Police: Beach woman strangled to death

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) - The cause of death of a woman found dead in her apartment earlier this week has been determined as strangulation, according to police.

Grazia Moyers with the Virginia Beach Police Department said officers responded to the 1500 block of Hiawatha Drive around 3 p.m. for a report of an unresponsive woman on Monday, Nov. 26. 

Upon arrival, officers found the victim, 29-year-old Mandi Myers, dead in her apartment.

Court documents reveal Myers' sister could not get ahold of her so she went to her apartment. There, she found Myers' body inside of a closet.

The night before, a neighbor told WAVY.com said she heard haunting noises coming from Myers' apartment.

"It sounded like screaming at children," the neighbor said. "It was really loud, and a lot of noise."

Myers' vehicle was missing from the apartment. Further investigation revealed Myers' ex-boyfriend, Jamiel Douglas Graves, 29, of the 9300 block of Marlow Avenue in Norfolk, took Myers' vehicle and a firearm from her apartment, Moyers said.

Graves and Myers had two children together.

Graves was been arrested in connection to Myers' death and charged with murder, grand larceny of a motor vehicle and grand larceny of a firearm. 

Myers' family declined comment Thursday, but added she was an amazing woman and how saddened they are by the loss.

Wednesday, Graves was charged with the murder in connection with the death of Phylicia Robinson, a Norfolk mother who was last seen Oct. 3. Her body was found Tuesday inside of a closet in Graves' home on Marlow Avenue.