MURDER
CASE #: 2023-72
Khadija Iyana Derry
Status:
Open
Date of Offense:
Date of Offense:
Jurisdiction:
Offense Location:
Converse, Texas
Summary:
Khadija was a 22-year-old nursing student and former college basketball star who was ambushed and murdered outside her uncle's home in Converse, Texas on December 6, 2023. A juvenile suspect was arrested in May 2025 but was later released after the Bexar County DA returned the case to Converse Police for further investigation. #JusticeForDija
Vital Statistics
Circumstances of Offense:
On the evening of December 6, 2023, at approximately 8:00 PM, Khadija Iyana Derry — a 22-year-old nursing student and former standout basketball player at Sam Houston High School in San Antonio — was sitting inside her Dodge Charger outside her uncle's home on the 8900 block of Arundal Garden in Converse, Texas. Her uncle is a Bexar County Sheriff's Office deputy. Earlier that day, Derry's younger sister had told detectives that a girl had threatened the family. A four-door vehicle drove up and two masked individuals exited, opened fire with two high-caliber semi-automatic rifles, and fired approximately 18 to 20 rounds into Derry's car, striking her approximately a dozen times. She died at the scene. Converse Police described the attack as ambush-style and believed to be targeted. The FBI and Secret Service later joined the investigation alongside Converse Police, the Bexar County Sheriff's Office, the Texas Rangers, and the San Antonio Police Department. On December 10, 2023, Joe-Isaac Lee Yanez, 19, was arrested after fleeing from a Texas Department of Public Safety traffic stop on San Antonio's East Side. While not formally charged with Derry's murder, he was identified as a possible suspect in arrest warrant affidavits. He faced five charges including aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and possession of stolen firearms stemming from related incidents, with total bond set at $220,000. A second person linked to the shooting, known by the street name "Fresh," was killed in April 2024. On May 5, 2025, the U.S. Marshals Service Lone Star Fugitive Task Force arrested a juvenile suspect — who was 16 at the time of the murder — and charged him with Derry's murder. He was linked to a local gang involved in armed robberies, narcotics trafficking, and homicides. He appeared before a judge in juvenile court and was ordered detained. Weeks later, he was released from custody. The Bexar County District Attorney's Office stated that the current evidence was not sufficient to move forward with a murder charge and returned the case to Converse Police for further investigation. Derry's mother, Kuquanda Perkins, has stated her hope that the suspect will be tried as an adult. The case remains open.
Case Last Updated:
Timeline of Events
The juvenile suspect is released from custody. The Bexar County District Attorney's Office states the current evidence is not sufficient to proceed with a murder charge and returns the case to Converse Police for further investigation. Derry's mother, Kuquanda Perkins, states her hope that he will be tried as an adult.
The U.S. Marshals Service Lone Star Fugitive Task Force arrests a juvenile suspect — who was 16 at the time of the murder — at the 5000 block of Eunice Street in San Antonio. He is charged with Derry's murder and linked to a local gang. He appears in juvenile court in shackles and is ordered detained.
A second person linked to the shooting — identified by the street name "Fresh" — is killed.
Ninety days after Khadija Derry's murder, no arrests have been made in connection with her death. Her family continues to seek answers and press for justice.
Joe-Isaac Lee Yanez, 19, is arrested after fleeing from a Texas DPS traffic stop on San Antonio's East Side. He is identified as a possible suspect in arrest warrant affidavits related to Derry's murder and faces five charges, including aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and possession of stolen firearms from related incidents. Total bond set at $220,000. He is not formally charged with Derry's murder.
The Bexar County Medical Examiner's Office identifies the victim as Khadija Iyana Derry, 22.
Khadija Derry is shot and killed while sitting in her Dodge Charger outside her uncle's home on the 8900 block of Arundal Garden in Converse. Two masked individuals fire approximately 18–20 rounds into her car. She is pronounced dead at the scene.
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Associated Persons
Kuquanda P. (Mother) - Living
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