Shaniya Davis: NBA star Shaquille O'Neal pays for 5-year-old murder victim's funeral

Shaquille O'Neal, Cleveland Cavalier center and future NBA Hall of Famer, has stepped up and paid for the funeral of Shaniya Davis. The five-year-old girl, whose body was discovered on November 16, 2009, in a wooded area near Sanford, North Carolina, after having been raped and strangled to death, was buried this past Sunday at a funeral attended by nearly 2,000 mourners.

Davis's mother, Antoinette Davis, was charged with human trafficking and child abuse. Her boyfriend, Mario McNeill, has been charged with kidnapping, raping, and strangling Shaniya.

O'Neal's involvement in the Shaniya Davis case is not surprising considering his history of philanthropy and active participation in law enforcement cases which involve children.

O'Neal has opened up his pocketbook for numerous charitable causes including Toys for Tots, Boys' and Girls' Club of America, Phoenix House, Feed the Children, and Childhelp USA, to name but a few. He also paid for the funeral of former NBA legend George Mikan in 2005.

O'Neal's involvement with law enforcement is more than just a passing fancy. According to Sports Illustrated, he graduated from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Reserve Academy and became a reserve officer with the L.A. Port Police. He is also a Reserve Officer for the Miami Beach police department. In 2005 the NBA star "joined a Department of Justice task force that tracks down sexual predators who target children on the Internet."

According to The Fayetteville Observer, O'Neal was instantly moved by Shaniya's story. "I was sitting at home watching it on the news and the story brought a tear to my eye," he stated. O'Neal asked about contacting the family to see if he could help out the day after her body was positively identified by a medical examiner.

Shaq told The Cleveland Plain Dealer, "Being a law enforcement guy that investigates crimes against children, I wanted to be able to help in some way." The funeral costs were allegedly between $2,500 and $5,000. Family friend Vaughan Eason said that any additional funds that have been donated will be directed to "local charities, groups and agencies that help neglected or abused children."

(AP Photo/Tony Dejak)

-Read Antoinette Davis's arrest warrant.

-Listen to Antoinette Davis's 911 call.

-Read Mario McNeill's arrest warrant.

Corey Mitchell is a critically acclaimed Los Angeles Times best-selling author of several true crime books including Dead and Buried, Pure Murder and Hollywood Death Scenes. He is also the founder of the premiere true crime website, In Cold Blog, executive producer for a new true crime television series, and a former Hollywood crime expert and blogger for the Discovery Channel. He can be reached at truecrimewriter@aol.com.

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ESPN SportsCenter with Shaquille O'Neal dressed as a Miami police officer helping out LSU mascot.