On the night of Feb. 19, 2023, Brandon Golden and Daisha “Twink” Fitts walked out of the Fraternal Order of Eagles casino on Bluffton Road at 11:23 p.m., got into Golden’s van and left happy, pulling out on to Winchester Road Six minutes later, Golden was frantically speeding back into the casino parking lot, his friend Daisha, a beloved local barber, dying between the passenger and the back seat after she was shot in an ambush at Winchester and Airport Expressway.

The stabbing Jan. 4 of this year around 7:30 p.m. sparked outrage and further fear among some residents that it just isn’t safe to go downtown. What happened was a drama in the local homeless community on display through video, testimony and evidence this week in Allen Superior Court. 

This time around, at a second trial, hope turned to disappointment. Thursday, a jury found Allen guilty on two counts: child neglect resulting in death and aggravated battery. Both are Level 1 felonies meaning considerable prison time. On each count, he could be sentenced between 20 to 40 years.