The Arlington Police Department (APD) has announced five arrests in connection with the murders of Dayton Allen and Alexis Tyler, who were found shot and killed inside a short-term rental on Slaughter Street on November 23, 2024. Following a comprehensive investigation, APD Homicide Detectives obtained Capital Murder warrants for Chrisaveon Whitted, 18, Eddie Walker Jr., 19, Demarian Owens, 21, Shannon Steele, 20, and Diamond Curttie, 26.
Three of the suspects – Whitted, Walker, and Owens – were located and arrested on June 18, 2025, by members of the U.S. Marshals North Texas Fugitive Task Force and Arlington PD SWAT. Steele was already in custody at the Dallas County Jail for an unrelated offense when his warrant was served. Curttie was taken into custody by the Dallas Police Department on June 19, 2025, after her warrant was confirmed during a traffic stop.
Investigation Details Lead to Arrests
Detectives determined that Alexis Tyler had rented the apartment to celebrate Dayton Allen's birthday. Diamond Curttie, a relative of Allen, and the other four suspects, who were friends of Allen, were invited to the celebration. Cell phone records indicate that all five met in Dallas before traveling together to the Arlington crime scene.
Surveillance video from the apartment complex shows the victims entering the apartment at approximately 10:13 p.m. Curttie followed shortly after. Around the same time, the other four suspects were captured exiting a white Ford Fusion in the parking lot, wearing hoodies to obscure their faces as they approached the apartment. One of them was seen carrying a heavy bag.
At 10:19 p.m., multiple shots were fired. All five suspects were then seen on video running from the apartment, getting back into the Ford Fusion, and driving away. The vehicle was later seen in Dallas, near their initial meeting location. Detectives confirmed the car belonged to Demarian Owens and obtained GPS data placing it at the crime scene during the time of the murders.
In December 2024, Shannon Steele was arrested by Dallas PD for an unrelated offense. With DPD’s assistance, APD Detectives executed a search warrant at his home, recovering additional cell phones, including one with a photo of a gun believed to be used in the murder. Surveillance footage also showed Steele returning home the night of the offense wearing clothing matching that seen in the apartment complex video.
Family members of the victims informed detectives that Allen and the suspects may have been involved in a dispute over money, a claim supported by additional evidence collected from search warrants.
Chrisaveon Whitted, Eddie Walker Jr., and Demarian Owens are currently being held at the Tarrant County Jail. Shannon Steele and Diamond Curttie are being held at the Dallas County Jail. Steele's bond is set at $2 million and each of the otther arrested at $1 million.
