Court records show Clark sought legal protection weeks before the domestic-related killing that led to a murder charge against Keandre Debrough.
NORFOLK, Va. — Shakira Clark obtained a protective order against Keandre Debrough weeks before she was found fatally injured inside her Norfolk home, a timeline receiving renewed attention as the murder case against Debrough moves toward trial.
The records add context to the Oct. 27, 2025, death of Clark, 23, which Norfolk police have described as a domestic-related stabbing. Police charged Debrough, then 25, with second-degree murder. He was arrested in Portsmouth the next day and remains accused in the case. A criminal charge is an allegation, and prosecutors must prove it in court.
Court records cited by local news organizations showed Clark was granted a protective order against Debrough on Oct. 1. The order expired five days later. Reports based on court documents also said domestic-related charges involving Debrough were pending before Clark’s death. The available records do not establish by themselves what happened inside Clark’s home on the morning she died.
Police said dispatchers received a domestic call at about 7:55 a.m. on Oct. 27 from a home in the 400 block of East Brambleton Avenue. Officers who responded found Clark with life-threatening injuries. She was pronounced dead at the scene, and detectives began searching for Debrough.
Additional reporting based on a criminal complaint said Clark called 911 and reported that her former boyfriend was breaking into her home. Authorities have not publicly released the full evidentiary record that prosecutors may rely on at trial, leaving details of the state’s case to be tested through the court process.
Norfolk police initially announced that Debrough was wanted in connection with the homicide investigation and later confirmed his arrest in Portsmouth on Oct. 28. The department’s arrest update listed a second-degree murder charge and said he also faced other charges unrelated to Clark’s death.
The protective-order history became part of the public discussion after Clark’s death because it documented earlier contact with the legal system. Protective orders are civil court measures intended to restrict specified contact or conduct, but the existence of an order does not establish the facts of a later criminal charge. In Debrough’s case, guilt or innocence will be decided through the criminal proceeding.
Clark’s family has continued to follow the case. Her mother, Michelle Swift, recently said she wants Debrough to receive a life sentence if he is convicted. The statement comes as relatives prepare for another phase of a case that began with Clark’s death and Debrough’s arrest nearly a year ago.
As the case heads toward trial, prosecutors are expected to present the evidence supporting the murder charge while Debrough will have the opportunity to challenge the state’s case. No verdict has been reached, and any punishment would be considered only after a conviction.
Author note: Last updated August 23, 2026.