Tomeka Desha White, age 43, of Marion, has been indicted by a Perry County Grand Jury on charges of murder in connection with the October 3 stabbing death last year of Lavaris Heard.
The Grand Jury returned the indictment on June 14. White was arrested by Perry County Sheriff’s Department on June 30, and subsequently released on a $90,000 property bond. The case is currently active and set for arraignment on August 3.
Court records reveal a history between White and Heard. On April 22, 2021, White filed a case for protection from abuse against Heard, alleging that he had physically assaulted her and threatened her with a gun.
However, White later filed a motion to dismiss the case, which was granted by the court on April 28, 2021. The case was dismissed without prejudice, and Heard was ordered to pay the court costs.
Criminal charges also resulted from the incident. Heard was charged with second-degree assault, third-degree domestic violence, and menacing on May 5, 2021. Those charges were later bound over to a Perry County Grand Jury. Those charges were dismissed in October 2022 after Heard’s death.
