Woman found dead in car was pregnant; boyfriend charged

Selene Raynor, a Philadelphia High School for Girls graduate and an aspiring dentist enrolled at West Chester University, didn't care what anybody thought of her.

She was smart as a whip and quick with a smile, and it made no difference to Raynor, 21, if you were laughing with her or at her - as long as you were happy.

She was the goofball who busted out dance moves in the dorm hallway and the rock-solid friend who stood by your side during the toughest time of your life.

"You could talk to her about anything, and she wouldn't judge you," said Brian Jackson, a member of the university's gospel choir. "She was a very special person."

Yesterday, Raynor's friends struggled to comprehend how someone who was always there for them was suddenly snatched away - allegedly by her boyfriend, who police say shot her at point-blank range.

Homicide Capt. James Clark said Raynor, who was pregnant, last was reported seen about 9 p.m. Wednesday, when she left to pick up Tyrell Hart, 19, at his home on Clifford Street near Montgomery in Strawberry Mansion.

Detectives later determined that Raynor drove with Hart just a few blocks away to Newkirk Street near Berks, where she parked her silver Jeep so the couple could talk about their relationship, Clark said.

During that conversation, Hart allegedly shot Raynor once in the face with a semi-automatic pistol.

"He then went home, took a shower and went to bed," Clark said.

Hart has been charged with murdering Raynor, first-degree murder of her unborn child, and related offenses. Police are tracing the origin of the weapon.

Clark said last night that the fatal shooting followed "an argument that was in reference to the pregnancy." He declined to discuss whether Hart was the father.

About 1 p.m. Thursday, a resident of the rundown block called police to report that the Jeep had been parked for hours with someone sitting inside. The responding officers found Raynor dead in the Jeep, parked in front of a weedy vacant lot within view of the Edward Gideon School playground.

Less than a mile away, the Raynor family's neighbors spoke of the tragedy with disbelief.

"I can't believe the girl is gone," said neighbor Ian Smart, 41. "The girl has been killed."

No one answered the door yesterday morning at the tidy, brick rowhouse on 28th Street near Cumberland where the Raynor family has lived for decades.

"She was a nice kid, got her whole life ahead of her," said neighbor John Anderson, 72. He said the Jeep in which Raynor was slain was an early graduation gift from her mother.

About 200 friends and classmates attended an impromptu vigil Thursday night at the university, trading stories about Raynor, a third-year chemistry major who previously served as a residential assistant in the Sanderson Hall dormitory.

"She was loved by everyone - everyone," said Jonae Saxon, Raynor's former college roommate. "She would always have an encouraging word, she would always be there."

Raynor was active in the university's gospel choir, the Black Student Union and the Student Activities Council, according to the university.

"She was one of the main reasons I went to West Chester," Saxon added. "She convinced me to go."

Some students were unable to sleep Thursday night after hearing the news.

"A lot of people are taking it hard," Saxon said. "We just have to cherish the good moments."

Raynor's death comes less than three months after another West Chester University student, Christopher Murphy, suffered a similar fate.

Murphy, 23, was shot in the head in July during a North Philadelphia robbery, even though he handed over money, jewelry and the take-out Chinese food he had just bought with his cousin. Police say two 19-year-olds confessed to the killing.

"We kind of just went through this," Saxon said. "Why does this keep happening to us? That's what everybody keeps saying." He added that he takes some comfort in remembering "how much joy she brought to our lives."

Raynor's friends were planning to hold a worship service last night and to collect money for her family.

Clark said he was unaware of any domestic problems between Raynor and Hart and did not know how long they'd been dating.

But Hart was "known to police," Clark said. Court records show that cops arrested him in December on suspicion of several drug offenses. That case is set for trial in January.

"She hooked up with the wrong guy," Clark said, "and as a result of that, her demise came."

Staff writer David Gambacorta contributed to this report.