The murder of two cousins shocked a family, but learning who investigators held responsible wasn’t as surprising to some.
On July 19, 2010, Clarence Goins was shot and killed in Nashville, Tennessee. The 38-year-old had suffered a wound to the head. The following day, Asia Wade was stabbed to death in her home with her four young children present. The 30-year-old mother’s body was recovered after family members became concerned when the kids didn’t show up to daycare.
Investigators didn’t take long to name Asia’s boyfriend, Demeko Duckworth, as a person of interest.
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However, Duckworth couldn’t be located, and authorities believed he may have been on the run. After a manhunt was issued, Demeko Duckworth was found and arrested in Georgia for the murders of Asia and Clarence.
Court documents detailed how police found Asia’s body after they forced open her bedroom door. It’s believed that while her children were home when Demeko Duckworth took her life, they weren’t eyewitnesses to their mother’s demise.
During the trial, Duckworth’s own defense attorney reportedly described him as “a man who did not have much regard for human life.” It was revealed that he’d stabbed Asia Wade 49 times before strangling her and leaving her for dead in her bedroom.
Duckworth was found guilty of two counts of first-degree murder, one count of employing a firearm, and one count of attempted first-degree murder for an alleged attack on his cellmate. Duckworth’s rap sheet reportedly dates back to 1997 and includes various charges relating to aggravated robbery, drugs, kidnapping, and rape.
A judge sentenced Duckworth to 108 years in prison, including two life sentences of at least 51 years each to be served consecutively, a 22-year sentence for attempted homicide, and a six-year sentence on the gun charge.
Please share this story about the murder of Asia Wade and her cousin Clarence Goins to continue the conversation about the tragic effects of domestic violence and the need to protect Black women and their families. Asia was our sister, and her life mattered.
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