A Tacoma man who pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and assault for fatally shooting his girlfriend and then pointing the gun at one of her three children was sentenced Friday to 23 years, four months in prison.
Tellieun Marquez Harvey’s defense attorney, Jennifer Freeman, said her client had been diagnosed with schizophrenia a year before the shooting, was not on his medication and was actively psychotic when he shot and killed 24-year-old Elisia Simpson on May 16, 2022.
Freeman told the court she believed Simpson’s murder wouldn’t have occurred if Harvey had been taking his medications. Freeman said Harvey was having command hallucinations at the time telling him to kill the victim, and that he had to do so to get his soul back. She said her client acknowledged he will need to be on medication for the rest of his life.
Harvey’s mental competency to assist in his own defense was called into question during his criminal case, court records show, and a judge ordered him to undergo two 90-day periods of competency restoration at Western State Hospital before he was declared competent to proceed.
It was a challenge for prosecutors to decide whether to take the case to trial on the original charges of first-degree murder and first-degree attempted murder. Deputy prosecuting attorney Bryce Nelson said doing so would have meant putting a 7-year-old girl on the witness stand to testify about what would be the worst event in anyone’s life.
Simpson’s three children, ages 2, 3 and 5, were in the apartment on Pacific Avenue when Harvey, then 21, shot and killed the mother. Nelson said the children were left alone in the residence for some time until they went out onto a balcony and flagged down a passerby who called 911.
Tacoma Police Department officers found seven .40-caliber shell casings on the floor of a bedroom where Simpson was found, according to charging documents. Simpson’s face was severely swollen and bruised, and she had multiple wounds on her left side.
Elisia Simpson, 24, was found dead in her Tacoma apartment Tuesday, May 17, 2022. She was a mother to three children.
The 5-year-old girl later told forensic interviewers she was in her bedroom watching “Shrek” when she heard her mother and Harvey arguing. The girl said she heard gunshots, and then Harvey entered her room and pointed a black handgun directly at her face.
Witnesses saw Harvey leave the apartment at 6:30 a.m. and provided photos of him to investigators along with the license plate number of the car he left in. Police later interviewed Harvey’s mother, who said he’d been acting strangely and that she had taken him to Good Samaritan Hospital in Puyallup for treatment.
Investigators learned Harvey was transferred to Wellfound Behavioral Health Hospital in Tacoma, where police arrested him.
Discussion between prosecutors, the victim’s family and the defense about whether it was worthwhile to have Simpson’s daughter testify led to an agreement that avoided trial, with Harvey pleading guilty to lesser charges of second-degree murder and second-degree assault. Nelson said prosecutors agreed to recommend a 23-year sentence.
Pierce County Superior Court Judge Susan Adams said what Simpson’s daughter experienced was beyond comprehension. The girl was fortunate to not have suffered the same fate as her mother, the judge said, but she said the girl would carry this with her for the rest of her life.
Adams said the defendant’s mental health issues did justify a less severe punishment, which he was afforded through the amended charges. But she said she saw no reason to sentence Harvey to anything other than the high end of the range, four months longer than the recommendation.
“He is going to spend two-plus decades in prison for these horrific crimes, and rightly, deservedly,” Adams said.
‘Like a superhero’
Before the judge handed Harvey’s punishment, she heard from three of Simpson’s siblings who described how their sister’s murder had “shattered” their family.
Alice Simpson, who attended the hearing via Zoom, told the court that she had been in denial about her sister’s death the past few years, still texting and calling her in hopes she might answer. She said no amount of time Harvey could serve would undo the damage or take away her pain, but she wanted Harvey to at least regret tearing her family apart and feel the pain he caused them.
Another sister, Willow Jackson, 16, said Simpson was like a second mother to her and was the strongest person she knew.
“She was sort of like a superhero, always helping everyone else and never letting anyone be her superhero,” Jackson said.
Knowing that her sister’s life was taken in such a cruel and senseless way left Jackson questioning the goodness in this world, she said, and it has robbed her of her ability to feel peace.
“Our family has been shattered by her death,” Jackson said. “I miss my sister every day, and I wish she were here to see the young woman I’m becoming. I hope through this process, my sister’s voice is heard, and her life is honored.”
William Simpson told the court he couldn’t see a world where Harvey’s crime could be remedied. He said Simpson was the cornerstone of everything that was good about their family, and now all of their outlooks had changed.
“There is nothing that can be done,” William Simpson said. “But at least he’ll be somewhere else. Somewhere else far away.”
When it was Harvey’s turn to speak, he said he was sorry to Simpson’s family for what he’d done and was remorseful for the pain he’d caused. He said he did a terrible thing.
“I deserve the punishment I’m getting,” Harvey said. “If I could change things, I would.”
Tellieun Harvey appears in Pierce County Superior Court in Tacoma, Washington, on Friday, Dec. 20, 2024, to be sentenced on a second-degree murder charge for the fatal shooting of his girlfriend, Elisia Simpson, in 2022.
Resources for domestic violence
Visit familyjusticecenter.us or call 253-798-4166 to contact the Crystal Judson Family Justice Center, whose website features a list of partner organizations that also provide services.
For a list of domestic-violence victim advocacy programs in the state, visit wscadv.org/washington-domestic-violence-programs. For national or regional hotlines, visit wscadv.org/get-help-now.
The Washington State Coalition Against Domestic Violence’s friends and family guide can be found here: wscadv.org/resources/friends-family-guide. A printable guide in English or Spanish is available here: wscadv.org/resources/printable-friends-family-guide.
Call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233 if you or someone you know is suffering abuse. Visit thehotline.org to chat or text with an advocate or more information.