ST. FRANCISVILLE — Grief still grips Lasonia Harris every morning she wakes up without her son. And now, as one of the people accused in his murder accepts a plea deal, the pain feels freshly carved into her heart.
Steven Harris, a Southern University sophomore and beloved member of the Human Jukebox, was brutally murdered in the summer of 2024 after authorities say he was lured across state lines as part of a calculated plot. On Monday, his ex-girlfriend and the mother of his child, Allyah Martin, pleaded no contest to conspiracy to commit second-degree murder and was sentenced to 15 years in prison — half of the original 30-year sentence prosecutors sought.
For Harris, the sentence brings little comfort.
“Every day has been so hard,” Harris said, her voice heavy with exhaustion and resolve. “Watching our grandson… he has separation anxiety, but he is doing better now.”
That grandson — Steven’s child — is now the center of her world and the reason she continues to push forward. Harris says she has custody of him and is unwavering about the future.
“As long as I’m alive and have custody, he will never see his mother again,” she said. “If he chooses to see her when he is older, that is on him.”
MORE: Three arrested after Southern University student Steven Harris found dead
A Mother’s Regret — and a Warning to Other Parents
Harris spoke candidly about the difficult reality many parents face when their children are adults making their own choices — even dangerous ones.
“I educated my son,” Harris said. “We had talks about what to expect and what wasn’t okay. He chose to continue seeing this girl off and on. Parents can do their best and tell their kids the truth, but they will make their own decisions.”
Those decisions, Harris believes, ultimately placed her son in the hands of people who showed no mercy. One of those people, Allyah Martin, was his ex-girlfriend and mother of his son.
“They were friends since middle school in West Feliciana. They dated off and on until right after she became pregnant with the child,” Harris said.
Harris said the relationship was always toxic. “She would make up lies about my son and get other people to turn against him,” she recalled.
Despite the tumultuous relationship, Harris said in an earlier interview that she never believed it would end in murder.
“I’m angry at how my son succumbed to his death,” she said. “Like you really just treated him like he was a piece of trash.”
MORE: Victim’s Voice: “Why?” Mother of slain Southern University student speaks out
“He Begged for His Life”
Authorities say Steven Harris was lured to Wilkinson County, Mississippi, where he was shot multiple times with a Glock modified to function as an automatic weapon. His body was later discovered near an 18-foot ravine.
Harris says learning the details of how her son died has been unbearable.
“They brutally killed my son,” she said. “He begged for his life, and they laughed at him and killed him.”
She says Steven’s body was thrown over the ravine, and only chance allowed investigators to find him.
“The trees stopped his body from hitting the water,” Harris explained. “If it hadn’t been for the tree, we may have never found him or known what happened.”
A plea deal that reopened wounds
Martin’s plea deal spares her a trial and reduces her sentence, a development that Harris says feels like another loss.
“She was originally sentenced to 30 years, but there was a plea deal that we agreed to, and she will be going to jail for 15 years,” Harris said. “I have no remorse for them in jail because they had no remorse for my son.”
Allyah Martin entered a no-contest plea to conspiracy to commit second-degree murder Monday in a St. Francisville courtroom. While the plea results in a conviction, it does not require the defendant to formally admit guilt.
Two other suspects — Derek Terrell Hollins Jr. and Calajia Jack — remain charged in connection with the murder. Both are expected back in court on May 11.
“I Will Be There” | The fight will continue
Despite her grief, Harris says she is far from finished fighting for her son.
“I will be at every hearing, every trial, and everything else as long as my eyes are not permanently shut,” she vowed. “I will be in their lives until their eyes are permanently shut.”
For Harris, justice is not just about prison sentences — it’s about ensuring Steven’s life is never reduced to a headline or a court document.
“Every day is so hard,” she said again, pausing. “But we keep going because we have a grandson to raise.”
Steven Harris was more than a victim. He was a son, a father, a student, and a musician whose drumbeat once echoed through Southern University stadiums. His mother says she will spend the rest of her life making sure his voice — and his story — are never silenced.
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