Takeshia Eads, a 42-year-old Florida mother of four and grandmother of five, was fatally shot in her home on Tuesday, March 25, 2025.
Her death came just weeks after filing for divorce from her husband of 10 years – who authorities say pulled the trigger.
Orange County deputies responded to the couple’s Orlo Vista home west of Orlando around 3:45 p.m. March 25 after a frantic 911 call where a relative screamed, “My son-in-law shot my daughter!” according to arrest records.
Eads was found with a gunshot wound to the head and later pronounced dead at a hospital.
Her estranged husband, Lamar Bryant, 41, now faces first-degree murder charges. Court records show Eads had recently initiated divorce proceedings, which Bryant allegedly resisted.
A Mother’s Legacy
Eads’ eldest daughter, Cordeja Paige, remembered her mother as a devout churchgoer who put “God first, her kids, and her family” in interviews with local stations.
“She would give the shirt off her back to anybody,” Paige told WFTV, adding that her mother “touched a lot of lives.”
Through tears, she issued a warning to others in abusive relationships:
“It’s not going to get better…think about your kids first.”
The Final Hours
Investigators say Bryant’s movements before the shooting paint a chilling picture. He picked up one of their daughters from school that afternoon, stopping at a liquor store and storage unit along the way. The child told authorities he retrieved two guns from the unit, placing them in the car’s console before driving home.
Eads was waiting outside when they arrived. Shortly after she and Bryant entered the house together, neighbors reported hearing gunshots.
Bryant remains held without bond. His next court appearance is scheduled for April 1.
The National Domestic Violence Hotline (1-800-799-7233 or thehotline.org) offers 24/7 confidential support in 170+ languages.
