Disagreements are a common part of life, whether it’s a simple misunderstanding, a clash of beliefs, or a personal grievance. Married couples may argue over money, chores, or habits. Parents and children might clash over curfews, grades, or behavior. These disagreements can happen anywhere, from home to school, work, or public spaces.
Navigating these conflicts with patience, compromise, and understanding helps us grow and prepares us for future challenges. However, knowing when to walk away from a dispute is crucial, especially when the issue is minor. Unfortunately, the petty disputes on this list—ranging from a missing lunch to holding a door—spiraled out of control, leading to tragic outcomes.
Here are ten trivial disputes that led to tragic murder cases.
10 Coworker Taking Lunch
Bazn Berhe, 25, worked at a Target store in Bailey’s Crossroads, Virginia. On April 14, 2021, he discovered that his coworker, 58-year-old Hernan Leiva, had taken his lunch from the staff refrigerator. Instead of addressing the issue with Leiva, Berhe bought a hammer and two knives after his shift on April 15, 2021, and began “training for murder.”
On April 17, 2021, Berhe waited for Leiva in the employee parking lot. When he saw Leiva, he beat and stabbed him to death before fleeing. Berhe confessed and was charged with first-degree murder. At his sentencing, he threatened to harm others if he didn’t receive the harshest sentence. On January 30, 2024, Berhe was sentenced to 100 years in prison, with 30 years suspended, resulting in 70 years of incarceration.[1]
9 Appearance on Reality TV Show
Shanti Cooper and David Tronnes met online in 2013. Tronnes moved from Minnesota to Orlando, Florida, and bought a Victorian-style house in Delaney Park for over $600,000 cash. Cooper and her son lived there, but the house was in a trust fund with Tronnes’s mother. The couple married in 2017, but Cooper was never added to the deed. She ran a software business from home and paid for renovations despite not owning the house.
By 2018, the house was unlivable due to the failed renovation. Tronnes lived in the garage, while Cooper lived in a studio above it. Tronnes wanted to feature the house on Zombie House Flipping to minimize losses, but Cooper refused. Her refusal reportedly upset Tronnes to the point that it led to her murder.”
On April 24, 2018, Tronnes fatally beat and strangled Cooper. He tried to clean the scene before calling the police, claiming he found her dead in the bathtub. Detectives found inconsistencies in his story, and he was arrested on August 29, 2018, and charged with first-degree murder. On October 18, 2023, Tronnes was sentenced to life in prison. [2]
8 Number of Christmas Gifts
On December 24, 2023, Abrielle Baldwin went Christmas shopping with her two children, mother, and teenage brothers, Damarcus, 14, and Darcus Coley, 15, in Largo, Florida. The brothers argued over Christmas gifts, with Damarcus upset that Darcus was getting more.
At Baldwin’s grandmother’s house, the argument continued. Damarcus tried to provoke Darcus into a fight. An uncle intervened, taking Damarcus outside. Baldwin, holding her 11-month-old, told Damarcus to stop. He argued with her, calling her names, and then shot her in the chest with handgun, causing her infant to fall. Darcus then shot Damarcus in the stomach for shooting Baldwin, threw his gun, and fled to a relative’s house.
Baldwin died from her wounds. Damarcus was stable after surgery. Darcus was found and taken to a mental health facility. Damarcus was charged with first-degree murder, child abuse, and illegal firearm possession. Darcus was charged with attempted first-degree murder and evidence tampering. No trial date has been set for either brother. [3]
7 A Bad Grade in Spanish Class
Nohema Graber, 66, a Spanish teacher at Fairfield High School in Fairfield, Iowa, was reported missing on November 2, 2021. Her body was found in Chautauqua Park on November 3, 2021, hidden under a tarp, wheelbarrow, and railroad ties.
Two days later, police arrested two of her students, Willard Miller and Jeremy Goodale, both 16. Classmates showed police Snapchat messages where Goodale revealed they were involved in planning, executing, and disposing of evidence in Graber’s murder. The motive was a bad grade Miller received in Graber’s class.
Miller told police he was frustrated with Graber’s teaching and that his failing grade was lowering his GPA, preventing him from a study abroad program. Miller and Goodale planned the murder for two weeks. On November 2, 2021, Miller met with Graber to discuss his grade. After school, they followed her to Chautauqua Park, ambushed her, and beat her to death with a baseball bat. Witnesses saw her van leaving the park with two males inside, and it was later found abandoned.
Miller and Goodale were charged as adults with first-degree murder. Miller was sentenced to life in prison with parole possible in 35 years on July 6, 2023. Goodale received life with parole possible after 25 years on November 15, 2023. Both were ordered to pay $150,000 in restitution to Graber’s family. [4]
6 Toddler Jumping on the Bed
On May 17, 2016, the Clay County Sheriff’s Office in Texas received a 911 call from a trailer near the Oklahoma border. The caller reported that three-year-old Dominic Tra’Juan Castro had been shot in the head and was believed to be dead.
Castro was airlifted to United Regional Health Care Systems in Wichita Falls, Texas, but was pronounced dead on May 18, 2016.
Witnesses initially claimed Castro was jumping on the bed, causing a gun to accidentally discharge. Later, they recanted, saying Castro’s stepfather, 18-year-old George Coty Wayman, threatened Castro with the gun, saying he would shoot him if he didn’t stop jumping. Wayman then fired the gun, hitting Castro in the head.
Wayman was charged with capital murder of a person under 10 years of age. On December 29, 2016, Wayman agreed to a plea deal, pleading guilty in exchange for a life sentence. [5]
5 Elevator Etiquette
Ariel “Ace” Harris, 29, invited his brother, Cameron Harris, to a party in Greektown, Detroit, Michigan. Leaving the party on November 27, 2022, Ariel held the elevator for a group of women.
This led to a dispute with Gayelon Spencer Jr., 34, who tried to push onto the elevator first. Spencer shot Ariel in front of Cameron and the mother of his children and fled. Ariel was rushed to Detroit Receiving Hospital but died.
Spencer was arrested on December 5, 2022, after a domestic violence report in Gahanna, Ohio. He was charged with second-degree murder. [6]
4 Being Late to Work
On June 27, 2022, Daniel Leroy Brotemarkle, 25, and his supervisor, Nathanial Marceal Ebarra, 27, argued at work in Pontiac, Michigan, because Brotemarkle was late. The argument became physical, and the company owner told them to leave for the day.
Brotemarkle used a company vehicle to go home with the owner’s permission. The owner sent Ebarra and other coworkers to retrieve the truck. Another confrontation occurred, and Ebarra shot Brotemarkle multiple times and fled.
Deputies found Brotemarkle unresponsive in the road. He was taken to a hospital but died shortly after arrival. Ebarra was arrested at his home within an hour of the shooting and charged with second-degree murder and firearm possession during a felony. [7]
3 Dog Droppings in Yard
Paul Allen Wilson, 44, and his wife, Beth Wilson, had a dispute with their neighbor, Larry Russell Bates, 46, about dog droppings in their Auburn, Georgia, neighborhood.
Beth said Bates wrongly accused their dogs of leaving feces in his yard. She said their dogs weren’t allowed to poop in Bates’s yard, and Paul offered to clean up any droppings, even if they weren’t from their dogs. They shook hands, assuming the issue was resolved.
On July 2, 2017, Paul returned home from work around 1 a.m. and took their dog and his mother-in-law’s dog for a walk. Beth heard gunshots and found Paul lying on the sidewalk as Bates ran back inside. Both Paul and one of the dogs died.
Bates confessed to the shooting and was charged with felony murder and animal cruelty. On August 26, 2019, Bates was sentenced to life in prison plus 10 years. [8]
2 Pancakes
Steven Schwartz, 85, of Washington, D.C., had a stroke. His wife, Sharon Schwartz, 81, made him pancakes on December 10, 2023, to help him gain weight. Steven tried to eat one, but when he couldn’t, Sharon became frustrated and threw the plate against a wall. Steven then grabbed a carving knife and stabbed Sharon in the back.
Neighbors heard “screaming and tumbling” and asked Sharon’s sons to check on the couple. One son found his mother struggling to breathe and Steven admitted to stabbing her and himself. The son took the knife and called 911 as Steven went upstairs.
Police found Steven on his knees with a second knife. He stabbed himself in the abdomen, forcing officers to use a stun gun to disarm him.
Sharon died from stab wounds to her heart and lung. Steven told investigators they had been married for 40 years, that he loved her, and hoped the killing was a delusion. Steven was charged with second-degree murder while armed. [9]
1 Borrowing Clothes
On May 25, 2014, a small argument over clothes escalated into a fight between brothers Steven Odeus, 14, and Stanley Blanc, 16, in Miami, Florida. Blanc wanted to wear Odeus’s clothes, but Odeus refused.
Family members separated them, but the fight continued outside. Odeus shot Blanc. Their older brother, Mark Blanc, 18, witnessed the shooting. Odeus ran across the apartment complex and shot himself, resulting in a tragic murder-suicide. [10]
These cases highlight how easily trivial disputes can escalate into deadly tragedies. It’s a stark reminder of the importance of communication, conflict resolution, and knowing when to walk away.
What do you think about these tragic outcomes? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
