ATLANTA — The woman who shot and killed a popular homeless street performer in Atlanta will serve life in prison for the 2016 murder.
Fulton County District Attorney Paul L. Howard, Jr., announced the murder conviction of 44-year-old Lucianna Fox on Thursday.
On Nov. 5, 2016, 54-year-old Leroy Midyette, a homeless street performer known as a “Tin Man” because of the silver paint he wore while performing, pushed his cart, which contained all of his belongings, along the access road that led into the parking lot for the Hamilton E. Holmes MARTA Station in Atlanta.
According to court documents, Lucianna Fox was driving in the area at the time and stopped her vehicle in front of Midyette, at which point, she exclaimed that he needed to move his items out of the street.
Midyette then motioned for Fox to drive her vehicle around him as he pushed his cart. Instead, Fox, enraged by Midyette’s suggestion, drove her vehicle into his cart. Documents show Fox then placed her vehicle in reverse and rammed the cart for a second time before driving off, documents say.
Midyette ran toward Fox’s vehicle as she waited at a nearby stop sign. Midyette confronted Fox about her previous actions. Fox then exited her vehicle, drew a silver handgun, and shot Midyette from two feet away.
The court said Fox placed the weapon upon the hood of her vehicle and waited for Atlanta Police to arrive. Midyette died at the scene after suffering a gunshot wound to the chest. The entire incident was captured on surveillance video.
Fox was arrested at the scene.
"If this defendant had just stopped for five minutes to think about the consequences of what she was doing, then it's our hope, at the DA's office, that this would have never happened," Fulton County District Attorney Paul Howard said.
The district attorney said Midyette was a product of the foster care system, and he did not receive a high school diploma. He was homeless, but he earned enough money to survive.
"This man brought so much joy and pleasure to other people. It's just difficult for his life to be taken away under such difficult circumstances," said Howard.
The victim traveled the country, according to documents, and performed as a “Tin Man,” which is someone who paints their face silver, wears silver clothing, and performs for tips based upon the enjoyment of his audience.
"Why someone would senselessly take his life, is just beyond comprehension," Howard said.
When Midyette was shot he had just finished a day of performances, the district attorney said, and he was pushing his cart, which carried all of his belongings, to the MARTA station which he rode frequently.
Some of his performances were captured on video and shared on YouTube.
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