A 33-year-old Omaha man has changed his plea in the shooting death of 21-year-old Mi'Kaya Eggert, agreeing to a no-contest plea to manslaughter and use of a deadly weapon to commit a felony. Denzel Gaines is now scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 25, 2027, bringing a new turn to a case that has stretched on for months since Eggert was found shot in North Omaha.
From Second-Degree Murder Charges to a Plea Deal
Gaines entered his plea on Monday, according to WOWT, which reported that he had been facing charges including second-degree murder, use of a firearm to commit a felony, possession of a firearm, and terroristic threats before the plea change. That account differs from the station's earlier reporting in July, which stated that the second-degree murder charge had already been reduced to manslaughter at that point in the case. The exact charge history leading up to Monday's plea has not been independently confirmed through court filings reviewed for this story.
Gaines was booked into Douglas County Corrections for homicide in Eggert's shooting death, the station's report notes. He remains in jail after a judge ruled he would be held without bond, according to KETV.
Eggert Found Shot Near 28th and Franklin
Eggert was found shot near 28th and Franklin streets in North Omaha; she was taken to a hospital, where she died, per the same WOWT account from July. KETV's reporting placed the discovery on May 24, when officers found her shot at that same intersection.
Gaines's sentencing hearing is set for Jan. 25, 2027, according to WOWT's report, though the outcome of that hearing has not yet been determined. Those seeking to track the case independently can search Nebraska's trial courts through the Nebraska Judicial Branch's statewide case information system.
