Woman testifies in Atlanta murder trial of her twin sister who murdered ex-boyfriend
In the case against Kyla Lett for the murder of her boyfriend, Chryjhonne Rainey, authorities had to be prepared in case Kyla Lett tried to plant the idea that her twin sister Kayla Lett was the shooter, Fulton County Chief Senior Assistant District Attorney Nalda Charles said.
Charles said eliminating a potential question mark for the jury was part of the reason Kayla was the first witness she called in Kyla's trial.
Kayla testified she dropped off Kyla and her boyfriend at a Greyhound bus station in Ohio, where they would take a bus to Atlanta.
Kayla confirmed it was her sister Kyla on a MARTA train on a video that Atlanta police found on Chryjhonne's cellphone that he recorded about two hours before the murder.
Kayla testified she was in Ohio at the time.
'She (Kayla) absolutely, definitely did not execute Chryjhonne Rainey,' Charles said.
Charles said Lyft records placed Kyla in metro Atlanta on the day of the shooting at a West End laundromat on October 8, 2022.
Assistant District Attorney Michelle Andrews said the couple's relationship was toxic. They split while in Atlanta and Rainy took Kyla's belongings from the motel room they had shared, which is the apparent motive for the murder.
Kyla Lett was convicted by a jury on March 28, 2025.
'We had one twin in one state and one twin in the other,' Andrews told Channel 2 Investigative Reporter Mark Winne. 'Judge Carnesale sentenced her to life without the possibility of parole plus five years.'
Andrews said Rainey repeatedly called 911 reporting a woman pulled a gun on him. In one call he suggested he knew her, but didn't know her name, the kind of thing a domestic violence victim might do to protect the abuser.
The defendant is a young, attractive woman. Not someone that we would stereotypically put as a domestic violence abuser. But yet she takes the life of an innocent 22-year-old,' Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis said. 'I really grieve for this mother.'
'Kyla never admitted it was her in any of these videos or any of these photos,' Charles said.
There was a lot of video related to the case, including footage of the shooting. Kyla changed her outfits, but her shoes, seen in surveillance footage, helped identify her.
[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]
TRENDING STORIES:
Ex-GA sheriff lieutenant pleads guilty to pocketing funds from citation payments
GA deputies urge the public to lookout for wanted, possibly armed man
Body of man who ran into lake to get away from deputies recovered in Rockdale County
[SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
21 hours ago
- Yahoo
‘Aggressive' river otters spark lawsuit from Washington mother
PORTLAND, Ore. () — A Washington mother is suing a Seattle-area port nearly a year after a river otter attacked her toddler. The woman filed the complaint against the Port of Bremerton in Kitsap County Superior Court on July 25. Court records show that she and her daughter, who was two years old at the time of the attack, live on a sailboat in the port-operated Bremerton Marina. Senate confirms Joe Kent, ex-Washington candidate with extremist ties, to lead counterterrorism unit on the incident in September 2024. On Sept. 12, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife revealed an otter had pulled the child into the water as she walked along the dock with their mom. According to the agency, the child eventually resurfaced after being pulled under water. WDFW said the otter bit the mother as she lifted her child from the water. The toddler was later treated at a Silverdale hospital, for the scratches and bites they had sustained on their head, face and legs. The mother also claimed they had to receive rabies vaccinations, and her daughter still faces 'nightmares and behavioral aggression.' Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now The complaint alleges many of the on-site security cameras 'are inoperative at any given time,' while the plaintiff pays the port a monthly service fee of about $125. 'Prior to the attack, the Port of Bremerton had actual and repeated notice of otter activity on and around E Dock and had received complaints about their aggressive nature,' Attorney Christopher Froines wrote. 'Tenants and staff had lodged multiple complaints with the Port about aggressive otter behavior, including otters defecating on docks, damaging marina property, living on several abandoned or derelict boats, being aggressive toward marina tenants and posing a risk to public safety.' Froines also alleged another resident of the Bremerton Marina repeatedly complained to staff about related issues, such as an 'otter-infested and foul' boat and otters that created safety hazards by 'dragging 'fish guts and feces all over the docks.'' Oregon Bureau of Land Management timber sales made more than $13.5M in revenue in July But the lawsuit accuses management of failing to minimize 'wild animal activity.' Defendants are being sued for negligence, gross negligence and negligent infliction of emotional distress, among other claims. KOIN 6 has reached out to the port for comment. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Solve the daily Crossword
The Hill
a day ago
- The Hill
St. Louis postal worker admits to stealing checks from mail, pandemic fraud
ST. LOUIS (KTVI) — An ex-U.S. Postal Service worker appeared in federal court this week and admitted stealing checks from hundreds of pieces of mail, as well as to committing pandemic loan fraud. Prosecutors with the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Missouri, Anthony Virdure II, 30, stole the checks while working at the St. Louis Processing and Distribution Center located at 1720 Market Street. The Hazelwood Police Department contacted U.S. Postal Inspectors on Dec. 1, 2023, to examine 30 stolen checks that had been left behind in a recently returned rental vehicle. The stolen checks had been routed through the distribution center in Downtown West. Vindure's fingerprints were found on one check from a letter that he'd stolen. On Jan. 3, 2024, the Frontenac Police Department contacted U.S. Postal Inspectors about checks that had been discovered in a vacated apartment. Each of the checks had been routed through the same distribution center where Vindure worked. His fingerprints were discovered on one of the checks. On April 30, 2024, prosecutors said law enforcement searched an apartment where Vindure was staying and found an additional 298 stolen checks, many of which had Vindure's fingerprints. The stolen checks had a combined face value of more than $1.5 million. The total value of stolen checks containing Vindure's fingerprints was $68,486. Vindure also admitted in court to applying for and receiving $20,832 from the Pandemic Protection Program loan in 2021. He received the loan for a tobacco store called Virdure Dynamics, but the application contained false information about the business' income and address. He included a false address on the application that was later identified as his grandmother's house. Vindure pleaded guilty to one count of mail theft and one count of wire fraud. He'll be sentenced on Nov. 30. He faces up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 for wire fraud, and up to five years and a $250,000 fine for mail theft.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Ex-NBA Star Dances Out of Jail After Arrest in Federal Gambling Sting
Ex-NBA Star Dances Out of Jail After Arrest in Federal Gambling Sting originally appeared on Parade. Gilbert Arenas was all smiles leaving a Los Angeles jail on Wednesday. In a video posted to social media, the former NBA All-Star could be seen dancing down the steps as he exited a detention facility. 'They can't hold me,' he said to the camera. The exit came hours after Arenas was arrested on federal charges alleging he played a central role in organizing illegal high-stakes poker games out of his Encino mansion. The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Central District of California unsealed an indictment charging Arenas with conspiracy to operate an illegal gambling business, operating an illegal gambling business, and making false statements to federal investigators. He appeared in federal court Wednesday afternoon, pleaded not guilty, and was released pending trial, which is set to begin September 23. Arenas is accused of renting out his Los Angeles home to host illegal games alongside a group of co-conspirators, including one with ties to the Israeli government. The indictment alleges the group collected a rake (a percentage or fixed amount from each pot) and went to great lengths to create an enticing casino-style environment — from hiring chefs, valets, security guards, and women who served drinks. Arenas played 11 seasons in the NBA, most notably with the Washington Wizards. If convicted, he could face up to five years in federal prison for each charge. 'At this point in the case, he is presumed innocent, right?' his attorney Jerome Friedberg said outside the courthouse, per the Associated Press. 'He has the same right as any other citizen to that presumption and that's how he should be treated.' Ex-NBA Star Dances Out of Jail After Arrest in Federal Gambling Sting first appeared on Parade on Jul 31, 2025 This story was originally reported by Parade on Jul 31, 2025, where it first appeared.
