Antoinette Davis & Shaniya Davis/AP
On Friday, November 20th Bradley Lockhart, father of Shaniya Davis, appeared on Oprah. If you haven’t heard about this heartbreaking story, then you must be living under a rock. On November 10, 2009 5-year-old Shaniya Davis was reported missing by her mother, Antoinette Davis, in Fayetteville, NC. Antoinette Davis, 25, made a call to 911 saying she did not know where her daughter was, but the reality was both tragic and unimaginable.
A hotel located 30 miles away from Antoinette Davis’ home saw a man, later identified as 29-year-old Mario Andretti McNeill, carrying a young girl that fit Shaniya’s description on their surveillance video. By the time police arrived McNeill was gone. McNeill had a history of violent crimes and a warrant was issued for his arrest because at the time they believed McNeill had kidnapped young Shaniya from her home.
Then, the shocking details began to unfold. McNeill turned himself in. Young Shaniya’s body was found raped and murdered in a field and her mother was arrested for allegedly selling Shaniya as a sex slave to clear up debt she owed for drugs. The preliminary autopsy report says that Shaniya died from asphyxiation.
In the interview with Oprah, Shaniya’s father said he was struggling with what had happened and that he never suspected her mother of being on drugs. Lockhart and Davis had a one-night stand that resulted in Davis becoming pregnant. Shaniya lived with her mother for the first year of life before going to live with her father. Lockhart said he and Davis had a verbal agreement because Davis thought Lockhart could care for Shaniya better. The last time he saw Shaniya was on October 2 before going out of town for work. Her aunt, Carey, last saw her on October 9 when she dropped Shaniya off at her mother’s home.
Both Davis and McNeill are in police custody at this time and neither of them has entered a plea. McNeill is being charged with rape and murder. Davis is being charged with human trafficking and felony child abuse. Davis has one other child, a 7-year-old son who is now with child protective services and she is currently pregnant.
Our prayers and deepest sympathies go out to Shaniya Davis' family. The murder of Shaniya was disgusting, senseless, and unnecessary.
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Comments
Omg! That is sick and discusting for a parent to do that to there child. I cant imagine all the fear in the little girls body and face. My prayers go out to the Davis family. I wish we could find people like this so that they can be put in jail before someone else goes threw the same tradgedy.
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