On Oct. 8, Tyjai Archer, 27, was sentenced to 30 years suspend all but 13 years for manslaughter in the case of an on-line relationship gone sour, before Baltimore City Circuit Judge Alan C. Lazerow.
Archer visited Davion Hodges, 25, at his home to bring him food on Sept. 9, 2025.
Hodges and Archer had developed an intimate relationship lasting about two weeks after meeting on TikTok.
A dispute then a verbal altercation broke out between them, and Hodges asked the victim to leave. Archer got upset and dropped a plate of food onto the floor. Then after the victim became physically violent toward Archer, she pulled a firearm out of her purse and shot Hodges once. He fell to the ground and she fired again.
The jury ultimately found Archer guilty of manslaughter, firearm use in a felony violent crime and having a handgun on her person. The manslaughter charge was downgraded from one count of first-degree murder.
During the sentencing, Hodges’ father spoke, explaining that the victim was a spokesperson for Under Armour. He was with his father the day of the incident for family bonding time, then his father received a phone call with the shocking news his son was dead.
Lazerow said the victim was shot twice; the first leaving him incapacitated but the second was an execution.
The prosecutor said we don’t know what exactly happened in that apartment but Archer was the only one with a weapon.
Lazerow said Archer is a health care worker and could have attempted life saving efforts or called 911; she did neither, instead she brought a bus ticket to Philadelphia.
Lazerow said he didn’t understand why she fled if she were innocent.
The prosecutor noted Archer never had a conceal carry permit or even went to a gun range for target practice. She had no reason to carry a firearm. However, her gun was registered in Maryland.
Defense attorney stand-in for Jerry Rodriguez, Avroham Greenfield, said Archer experienced domestic violence in her youth making her more reactive, justifying a claim of imperfect self-defense. He emphasized the need for rehabilitation, not punishment.
Greenfield said Archer is not a typical defendant in that was working as a medical assistant aspiring to be a nurse.
Archer’s mother testified she was shocked her daughter committed the crime and didn’t know she owned a gun.
No further proceedings were scheduled.
