Case Preview: The Murder of Sony Millbrook

# Case Preview: The Murder of Sony Millbrook

Quick Context

On January 27, 2010, Sony Millbrook, a 28-year-old mother of five, did not pick up her children from school and child care in Memphis, Tennessee. She had been staying with her longtime partner and their children at the Budget Lodge on Brooks Road. Her family called police that night. For nearly seven weeks, no one knew where she was. On March 15, 2010, her body was found inside the motel room where she had last been seen. (Sources: State v. Moody, Tenn. Crim. App. (2016); WREG; CBS News)

The man later convicted of her murder was LaKeith Moody, the father of four of her five children. A Shelby County jury found him guilty of first-degree murder in February 2014, and he was sentenced to life in prison. (Sources: WREG, Feb. 10, 2014; State v. Moody)

This is the preview for this week's episode of The Last Known Moment. 🎧 Listen to the full episode on our podcast page.

Who

Sony Millbrook was 28 years old and the mother of five children. Court testimony from her mother and a childhood friend places her relationship with Moody as beginning in the late 1990s. On the day Sony vanished, it was her family who raised the alarm: the school called Mrs. Bennett when a child was not picked up, and Mrs. Bennett could not reach her daughter by phone. She and her husband collected the children, and by about 10:30 that night, Memphis police were at her door. (Source: State v. Moody, Tenn. Crim. App.)

When & Where

• ✔◦January 22-23, 2010: Motel security staff later testified to two loud arguments at the Budget Lodge involving Moody and Sony. The couple and their children were moved into Room 222.
• ✔◦January 27, 2010: Sony is last seen at the motel. That evening, her family reports her missing after she doesn't pick up her children.
• ✔◦February 2, 2010: Memphis police find Moody in Sony's car and take him into custody. He was already being held on unrelated charges when her body was found.
• ✔◦February-March 2010: Room 222 is cleaned and rented to other guests. Some complained about a strong odor.
• ✔◦March 15, 2010: After weeks of odor complaints, Sony's body is found in the room.
• ✔◦February 2014: Moody is convicted of first-degree murder.
• ✔◦March 15, 2016: The Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals affirms his convictions.

(Sources: State v. Moody, Tenn. Crim. App. (2016); WREG; CBS News)

A note on the record: Early news coverage differs on some details. The motel is called the "Budget Inn" in one 2010 report, one 2014 report spells her first name "Somy," and outlets give different counts of how many times the room was rented. This preview follows the Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals opinion, which uses Sony Millbrook and places the Budget Lodge on Brooks Road.

Why This Case Matters

Sony's family sounded the alarm the same night she went missing. The court record shows that in the years before her death, police had been called to her home more than once over domestic violence, and she had asked a court for an order of protection against Moody. Yet she stayed missing for seven weeks, in a room that was cleaned and rented again while guests complained about a smell.

How did a missing mother of five go unfound inside a working motel? What did the earlier calls to police show? And what did the jury hear about the years of abuse that came before? We're saving the full timeline, the evidence, and the questions this case still raises for the episode.

Sources

1\. Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals — State of Tennessee v. LaKeith Moody, No. W2014-01056-CCA-R3-CD (Mar. 15, 2016)

2\. WREG — Man Guilty In Murder Of Woman Found Under Motel Bed (Feb. 10, 2014)

3\. CBS News / WREG — Sony Millbrook: Missing Woman Found Under Motel Bed (2010)

4\. Action News 5 — Memphis man found guilty in 2010 motel murder

If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, the National Domestic Violence Hotline is available 24/7 at 1-800-799-7233 (SAFE), or text START to 88788.

_Disclaimer: This post is based on publicly available reporting and court records current as of this writing. NaturalQueen77 TV strives for accuracy but cannot guarantee completeness. This post uses AI-assisted research and production tools._

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