DECATUR, IL – A Decatur man will serve 15 years in prison after agreeing to a plea deal that spares him a murder conviction in a shooting that left a pregnant woman and her unborn child dead, and seriously injured her young daughter last year.
Mattavius Anderson, now 21, had faced nine felony charges—including murder and aggravated battery with a firearm—in connection with the April 2023 shooting that took the life of 20-year-old Ja’Niah Thomas and her unborn daughter, and left Thomas’ 4-year-old daughter with a severe eye injury. Instead, Anderson pleaded guilty to one count of residential burglary, resulting in all other charges being dropped under the agreement.
Investigators say the violence unfolded at a home on North Woodford Street following a dispute fueled by a heated exchange on Snapchat. Thomas, who was 26 weeks pregnant at the time, had been visiting her boyfriend’s home with her 4-year-old daughter and 2-year-old son when Anderson, his brother Mattarion Anderson, and another man, Tarlan Mackey, arrived at the property.
Prosecutors allege the confrontation escalated quickly after Thomas’ boyfriend and his brother stepped outside to confront the Anderson brothers over the social media dispute. Gunfire erupted, with stray bullets piercing the home. Thomas, sitting on the couch, was struck as she tried to protect her daughter by dropping to the floor. Both were hit; Thomas sustained fatal wounds, while her daughter was shot in the face and later lost her right eye. The 2-year-old son was unharmed.
Thomas, remembered by family members as a devoted mother and Decatur native with a love of singing and dancing, was employed as a forklift operator at the time of her death. Her unborn child, Ja’Nylah Brielle Thomas, also died in the attack.
Court records show that Anderson’s case was set for trial this week before the plea deal was reached. He has been credited with time already served in custody.
Mattarion Anderson, Mattavius’ brother, opted for a trial and was convicted of murder by a Macon County judge in May. He is now serving a 40-year prison sentence. The third man allegedly involved in the shooting, Tarlan Mackey, was also convicted through a plea deal for residential burglary and was sentenced to 10 years in prison.
Authorities later revealed that shortly after the shooting, a relative of the Anderson brothers reached out to Thomas’ boyfriend’s family, expressing remorse for the events that unfolded.
Family members say Thomas had the “biggest heart” for her children and that her greatest joy was motherhood. Loved ones continue to mourn her loss as legal proceedings draw to a close for those charged in the case.