Loved ones honor 19-year-old pregnant woman, boyfriend charged

LANSDOWNE, Pa. (WPVI) -- "My heart is hurting because I just want to know why? Why my daughter was murdered? Why did she have to go out like that?," said Tylicia Bell.

That question consumes the mind of Tylicia as she mourns the loss of her only daughter Tanyiah Bell who turned 19 years old two days before she was murdered.

"She was 8 months pregnant about to deliver her baby, and now the baby is just fighting for her life in the NICU," said Tylicia.

Lansdowne Police said Tanyiah was found with a gunshot wound to the head inside her apartment on Wycombe Avenue on November 14th. Tanyiah passed away at the hospital.

Doctors delivered her baby girl who remains on life support.

Police arrested Tanyiah's boyfriend - 19-year-old Kaiheem Williams - and he was charged with her murder.

According to the criminal complaint, Williams told police he was smoking and "blacked out". His next memory was calling 911 from Tanyiah's phone because she was shot. Police did not recover a weapon and Williams denied removing a firearm from the apartment.

"She was an innocent young lady trying to make her way in the world," said her grandfather, Leon Miller. "Hopefully, other people look at this and check their selves. If something ain't right, walk away, get away."

Family and friends honored Tanyiah at Academy Park High School in Sharon Hill on Saturday afternoon where she was a hardworking student and cheerleader.

"I just wish we could say our last words to her and cheer with her one more time and just be with her because she was a great spirit and the sweetest person ever," said Sameeya Andrews who is her friend.

Loved ones said they still feel Tanyiah's spirit through her daughter who looks just like her.

"He name is Tanyiah Miracle because I feel like she's going to be our miracle," said Tylicia. "She wanted to be a NICU nurse. I just know my daughter is at the bedside praying for her baby that she makes it. I know she is."

Tylicia hopes one day she'll be able to bring her granddaughter home. In the meantime,

she's fighting for justice for her daughter.

"She did not deserve to die like that," said Tylicia. "She did not deserve to get shot in the head. She did not deserve that."

The family said November 30th would have been Tanyiah's baby shower, but now it's the day they'll lay her to rest.

Donations are now being collected for the family.