Coast woman killed in New Orleans area while trying to buy phone off Facebook Marketplace

A Pascagoula woman who drove to the New Orleans area in April to buy a cell phone she found advertised on Facebook Marketplace was shot and killed by the supposed seller, according to authorities.

Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office detectives on Tuesday made an arrest in the death of 24-year-old Morgan Tyrone, booking Daniel Tenner, 20, with first-degree murder and armed robbery, according to Capt. Jason Rivarde, spokesman for the department.

Tyrone was fatally shot on the night of April 10 in the 300 block of Friedrichs Road in Terrytown. According to Sheriff’s Office records, Tyrone was interested in buying a cell phone she spotted for sale on Facebook’s online marketplace and negotiated a $300 price.

The seller instructed them to meet at the Friedrichs Road address, according to authorities. Morgan Tyrone’s cousin, Tanner Tyrone, 16, said she was a frequent visitor to New Orleans and was familiar with the area.

On the night of April 10, Tanner Tyrone recalled his cousin telling him she was headed to buy a phone in New Orleans and would be back in two hours.

Morgan Tyrone, a 22-year-old woman and the woman’s toddler son drove to Terrytown where they met with the man purportedly selling the phone about 10:30 p.m., according to authorities.

The man showed them a cell phone but suddenly brandished a gun and demanded the money they’d brought for the purchase, according to an incident report.

Despite their pleas with the gunman, noting the young child present, he allegedly shot Tyrone in the back of the head, according to the incident report.

The man pointed the gun at the 22-year-old woman and again demanded the money. She handed over the $300 and the man ran off, the report said.

The 22-year-old flagged down a passer-by who called authorities. Tyrone was pronounced dead at the scene. Neither the 22-year-old nor the toddler were injured.

The Sheriff’s Office did not disclose how investigators identified Tenner as a suspect in the case. His last known address was in Jackson, Miss., according to court records. It’s unclear what, if any, ties Tenner has to the Terrytown area or why he allegedly selected that location for the “deal.”

In addition to first-degree murder and robbery, Tenner was booked with two counts of attempted first-degree murder, charges stemming from the presence of the 22-year-old woman and her son, according to authorities.

Tenner was being held without bond on the first-degree murder charge Thursday at the Jefferson Parish Correctional Center in Gretna. Bond on the other charges was set at $750,000.

Tyrone’s death is not the first killing in Jefferson Parish linked to an online sale.

Joseph Vindel, 29, of New Orleans, was shot and killed on March 7, 2021, while trying to sell his dirt bike through an online marketplace app, according to the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office.

Jalen Harvey, 21, of Harvey, was charged with first-degree murder and obstruction of justice, accused of gunning down Vindel after he came to Harvey’s apartment to make the sale. Harvey has pleaded not guilty.

This story was originally published May 20, 2022 at 9:18 AM.