Victim’s wife appeals for help in shooting case

John Eversley was found dead near Loudon Park; police have no suspects

It was supposed to be their fourth wedding anniversary.

Sheb Eversley and her husband, John Eversley, were married on the beach at Ocean City on July 26, 2014. For past anniversaries, she took him to Las Vegas; he took her to a resort in the Pocono Mountains in Pennsylvania.

This year, Sheb Eversley said, her husband took July 26 and 27 off work, likely because he had some sort of surprise planned for her.

Now Sheb Eversley might never know what that surprise was.

Baltimore County police found John Eversley inside his car in the 800 block of Beechfield Ave. near Loudon Park Wednesday afternoon with “multiple gunshot wounds.”

The Uplands man was taken to a local hospital and pronounced dead a short time later. He was 38.

Police are searching for a motive and suspects. Police spokeswoman Officer Jennifer Peach said “[I] really don’t have any information” about the incident.

Sheb Eversley is also seeking information.

Hours after police were called to the scene, she made a Facebook Live video asking anyone with information about the shooting to contact her.

“I don’t know anything,” she says in the video. “I don’t know what’s going on. Tomorrow is our anniversary. I’m completely lost.

“I don’t know what else to do. Maybe you guys might be able to find somebody who Sheb Eversley and John Eversley at their wedding in July 2014. John Eversley was shot and killed last week. finds somebody who knows something.

“The last time I saw him this morning, he was laying on the bed asleep when I was leaving for work. I just … I don’t know what the hell.

“I don’t know if anybody knows anything, please share this video. Inbox me, text me, call me. Any information is appreciated, anything at all is appreciated.”

By Sunday afternoon, the video had been viewed more than 134,000 times and shared more than 5,300 times.

A day after posting the video, Eversley said, a few people —“definitely less than10” — had called to say they might have seen or heard something related to the incident. She said “dozens” more had called to express condolences or to cry with her.

“It’s like I’m in standstill, like my life is one pause,” she said.

John Eversley worked as a bus driver in Montgomery County for the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority.

“He was literally on his way to work when this happened,” Sheb Eversley said.

WMATA said it was “heartbroken” by the news of John Eversley’s death. The transit authority said he had been an employee there since April 2010.

“The entire Metro family extends its deepest condolences to John’s friends and family,” authority said in a statement.

About 60 friends and coworkers gathered at a bus depot in Montgomery County on Saturday evening for a candlelight vigil, Sheb Eversley said.

“We’re re-considering where the funeral might be now, to accommodate more,” Sheb Eversley said.

Several people spoke, some prayed and some sang, Sheb Eversley said. At the end, they released white balloons into the sky.

“It’s incredible, you know? I didn’t know that he touched so many people’s lives in that way,” she said. “They promised me that I’m family with them, forever. Our family is their family.”

Godfrey Grenion, John Eversley’s stepfather and a locksmith who also worked at WMATA, said his stepson recently became interested in learning more about his trade.

“So he would come by the house, and we would have hours of me imparting whatever I know into him, Grenion said. “He always looked towards bettering himself.”

Venus Alert Grenion, Eversley’s mother, called him a “caring and loving child.”

“He’s a computer whiz,” she said. “I have a computer problem, he would walk me through. He’d say ‘OK, Ma, do this, do that.’ That’s who he was.”

Sheb Eversley said her husband was a “gentle giant” who worked hard.

“The only vice he had was smoking, and he was trying to quit that, too,” she said. “He was doing the vaping. He was trying.”

Sheb Eversley said John would “make every effort” to be with his children, two of his from a previous relationship and her 10-year-old daughter, Amaris, from a previous relationship.

John Eversley’s older brother, Conroy Dean Eversley, 47, said the family is struggling to understand what happened.

“Was this a case of mistaken identity, was it intentional, did he have an altercation with someone?” he said. “There’s more questions than there are answers.”

Sheb Eversley said her husband “wouldn’t hurt a fly.” He was “mellow,” and “carried a presence.” She remembers him as a man who was into his electronics, who enjoyed playing video games after work and grilling.

Neighbors have offered to help out with meals as calls of support have continued.

Nikki Wilson, a friend of Sheb Eversley, started a GoFundMe campaign to raise money to cover funeral expenses and help make up for the loss of income.

By Sunday, the campaign had raised more than $2,000 from 69 donors. It can be found at https://www.gofundme.com/ tvye4v-memorial-assistance.

Police said there is value in anyone who thinks they may have seen something at the scene, even if they did not think at first it was significant.

“We would rather hear from them, and let us determine if what they saw was accurate or inaccurate,” Peach said.

She said police would rather have witnesses call officers with information than calling Sheb Eversley, because the department doesn’t want to hear tips “through the grapevine.”

Metro Crime Stoppers is offering a reward for any information on the killing. Tips can be sent by phone to 866-7LOCKUP. Police are also asking anyone with information to call police at 410-307-2020; calls can be anonymous.

“I don’t want people to forget,” Sheb Eversley said. “This is a good guy who didn’t deserve this.”