Father of 13-year-old killed in alleged custody battle says his daughter was ‘perfect’

Thirteen-year-old Shianna Mays was everything to her father Demetrius.

“She wasn’t no trouble. She never lied to me,” he said. “To me, she was like the perfect daughter.”

Shianna was killed in a car crash earlier this month as a result of a custody battle. Her grandmother, Shirley Cruz, told ABC17 News that Shianna’s mother, Demetres Washington, didn’t have custody of any of her children with Demetrius Mays because, Cruz claimed, she had been involved with drugs.

Washington and a friend, Mackenzie Quiovers, allegedly lured three of Demetrius Mays’ children, including Shianna, from their home in early March and authorities said they crashed a car on Route J and I-70 with the three children inside.

Shianna Mays died from injuries she suffered during the crash, and her siblings, Adrianna and Tyler Mays were hurt, but are recovering.

Quiovers and Washington were charged with three counts of kidnapping but on Monday, Boone County prosecutors added second-degree murder to the charges.

“Honestly, I don’t have feelings towards that because I feel like if they wouldn’t have made the decisions they made, my daughter would be here,” said Demetrius Mays. “The time that they’re facing even still ain’t (sic) justice because it can’t bring my daughter back.”

Mays said Shianna was a straight-A student whose volleyball team was undefeated. He said she liked to cook and helped around the house.

“She had a lot of friends,” he said. “A lot of people loved her and missed her.”

His extended family was already close but Shianna’s death has brought them even closer together.

“It tore them from the inside but at the same time it also brought us together even more,” said Mays. “Her presence is missed in the house.”

Mays said Shianna sacrificed things to make others happy, and encouraged people to live their best lives.

“She made us look at life different, like, we all got to change,” he said. “If we plan on seeing her again, we all got to live right because we know she’s in heaven and the only way we can see her again is to live like she lived when she was here.”