KNOXVILLE, TN – A Tennessee man has been sentenced to life imprisonment without parole after admitting to the heinous murder of a 22-year-old woman, whom he coerced into a fatal drug overdose as an act of revenge. The sentencing of Latawyne Osborne, 40, concludes a grim chapter of violence that claimed the life of Danishka Melina Sibaja Mejia.

Osborne entered a guilty plea on charges including first-degree murder and aggravated sexual battery, thereby avoiding a potential death penalty trial. Judge Hector Sanchez of Knox County issued the life sentence in response to the brutality of the crime.

The shocking events unfolded after Mejia reported Osborne to the Knoxville Police for sexual assault in April 2024. She had earlier visited Osborne’s residence, where she claimed to have been raped after consuming alcohol and marijuana. DNA evidence later corroborated her account.

Retaliation came swiftly. Osborne, with two accomplices, allegedly broke into Mejia’s home. There, they forced Mejia and two others—a pregnant woman and her boyfriend—into a basement.

At gunpoint, Osborne attempted to compel Mejia to harm the boyfriend; when she refused, he forced her to ingest a lethal mix of drugs.

Prosecutors described the ordeal where Osborne filmed the incident with his cellphone, documenting not only the forced drug consumption but also her subsequent loss of consciousness. The drugs included fentanyl and meth, among others.

The case detailed further tragedy as Mejia’s companions were later shot. Miraculously, they survived and provided investigators with critical testimony. Chief Paul Noel of the Knoxville Police labeled the crime “truly heinous.”

Osborne’s alleged accomplices, Marquis Ellis, 21, and Edward Wilson, 32, are pending prosecution. They face similar charges connected to the assault and murder.

In the chaos of their crime, Osborne was injured by a gunshot fired by one of his associates. He sought treatment at a hospital, attempting to mislead authorities by claiming Mejia’s overdose was accidental during a random attack.

The aftermath saw Ellis and Wilson set Mejia’s car ablaze, adding to the destruction left in their wake. Following Osborne’s arrest, investigators uncovered evidence on his cellphone, which included videos of both the murder and the initial assault. With Osborne now facing life in prison, authorities continue to pursue full accountability for all involved in the tragic act.