to their true potential in the real world. She’ll never have the chance to accept her diploma or go on to make a positive impact on the world. Her family will never see her graduate, start her career, get married or have children.
Instead, she’ll be forever 19, and it wasn’t by choice.
Madison was killed in the early morning hours of Wednesday, January 15, 2023. The night before, she went to Reggie’s Bar in the Tigerland district of East Baton Rouge, Louisiana; a hotspot for LSU students and locals known for underage drinking. Madison was a member of the Alpha Phi sorority and on occasion, she worked behind the bar with her sorority sisters. She also worked as a “door girl” at the beginning of the previous summer but was terminated after an altercation with another female employee.
Madison Brooks. Photo from Instagram.
Madison took a ride-share to the bar. It’s unclear whether she went by herself, but a few of her friends worked there, which included one of the bartenders. When Madison arrived at Reggie’s Bar, she started drinking. The bartenders continued serving Madison, despite her being underage and in an intoxicated state. Surveillance footage from the bar captured Madison stumbling and struggling to stand. It’s believed that she consumed between 15 and 20 drinks in a three-hour timespan.
At Reggie’s Bar, Madison interacted with a group of four men. Three of them were also underage, one of which was a minor. The men were not LSU students, but locals: Kaivon Deondre Washington, 18, of Walker; Everette Lee, 28, of Pine Grove, and Kaivon’s uncle; Casen Carver, 18, of Denham Springs, and Desmond Carter, 17, of Walker. At some point, Madison and Desmond danced together. Later on, Madison, in a drunken state, asked Cason for a ride home. He agreed. Between 1 am and 2 am, they all left the bar together.
*TRIGGER WARNING* On the way home, Cason asked Madison what her address was, but she was too intoxicated to answer. After driving a short distance, he pulled over. In the backseat, Desmond asked Madison five times if she wanted to have sex with him, to which she allegedly replied, “yes”—again, in a highly intoxicated state, which is not grounds for consent. He had sex with Madison in the backseat and Kaivon subsequently did the same. Casen and Everette were still in the vehicle and did nothing to stop the assault.
After the assault, Cason started to drive again, but it wasn’t for long. Once again, he pulled over, but this time it was to drop Madison off—not at home, but at a random subdivision. She was left by herself on Burbank Drive near Pelican Lakes Parkway, a busy, poorly-lit roadway where the speed limit is 55 miles per hour. It was the middle of the night and Madison didn’t know where she was.
She wandered about 0.2 miles down the road. Around 2:50 am, Madison was struck by a ride-share driver. She succumbed to her injuries a few days later at Baton Rouge Hospital.
Madison’s blood alcohol concentration (BAC) was 0.319% when she arrived at the hospital; enough to render a person unconscious. She also had THC, the major psychoactive component in marijuana, in her system.
How and why did this happen? Let’s look into it.
Who Was Madison Brooks?
At 19, Madison Kennedy Brooks was strikingly beautiful, and she had the world at her fingertips.
The young woman from St. Tammy Parish, otherwise known as Northshore, Louisiana, was born on May 7, 2003, to parents Ashley Baustert and Scott Brooks. She has three younger siblings: Aiden, Brady and Kaelyn Baustert.
Madison Brooks. Photo from Facebook.
Madison was an adventure-seeker. She loved to travel and explore new cities, and she was a fan of both sky-diving and skiing. She had a bubbly, contagious personality, and was ready to take the world by storm.
A Powerhouse with a World of Potential
At the time of her passing, Madison was just beginning the second semester of her sophomore year at LSU, where she excelled as a student.
She started college after graduating from St. Scholastica Academy, a small Catholic, all-girls prep school in Covington, where she graduated with 80 other students. In high school, Madison was an honor roll student, a cheerleader and a member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. She was also part of the school’s spirit club and Doves for Life initiative.
Madison was highly driven and she brought that drive to college. She was recently accepted into LSU’s Manship School of Mass Communication. The year prior, she chose to stay in Baton Rouge for the summer to complete summer courses so she’d be ahead. In addition to schoolwork, Madison was an active member of her school’s Alpha Phi sorority.
After her death, Madison made a lasting impact by donating her heart valves and kidneys to save the lives of others.
Madison’s Last Night: A Timeline of Events
10:06 pm, 1/14/23
On Tuesday, January 14, 2023, Madison arrives at Reggie’s Bar at 10:06 pm. The bar is located on 1176 Bob Petit Boulevard in the Tigerland section of East Baton Rouge; one mile from LSU campus. She uses a fake ID to enter and is issued a 21-and-over wristband.
10:16 pm
The four suspects—Casen Carver, Kaivon Washington, Everette Lee and Desmond Carter—arrive at the bar.
Madison Brooks with members of the Alpha Phi sorority. Photo from Instagram.
1 am, 1/15/23
Madison is seen on surveillance sitting on a barstool. She gets up from the barstool to adjust her pants and stumbles backwards. Three of the men help her regain her footing.
1:34 am
Madison is captured on surveillance sitting on a bench near the bar’s entrance. She falls while attempting to stand up.
Desmond approaches Madison. She is wearing a baseball cap, which he removes. Then, she grabs his hand for support while she stands.
1:49 am
Madison leaves Reggie’s Bar with the four men. Two minutes later, they are seen on surveillance walking towards a parked vehicle. Madison attempts to open the door of another vehicle and the men direct her to their vehicle.
1:54 am
The vehicle is seen leaving the parking lot.
2:50 am
Madison walked a distance of roughly 0.17 miles and was then struck by a ride-share driver on Burbank Drive near Pelican Lakes Parkway, a busy highway, 3.5 miles from the bar. The individual who struck Madison is unrelated to the incident and is not intoxicated. Emergency services are called immediately. Two good Samaritans perform CPR on Madison until help arrives.
The road where Madison was struck is a poorly lit, four-to-five-lane highway with a speed limit of 55 miles per hour.
When Madison was examined at the hospital, her BAC was 0.319%. With each drink equating about 0.02%, this meant that she consumed between 15 and 20 alcoholic beverages that night.
January 16, 2023
When investigators look into the accident that killed Madison, they learn from surveillance footage that she left Reggie’s Bar with four men. Officials determine the identities of these men and visit them at home.
Casen Carver, 18; Everette Lee, 28, and Kaivon Washington, 18. Photo from Baton Rouge Police Department.
Cason, the driver, is questioned first—and he talks. He confirms to police that he and the three suspects went to Reggie’s Bar on Tuesday, January 14, for a few drinks. It was the first time any of them saw Madison.
He says that Madison walked with the group as they were leaving. He describes her as being “very unstable on her feet,” “not able to keep her balance” and “unable to speak clearly without slurring her words,” according to the affidavit. He says Madison walked with Desmond and he witnessed them hugging. (Cason doesn’t tell police, but earlier that night, Desmond and Madison are seen on surveillance dancing.)
Cason tells police that Madison “asked for a ride home.” He asked Madison where her friends were, but she didn’t know. He agreed to drive her home because he did not want to leave her by herself in an intoxicated state, and while the bar was closing.
Desmond Carter, 17. Photo from East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office
Cason drove the vehicle and Everette, the 28-year-old and eldest member of the group, sat in the passenger’s seat. Kaivon and Desmond sat in the backseat with Madison. When Cason asked Madison for her address again, he saw she was slumped over and unable to answer him. The four of them drove a short distance before pulling over on a side street.
The assault.
When they pulled over, Cason overheard Desmond ask Madison five times if she wanted to have sex with him. He tells police that Madison, despite being intoxicated and slumped over, verbally gave content. Desmond and Kaivon took turns having sex with Madison. The assault stopped after Cason told them, “We got to stop this. Let’s go.”
Even though Cason and Everette did not participate in the assault, they both remained in the vehicle and did nothing to stop it. Cason admits to police that he felt uncomfortable and “hated” what was happening. When asked if he thought Madison was too impaired to give her consent, he said, “I guess.”
January 23, 2023
Desmond, Cason, Kaivon and Everette are booked into East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office jail.
Madison Brooks. Photo from Instagram.
Cason and Everette are charged with principles to third-degree rape. Being principle to a crime means that an individual’s direct actions, or lack thereof, contributed to a crime’s occurrence.
Kaivon is charged with third-degree rape. In the state of Louisiana, third-degree rape is sexual intercourse “when the victim is incapable of resisting or of understanding the nature of the act by reason of a stupor or an abnormal condition of mind produced by an intoxicating agent or any cause, and the offender knew or should have known of the victim’s incapacity.
January 24, 2023
Caison, Kaivon and Everette appear in court for bond hearings. Judge Brad Myers from the 19th Judicial District orders Kaison to be held on $150,000 bond. Cason and Everette are held on $50,000 and $75,000 bond, respectively.
Cason and Everette post bail and are released that day.
Louisiana State officials issue an emergency suspension on the service or sale of alcoholic beverages.
January 26, 2023
Kaivon posts $150,000 bond and is released.
February 28, 2023
Desmond is booked into the East Baton Rouge Parish Prison. He is being charged with first- and third-degree rape and will be tried as an adult.
More Comes To Light About Kaivon Washington
During the investigation, officials learn that Kaivon was previously charged with two other sexual offenses.
Three years prior, he was charged with the first-degree rape of a 12-year-old female. In May 2020, Kaivon raped the victim at a pool party in Walker, Louisiana. Allegedly, he followed the victim into her room at her family’s apartment, pulled off her towel, threw her on the bed, and raped her while covering her mouth. The victim reported the rape to police in 2021 but no charges were filed.
The second sexual offense occurred in August 2022. Coincidentally, it involved a female that Kaivon and another friend, Karson Jones, 18, met at Reggie’s Bar.
Reggie’s Bar and its Bad Reputation
Reggie’s Bar is located in Tigerland, an area where many LSU students live in off-campus housing. Tigerland is home to many bars that are located within walking distance of the apartment complexes where students live.
Reggie’s Bar is no stranger to underage drinking and crime. In fact, it had a long-standing reputation for serving alcohol to minors. When the bar was open, it permitted entry to guests 18+.
Exterior of Reggie’s bar and Fred’s bar in Tigerland. Photo by Bill Feig. Photo credit: The Advocate.
Reggie’s Bar was owned by two former employees of Sports, which was the name of the bar in the ’90s. The bar is no stranger to serving underage minors. Folks on Reddit (yes, I looked to Reddit as a source) claimed the bar used predatory tactics, such as allowing free entry to underage females and supplying them with free alcoholic beverages.
In June 2017, a sting operation was conducted at Reggie’s Bar, which found 19 people, 17 years old or younger, inside the bar. The bar was was required to shut down twice for periods of 45 days and issued an $8,000 fine.
As a direct result of Madison’s death, Reggie’s Bar lost its liquor license in January 2023 and was issued a $15,000 fine. Shortly after, it closed permanently. The bar’s owner, Darin Adams, is prohibited from opening a bar in the state of Louisiana.
Reddit Users Share Their Experiences At Reggie’s Bar
“My first week of my freshman year I had [to] shield 4 women that I had just met (one of them is now my wife) from gunfire.. while on molly.. at 18 years old. 2 weeks later: Saw a girl get drugged and had to physically remove the scumbag from her side. A few months after: guy gets a beer bottle smashed over his head and nearly bleeds out in the parking lot.”
“I was sexually assaulted here. So were many many others bc an LSU frat encouraged members to drug and assault people here. I am glad to see it shut down but the fact that someone died to make it happen hurts.”
“When I was 18, I used to go there and drink all the time, but it was still called Sports for another year or two. It was pretty well-known that if you were of age you went to Fred’s and if you were under age (or just some skeezy guy trying to fuck a teenager) you went to Sports/Reggies.
Aftermath
Madison Brooks Foundation
The Madison Brooks Foundation was founded by Ashley Baustert, Madison’s mother, in 2023. The foundation provides financial assistance to persons in need, advocates for the safety of young adults and spreads awareness about organ donation.
On April 12, 2023, MBF hosted one of its first events to discuss sexual harassment, relationships and consent. Katherine Koestner, an activist and advocate against sexual assault, and the director of Take Back The Night Foundation, was invited to speak to LSU students on MBF’s behalf.
Madison Brooks with her mother, Ashley Baustert. Photo from Facebook.
Katherine spoke publicly for the first time in 1990 at the age of 18, after she was sexually assaulted on William & Mary campus in Williamsburg, Virginia.
LSU Girls Ride
In the aftermath of Madison’s death, two LSU freshman, Alisha Ortolano and Caitlynn Bakewell, created LSU Girls Ride. LSU Girls Ride is a free service through a GroupMe, a ride-share app, to connects female users with female-only drivers. The effort is to provide female LSU students with a way out of an uncomfortable or potentially dangerous situation.
Women attending LSU can request a ride through GroupMe, no matter the time.
CARD ‘Em
Following the tragedy, Sen. Beth Mizell of proposed a bill known as “CARD Em.” It stands for Create Alcohol Responsibility and Deterrence. CARD ‘Em would raise the minimum age for those who can work in or enter a bar, including performers, from 18 to 21.
Beth Mizell told WDSU News, “You cannot say, ‘Oh, we’re following the law and we care about our young people—who come into our bar and be totally irresponsible with the way that you serve.”
Unfortunately, the bill did not pass.
Where The Case Stands Now
Defense attorneys have a job to do, and that’s obviously to defend the accused parties. However, one of the more infuriating parts of this case is the claim they are using: that the sexual assault of Madison wasn’t a crime and that she did, indeed, consent.
The defense is claiming that despite Madison’s BAC being 0.319%, she was capable of providing consent, which she did, and the sexual assault was actually conventional. There is a leaked video (which I was unable to find) of Madison apologizing to the driver for offending him before exiting the vehicle. Other surveillance footage captured outside of Reggie’s Bar shows Madison running after the group of men to catch up with them. The defense is claiming that if Madison were able to run and talk (despite stumbling, having slurred speech and being unable to recall her own address), she was able provided them with legal consent.
My Two Cents Corner 💥
Wow….just, wow.
When I think about this case, I can’t help but imagine what Madison might have experienced that night. While in a severely intoxicated state, she was taken advantage of by men she trusted to bring her home. Even though they were strangers, most of them were around her age. In her intoxicated state, she probably didn’t see them as threatening partly for this reason.
The driver of the vehicle, Cason Carver, told police that he agreed to drive Madison home because he didn’t want to leave her at the bar, alone, in such a drunken state. Unfortunately, she might still be with us today if he’d told her no.
All four men are equally culpable, in my opinion. You are the company you keep, as they say, and Cason Carver’s choice in friends is despicable. Also, the fact that Kaivon’s 28-year-old uncle was in the car as his nephew committed a rape and didn’t do anything to intervene, speaks volumes to his own character. Why is a 28-year-old man going to bars with men who are underage anyway—a college bar, at that? Isn’t that out of place for him? By that age, most people tend to grow out of the sloppy college-type bars.
On the internet, this case stands divided. Some people believe this was a tragedy that occurred by happenstance; that the responsibility lies with Madison and her decision to drink excessively, and that her rape and death were separate incidents. However, I don’t see it that way. If her and the suspects were never permitted to enter the bar in the first place, they never would have met, and this wouldn’t have happened.
And I’m not pointing fingers here, but look out for your friends, ladies. Madison had a large friend group and she was even previously employed by Reggie’s Bar, but no one stopped to intervene or help her. Use the buddy system. Always go out together and never leave a friend behind; your life, or hers, could depend on it.
What do you think?
Resources
Madison Brooks LSU Student Taken Advantage of By 4 Men & Then Killed? What Is The Truth?! – Annie Elise x 10 to LIFE
Victim: Christian Tobechukwu “Toby” Ubumseli, 27 Date: Sunday, April 3, 2022 Location: Miami, Florida Perpetrator: Courtney Taylor Clenney, aka Courtney Tailor, 26 Crimes in sum: Courtney Clenney, 26, was arrested on August 10, 2022 on second-degree murder charges, but some still believe she’s innocent. Do you agree?
Courtney Clenney, a 26-year-old social media influencer and OnlyFans model from Midland, Texas, was a guest on the comedy podcast, We In Miami, in March of 2022. In the episode, she joked about being the “crazy, toxic girlfriend.”
A month later, that remark became an ominous warning when she fatally stabbed her on-again, off-again boyfriend of two years, 27-year-old Christian Tobechukwu “Toby” Obumseli.
Unfortunately, hindsight is always 20/20.
What Happened?
The homicide occurred in the early evening on Sunday, April 3, 2022. Courtney and Christian, who went by “Toby,” lived in Apartment 2201 at the One Paraiso Residences, a 53-floor luxury high-rise in the Edgewater community of Miami, Florida. The apartment, located on the 22nd floor, has three bedrooms, 3.5 bathrooms, waterfront views and a private elevator. All those amenities and more cost a modest $10,000 per month.
However, within their luxury lifestyle, the couple lived in their own personal hell. Police visited their apartment at least seven times since they moved there in January 2022. This call would be the last.
Toby suffered a stab wound to the chest that penetrated three inches into his skin. The six-inch kitchen knife punctured an artery and the wound was fatal. Toby was eight shy of his 28th birthday.
Courtney Clenney and Toby Ubumseli. Photo from Instagram.
An Unlikely Story
When police questioned Courtney, she denied stabbing Toby. She said Toby charged at her and she threw the knife at him from across the room, or from about 10 feet away. Courtney said she didn’t intend to hurt Toby, but to scare him away.
However, the model, actress and personal trainer, who earned more than $3 million on OnlyFans from 2020 to 2022, didn’t think her statement through. In court, the medical examiner said that unless Courtney was a professional knife-thrower, it was impossible for the knife to have penetrated Toby’s skin in such a powerful downward motion. Rather, Toby received the fatal wound at close range.
On Wednesday, August 10, 2022, Hawaii police arrested Courtney on a second-degree murder charge. Courtney’s defense team asked for bail and pre-trial release.
The judge denied both requests. Expectedly, the blonde-haired, blue-eyed beauty is preparing to play the self-defense card. She will face trial this year (2023).
Here’s the full story.
Courtney Clenney. Photograph from her Instagram: @courtneytailor.
Who’s Courtney Clenney?
Courtney Taylor Clenney, known on social media as Courtney Tailor, was born on April 21, 1996 to Deborah Bond and Kim Clenney in rural Midland, Texas. Courtney’s parents are entrepreneurs and have owned at least three small businesses, which include a professional organizing company, a roofing contractor and an energy services company. She has one younger sister, Morgan.
At age 7, Courtney and her family moved to Austin. Growing up, Courtney was competitive and actively participated in sports. Her competitiveness followed her into adulthood and drove her short-lived success.
Young Courtney participated in many sports, including soccer, basketball, swimming, gymnastics and horseback riding. As a child, she was a high-diver and considered competing in the olympics. As a teen and young adult, she transitioned into physical fitness. Courtney became a certified personal trainer and competed in a number of athletic bikini competitions, including the NPC West Coast Classic in 2016.
Courtney Clenney. Photo from FitnessVolt.com
Entering the limelight.
Courtney finished about two years of college before dropping out. School wasn’t for her. She dreamt of becoming an entertainer and certainly had the looks, physique and drive to make it happen.
Courtney began to see an acting coach and appeared as an extra in TV commercials for Pepsi, Cirrus Logic, Celebration Church and Discount Dollars. She also fulfilled small roles in American Psycho, The Lying Game, Unstalkable, Boyhood and Everybody Wants Some!!! and in the music video for G-Eazy and Bebe Rexha’s 2015 song, “Me, Myself & I.” Later that year, she posed for Playboy magazine.
In 2017, Courtney moved to Los Angeles, California, for more opportunities. Her social media presence also started to grow. She currently has more than two million followers on her Instagram page: view it here. Courtney also became a brand ambassador for BANG energy drinks, Manscaped razors and The Chive, and advertised clothing from brands including Missguided.
An OnlyFans superstar.
OnlyFans, an internet content subscription service with a reputation for adult content, launched in 2016. The following year, Courtney began selling explicit photos, videos and other content, including subscriptions, on the site. Her father, Kim Clenney, wasn’t aware of his daughter’s online presence until her arrest in 2022.
Courtney meets Toby.
Courtney and Toby met in Austin. The couple began dating sometime in 2020.
Toby was also from Texas, but he grew up in Plano, about 215 miles north of Austin, where Courtney spent her childhood.
Christian Obumseli. Photo from his GoFundMe page.
Toby was born on April 12, 1994 to his parents, Christopher Obumseli and Chio Ndiwe. His parents are from Nigeria, but Toby was born in Dallas, Texas. Toby was the youngest of three children, which includes his sister Jen Adaeze and Jeffrey Obumseli.
Growing up, Toby was an athlete; something he and Courtney shared in common. In high school, he played basketball and football, and was captain of the football team. He went on to attend Texas Tech University and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in communications studies and business management. In his adult life, Toby held various sales positions, and eventually became a cryptocurrency investor and trader. He also opened his own business, Wiseman & Peachtree LLC.
Friends and family described Toby as loving, carefree, compassionate and gentle-spirited, with a big, beautiful smile.
A tumultuous union.
After the murder, Toby’s family appeared on the Dr. Phil talk show to discuss their terrible experience. A friend, who wished to remain anonymous, described the couple as very much “in love” in the beginning of their relationship. But within a few months, the union became combative, unstable, hostile and tempestuous.
Courtney and Toby argued a lot. They also broke up a lot, but they always got back together. Their relationship worsened because of Courtney’s drinking. When Courtney drank alcohol, she was violent and impulsive. It was often during her drunken stupors that fights started between her and Toby.
Minor occurrences usually triggered their fights, such as Toby looking at or talking to another woman. Meanwhile, Courtney was the one with a history of infidelity toward Toby.
Form bad to worse.
The constant arguing affected Toby. Many of his friends noticed. Once upbeat, positive and full of energy, he became stressed, quiet and withdrawn. Courtney started to pull Toby away from his friends, which was accompanied by her intensifying jealousy.
Courtney Clenney pictured in her booking photo when she was arrested in July 2021 in Las Vegas for domestic battery. Photograph from the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department.
Eventually, the arguments became physical, with Courtney as both the aggressor and the abuser. Courtney started to hit Toby on the arms and chest, slap him across the face and pull his hair, all while verbally berating him. The behavior escalated to Courtney stabbing Toby in the leg on one occasion and cutting his cheek on another.
The couple first moved into a penthouse apartment together iin South Austin, Texas. Neighbors there complained about their fighting. One neighbor on the 10th floor found a tiger painting on the balcony that Courtney threw from their apartment.
After the couple moved to another penthouse in Miami, Florida, neighbors there complained about yelling, slamming of doors and breaking objects, including neighbors who lived two floors above them. The police visited the apartment often. Courtney often trashed the apartment during their fights and left shambles in her wake.
During a trip to Las Vegas in July 2021, police arrested Courtney for domestic battery against Toby. While staying at The Cosmopolitan hotel, Courtney threw a glass at Toby, barely missing his head. Toby chose not to press charges and police released Courtney the following day.
A female abuser with no accountability.
Toby made excuses for Courtney. He was quick to blame her hostile behavior on her drinking and claimed their relationship was good when Courtney was sober. Unfortunately, with her growing fame and cash flow, Courtney was sober less and less often. People in the Austin and Miami night life scenes knew about Courtney and not for good reasons.
Elevator video footage shows Courtney Clenney and Christian Obumseli in an altercation, with Courtney as the aggressor.
Friends said Toby never retaliated. Rather, he stood there “like a stick figure” and took Courtney’s abuse. He’d try to block her swings or hold her arms so she’d stop swinging, but never fought back. Instead, Toby always tried to appease Courtney and calm her down.
Friends who partied and traveled with Toby and Courtney recall Courtney often pulling Toby to the side, and starting fights with him that involved slapping, pushing, shoving and spitting on him. On at least one occasion, she yelled at him for looking at other women. On another, Courtney pushed Toby down the stairs at a house party.
Escalating violence and abuse.
There is telling video footage captured from the elevator of their Miami penthouse, that shows an altercation between Toby and Courtney. In the video, Courtney hits Toby, pulls his hair and yells at him. Toby, on the other hand, tries to calm Courtney down and shield himself from her blows. View it here.
In February 2022, two months before Toby died, Courtney cheated on him, tried stabbing him (but the knife missed and sliced his beard and cheek), called him the n***** word (which she did repeatedly) and kicked him out of the apartment several times. Toby had to get stitches in his face, which reopened several times due to Courtney slapping him.
Toby wrote text messages to Courtney, pleading for change and trying to reason with her. He never stopped trying to be on her side.
Stuck under Courtney’s grasp.
Because of Courtney’s growing success and opportunities, the couple decided Toby would work as her personal assistant. Now, Toby waited on hand and foot for Courtney, managing photo shoots and her schedule. In return, Courtney promised him a percentage of the revenue from her OnlyFans account. It’s unknown as to whether Courtney paid Toby, but it seems unlikely.
Courtney Clenney and Toby Obumseli. Photo originally from Instagram.
Sometimes, Courtney felt bad for treating Toby so poorly. Because she had the money, Courtney tried to compensate for her foul behavior with expensive gifts. On at least one occasion, Courtney threw Toby’s luggage and all his belongings off the balcony of their Miami penthouse. To make up for what she did, she bought him new belongings, along with a brand new luggage set from Louie Vuitton worth about $10,000.
Final days.
Courtney’s behavior became more unstable, aggressive and unhinged by the day.
On Friday, April 1, 2022, three days before Toby died, police visited the apartment on a domestic dispute. Courtney had bruises all over her arms and legs.
Apartment management received many complaints about the couple. The couple was also months behind on their rent. Consequently, Aleros Capital Investments, which represented their apartment building, filed a case against Courtney in Miami Court on March 21, 2022 for eviction.
A Pattern of Behavior
Courtney’s behavior towards Toby escalated over their relationship, but the young woman displayed signs of problematic behavior leading up to this point, including a history of domestic violence. Her violent past includes allegedly stabbing her previous boyfriend before Toby. And then, there’s Shawn Rhoden.
A photo of Shawn Rhoden and Courtney Tailor during a 20XX fitness competition after Courtney won the MPC Class Bikini. Photo from Muscle Insider.
Courtney’s relationship with Shawn Rhoden.
In 2022, bodybuilder Nick Trigili shared a video to his YouTube channel BodyBuilding & BS (which has over 106,000 subscribers) about Courtney physically assaulting bodybuilder Shawn Rhoden and shattering his jaw in 2017.
In 2017, Shawn, known in the bodybuilding community as Mr. Olympia, was married to his then-wife Michelle Sugar, who he also shared a child with. That same year, he started an affair with Courtney. Sadly, Shawn passed away from a heart attack in November 2021.
Courtney and Shawn trained at Gold’s Gym in Venice Beach, California, where they met. Shawn provided Courtney with nutritional information and helped her prepare for upcoming competitions. Over time, it evolved into a sexual relationship. Courtney didn’t know about Shawn being married, but she allegedly shattered his jaw when she found out.
Shawn never pressed charges against Courtney due to it being an affair. He also never publicly discussed his broken jaw, but people presumed it was from a car accident. While recovering, Shawn had to blend his food and eat through a straw. Nick and two of Shawn’s ex-wives corroborated the story.
2018.
A woman in Austin, Texas, sued Courtney on August 30, 2018 for an incident involving a car crash. The woman accused Courtney of personal injuries, property damage and loss of use of a vehicle. The case was settled out of court and ultimately dismissed.
A photo of Courtney Clenney taken at the Hawaii Police Department after her arrest on August 10, 2022.
2020.
On September 16, 2020, police arrested Courtney, also in Texas, for driving while intoxicated. Her first DUI charge came at age 18, so this was her second. Courtney’s blood alcohol concentration (BAC) was 0.30, more than times the legal limit. Police released Courtney on a $8,000 bond. As a condition of her release, Courtney had an ignition interlock device installed in her car to measure her alcohol level.
The Night of the Murder
On Sunday, April 3, 2022, Toby left their Miami apartment around 1:15 pm and returned at 4:33 pm with sandwiches from Subway for him and Courtney. At 4:01 pm, Courtney live-streamed herself on Instagram, in what seemed to be a Q&A session with fans. She wore the same outfit that police photographed her in later that day. Her behavior on that live was suggestive of her being on substances.
Courtney called Christian right before the live at 4:01 pm and again at 4:33 pm.
When he left, Courtney realized that Toby stopped sharing his location with her. Because Courtney didn’t trust Toby and was exceptionally jealous, this was a major source of contention. When Toby returned, he shared his location again with Courtney, but she didn’t do the same.
Fast-escalating and deadly.
Within the next half hour, Courtney called her mother at 4:43 pm and chatted for six minutes. Then, she called her mom again at 4:49 pm and spoke for seven minutes. At some point between 4:43 pm and 4:57 pm, Courtney stabbed Toby in the chest with a six-inch serrated kitchen knife. The knife pierced three inches into his skin, just below a tattoo of Courtney’s name, and hit an artery. Courtney’s mother, Deborah Bond, later said she heard Courtney say that Toby was “lying.”
At 4:57 pm, Courtney called 9-1-1 to ask for paramedics. At the same time, neighbors reported a disturbance to building management, who then phoned security and also called police.
To police, Courtney claimed that Toby charged at her, pushed her and attacked her in retaliation. After the stabbing, Courtney called her mother for support, while Toby bled out in the background. Thirteen minutes later, she called 9-1-1. By the time the paramedics arrived, Toby suffered excessive blood loss.
Courtney Clenney on the night of April 3, 2022. Photograph from the Miami-Date State Attorney’s Office.
When authorities came to the apartment, Courtney was covered in blood and curiously kissing her dogs in the hallway.
Courtney is hospitalized.
During the 3.5-hour police interrogation, Courtney threatened to kill herself. As a result, police followed the Florida Mental Health Act of 1971. Also known as the Baker Act, this law empowers law enforcement, health care professionals, judges and/or family members to have an individual or loved one involuntarily committed to a mental health facility for up to 72 hours to receive emergency treatment for a suspected mental health issue. Immediate crisis prevention is the main goal.
Officials held Courtney at a mental hospital for less than 48 hours. She walked free under the guise of innocence and with minimal investigation outright.
Five days after the stabbing, a member of the public spotted Courtney at a hotel bar in Miami. Courtney was with her father, ordering alcohol beverages at the bar. The member of the public told Courtney to leave because she just killed her boyfriend. Courtney turned to this individual and said, “He lied to me,” referring to Toby.
The blood-soaked pants that Courtney wore on the night of Christian’s murder. Photograph from the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office.
Courtney remains free, for now.
Because of Courtney’s wealth, she got ahold of an elite lawyer who painted a picture of domestic violence, with Courtney on the receiving end of that violence. So, she was free to go. She didn’t spend time in jail and she continued to drink excessively, which worsened after the murder.
In June 2022, three months after killing Toby, Courtney moved back to Austin, Texas, to be closer to her parents. She purchased a lavish, 3080-foot, $1.35 million-dollar home in Lake Pointe, Texas, located in the Bee Cave community of Austin. The home had four bedrooms, four bathrooms, a media room, a game room, a hot tub and three large deck areas. She also transferred $1.5 million into her father’s bank account for him to oversee as her mental health continued to decline.
Toby’s family fights for justice.
Toby’s mother, Chio Ndiwe, learned about her youngest son’s death the following day, Monday, April 4, 2022. While she was at work, Chio received a call asking about Toby’s status as an organ donor. She hadn’t heard anything about his murder the day before.
His family went onto the Dr Phil talk show to share their side of the story. They also created a GoFundMe page to help pay for Toby’s funeral expenses, and hired a lawyer to fight against the case. The amount of evidence against Courtney is insurmountable, and with the help of eye-witness accounts, 12,000 text messages, the footage from the elevator of Courtney attacking Christian, and letters, audio recordings and photos, Toby’s team put together an unshakeable case.
Courtney Clenney. (Image via Miami Herald/ Getty Images)
Five months later,police detained Courtney on August 10, 2022, in Laupahoehoe, Hawaii. She flew to Laupahoehoe to attend rehabilitation for substance abuse and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). She returned to Florida on August 11 and was arrested on second-degree murder charges.
Courtney entered a plea of not guilty and will remain incarcerated until her trial and subsequent sentencing date this year.
My Two Cents Corner
I’ve done a lot of research into this case and listened to quite a few audio recordings that Toby Obumseli took of him and Courtney’s arguments. In one of these arguments, Courtney calls him the n***** word, while screaming at the top of her lungs and threatening to slap Toby. The reason for this behavior was because Toby said “hello” to another woman that passed him while he was riding a bike, and that he heard her and Courtney were doing a “live” (meaning if they were going to be live-streaming content on social media together.)
If this isn’t the most insecure-sounding woman out there, than I don’t know who is. It’s both ironic and sad that someone who put so much effort into her looks and also made so much money off of them, had so little self-esteem that it turned her into a monster. In my opinion, it sounded like Courtney used her looks as leverage and her high-paying and recent fame to imagine herself superior to Toby, and also to others. Her “success” gave her permission to behave ever-more inexcusably and do so without accountability. Courtney used her wealth to physically and mentally abuse Christian, and as a way to control him during her arguments.
Inside, it sounds like Courtney was an empty shell looking for some sort of constant gratification or escape. She never held herself accountable and neither did many people in her life (or so it seems). She truly believed that she would be able to use her looks, wealth and status as a young and beautiful white woman, to escape the consequences of her actions, which robbed family and friends of their beloved Toby. Considering the pattern of her behaviors, I believe it was only a matter of time until Courtney committed some sort of tragic offense if she continued on this path without changing her behaviors.
