04/04/2026
🚨 A young student with dreams of helping others… a life cut short by violence. The tragic story of "Aniya Mack" shocked the community of "Kalamazoo, Michigan" and left a family searching for answers and justice.
📍Location: Kalamazoo, Michigan, United States
đź“… June 24, 2018
⚖️ Status: Offender Convicted
🙋🏼‍♀️ Aniya Mack was a 24-year-old student at Western Michigan University, remembered by loved ones as compassionate, ambitious, and deeply passionate about helping others—especially children with autism and people struggling with mental health challenges. Those who knew her described her as someone who always tried to lift others up.
🚨 But in June 2018, her family reported her missing after they suddenly lost contact with her. Days later, investigators uncovered a horrifying truth.
Her ex-boyfriend, Donnovan Lewis, eventually led police to Comstock Creek, where Aniya’s body had been hidden inside a suitcase. The discovery stunned the community and quickly turned the case into a major investigation.
📢According to court records, Lewis admitted to attacking Aniya during a violent confrontation. He claimed he flew into a jealous rage after discovering explicit messages on her phone that he believed connected her to Strickjavvar 'Strick' Strickland, a local pastor and then-president of the Kalamazoo NAACP. Strickland strongly denied any affair, stating that his interactions with Aniya were strictly ministry-related. Authorities never charged him in connection with the case.
⚖️The case took another bizarre turn months later. While awaiting trial in September 2018, Lewis managed to escape from the Kalamazoo County Jail by climbing two 15-foot fences. The escape caused a brief panic in the area, but he was captured again within about 30 minutes. Even so, the incident added another shocking chapter to an already disturbing case.
🚨In September 2019, Lewis pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and jail escape. A month later, he was sentenced to 25 to 40 years in prison, along with additional time for the escape. The sentences ensure he will spend decades behind bars.
🕊 While the legal case may be closed, Aniya Mack’s memory lives on through the people who loved her. Friends and family continue to remember her not for the tragedy, but for the compassion and kindness she showed to others.
💬 Cases involving jealousy and control often escalate quickly. Do you think warning signs in relationships are taken seriously enough? ..Comment👇🏻