Diondre Overton was born on April 19, 1998, and he went on to become a star receiver for the Clemson Tiger football team.

 He became a two-time ACC Honor Roll selection student while majoring in sports communication, and, in his senior year, 2019, he was voted the team captain by his teammates who liked and admired him a great deal.

Wearing number 14, he concluded his tenure at Clemson with 52 career receptions for 777 yards and seven touchdowns in 1,021 snaps over 51 games.

On Tuesday, Oct. 8. The Guilford County Sheriff’s Department announced that they had charged 20-year-old Jeremiah Diago Blanks (pictured above) for Felony First Degree Murder of Overton in a shooting at a loud, late-night party that had been held a month ago at an Airbnb home in Greensboro.

On Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024, at about 2:30 a.m., Guilford County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to a call regarding a loud party and noise disturbance at 3205 Spring Mill Road in Greensboro.  While on the way to the scene, the deputies received word that a shooting had occurred at the house.

When they arrived, they found the shooting victim and identified him as 26-year-old Diondre Overton. They attempted immediate medical aid; however, Overton was pronounced dead at the scene.

After an investigation, one that’s still ongoing, detectives with the Guilford County Sheriff’s Office Major Crimes Investigative Unit obtained a warrant and two Guilford County detectives traveled to Michigan where, with the help of the US Marshals Service, the group located and arrested Blanks, who’s now in Michigan awaiting extradition to North Carolina.

Blanks, who has been charged with First Degree Murder under NC General Statute 14-17, is currently being held in the Oakland County Jail in Pontiac, Michigan.

This investigation remains ongoing and the Sheriff’s Department is asking anyone with information related to the shooting to contact Detective J. Robertson at 336-641-5969.

 Anyone who wishes to remain anonymous should call Guilford County Crime Stoppers at 336-373-1000.

At an Oct. 8 press conference following Blanks’ arrest, Sgt. Wright thanked many law enforcement agencies who helped with the investigation and capture and especially the US marshals who apprehended Blanks and the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, which helped track the alleged killer down.

He said detectives were able to determine that Jeremiah Blanks was in and around the area of Detroit Michigan on October 7 and Guilford County detectives worked with the US Marshals office to locate Blanks, who US Marshalls then arrested.

“These types of investigations are a team effort,” Wright said, “and I’d personally like to thank the Guilford County Sheriff’s Office’s CSI Unit, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation and the US Marshals for their assistance in this matter.  As mentioned before, this is an ongoing investigation and we encourage anyone with any information to please contact the Guilford County Sheriff’s Office or Greensboro Crime Stoppers.”

He said that, since the murder took place at a loud party, there are no doubt people who saw things that could be useful and would help with the investigation.

 “We believe that there were several individuals that may have seen what occurred and we’re asking those individuals to come forward with as much information as they possibly can.”

Wright said additional charges against Blanks could be forthcoming and that the Sheriff’s Office is coordinating with the Guilford County District Attorney’s Office to determine any other appropriate charges.

“I will confirm that it was an Airbnb at the time,” he said.  “I don’t know what the status of that residence is now but at the time of this incident it was an Airbnb,” Wright said.

He added that it was a sublease so the actual owner of the residence wasn’t aware of the party at the time.

“It was an Airbnb for the purpose of the party,” Wright said.

Nationally, and locally as well, there’s been an ongoing well-publicized trend of people using Airbnb locations to throw large parties that lead to nightmare scenarios for the homeowners.  In most cases, however, it usually just leads to the destruction of property, not to the loss of a life.

Overton’s grieving father, when asked a question about his son at the press conference, said, “Even as his parents we did not realize how loved Dre was until, of course, we saw the turnout for the service. Dre was a truly outstanding young man and this is really hard for us.”

That was all the father could say before the tears set in.

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