Shaniya Davis -- Found Deceased 11/16/09

I am so distraught over the fate of this child. To know that a mother, that is suppose to protect you, could just hand her child over to disgusting beasts, for money. Knowing damn well what was going to be done to her, is just beyond belief. I read in the Fayetteville paper earlier, she has a 7 yr old and is freaking pregnant at this time. Since Shaniya has been there a month now, I have to wonder if this was the first time the monster prostituted this baby. God rest her little soul.

i prayed this little one would come home safe, unfortunately another victim of a "mother" not fit to raise a dog.

it is heartbreaking when a child falls victim to a sick stranger, but in some way it is worse when it is the "mother" to blame. may shaniya rest in peace. there is a special place in the center of hell for these folks. sad world when a child is no longer safe from their PARENTS.

my thoughts and prayers are with shanyias heartbroken father, who IMO is guilty of none other than trying to be kind. may he find peace and the ability to forgive himself.

Hi Allymae and welcome to RC. I am just torn to pieces over this. I cannot view the pictures of her in the hotel again, her little hand holding on to that man's shoulder while they are waiting on the elevator. I don't even think Hell is punishment enough for all involved.

The death penalty is far too kind for these two sub-human pieces of scum. A woman who sells her own child does not deserve to be called a mother - she forfeited that claim. She is a monster. This is shocking, and sickening. I am so sad for this poor, poor innocent little child and the suffering she surely endured while she was on this earth. She will suffer no more, but leaves one to wonder: Why? Why? Why? No answer comes to mind.

Hi, Allymae!

Welcome to RC. I hope you'll love it here as much as I do.

I heard about Shaniya's body being found tonight while watching Nancy Grace. I am so filled with rage, disgust & sorrow. Shaniya's Mother & the man she gave her daughter to, should both get the Death Penalty. I don't think they should even be classified as "human beings"! I have to say that I have absolutely NO sympathy for Shaniya's Father. What in the Hell is wrong with him? He had to have known about this woman's past! He chose to trust his daughter's safety to this piece of garbage. I have to wonder what this man has for a brain! His laziness, or stupidity cost him his child's life!!!! Shaniya's abuse, torture & death could have been prevented!!!! I don't know how anyone could feel sorry for this moron. I will always believe that some people are just too STUPID to have children. There are also others who are too SELFISH to have children. However, in this case, poor little Shaniya's Father was too STUPID!!!! If you are not particular about the morals & character of your child's Mother or Father, then whatever happens after the fact should NOT come as a surprise. It just seems that there are a lot more STUPID & SELFISH people having children these days. By the way, I really love using these adorable little smilies, just in case you hadn't noticed.

Welcome Allymae. I am just sick over what happened to Shaniya. I wonder if it was McNeill or somebody else who tipped of police on where to look for Shaniya's body. I agree with Piper that hell is too good for anybody who had a hand in Shaniya's death.

It is disgusting that the mother is pregnant. At least we can take comfort knowing that her unborn child will most likely never be in her care.

OMG... where did you guys hear that the mother was pregnant? Somehow, I missed that....

I agree, J4. At least this one won't ever be in her care...

Snaz wrote:OMG... where did you guys hear that the mother was pregnant? Somehow, I missed that....

I agree, J4. At least this one won't ever be in her care...

I heard them talking about her being pregnant on Nancy Grace tonight.

I read this earlier today, it's in this article:

http://fayobserver.com/Articles/2009/11/16/952562

And they confirmed it on NG tonight as well. I am sick over all of this, literally.

"Leona Cromartie, Antoinette Davis' aunt, said Sunday she believes the accusations against her niece are false and that McNeill is talking to police in an effort to get a plea bargain in court.

Cromartie said she once met McNeill, whom she called "Mano," and doesn't know the relationship between him and Antoinette Davis.

"This is shocking to me," she said. "It just don't make any sense to me. Antoinette would not hurt her kid. That girl loves her daughter."

Cromartie said Davis isn't an unfit mother. She said her niece had worked double shifts for more than a year.

She said Davis also has a son and is pregnant again.

Davis had been living at a house on Wall Street, according to Cromartie, and then lived in different motels until moving in her with her sister, Barbara Davis, at the Sleepy Hollow Mobile Home Park.''

Thanks, Piper and J4A..... I had not seen anything about her being pregnant and missed NG tonight.

I had kind of stopped watching NG months ago, but watched tonight since they just found Shaniya late today.

It's not surprising to me that Shaniya's Mom is pregnant again. Apparently, she must think that she's going to get the chance to abuse, use & torment this child too. I am still asking this question, "What in the Hell was Shaniya's Dad thinking when he had a child with Shaniya's Mom? He has a child by another woman, but, I'm not sure if he has any more. It appears that he's not at all particular about the morals, or character of the Mothers of his children. Did he NOT know this woman's background? Shaniya's life could have been saved had it not been for the STUPIDITY of her Father. Fathers are supposed to protect their Daughters. That was certainly not the case here. How in the Hell can you have a child with someone and not really know anything about them? Death by lethal injection is far too easy for Shaniya's Mom. A bullet right between the eyes is much more appropriate. The same goes for the piece of garbage who kidnapped Shaniya!

Welcome to RC, Allymae! I am so saddened by this little ones death. Each time a new case comes up, I think, maybe this one will come home safely. I'm in tears today. Yesterday was bad enough but on top of finding her body yesterday, today she was positively identified. LE says that they have evidence that she was alive when she left the hotel.

Did you hear that this "mother" is also PREGNANT?? How absolutely horrible. People like her should be sterilized! My heart is just completely broken watching the news about this poor child. The father looks as if he can hardly contain himself.

i understand your thinking booklover, however i find it unfair to lay ANY of this on the father..

yeah... debating shoulda woulda couldas seems like the thing to do now, but as a father, part of this "responsibilty" we speak of is to ensure his daughter lives a fullfilling life. and to me, if at all possible, this means having a mother in her life. little girls not only need this, but deserve it..
he embraced this little one, her entire life, kept her safe, warm, and fed. He believed the mother had "changed" and wanted shaniya to have the chance to know her mother.. there is NO WAY this man could have ever thought this would happen to his daughter.. NO WAY.

are you suggesting he was uncaring, or plain stupid by allowing this child to stay with her mother? Because selling a child for sexual favors would NOT be something that crosses my mind when thinking of a mother.. i think this is a tragedy. These people "responsible" should fry. But i dont think sitting back and slamming the father for doing the "right thing" is doing anyone any good. IMHO..

Press Conference with Shaniya's Father

I do not blame the father in any way for this tragedy. Whatever his reasons for his relationship with Shaniya's mother, he doesn't deserve to to be blamed for the actions of this woman.

Shaniya's dad, Bradley Lockhart, stated very clearly that since A. Davis was working and seemed to have changed, he wanted his daughter to have a relationship with her mother. I think that takes a very strong man to be able to share his daughter after caring for her for so many years..... and for all the right reasons. I think he was being sensitive to what he believed was best for his daughter. How could anyone have foreseen the mother would do what she did?

Book, I frequently agree with you, but don't you think maybe you are being just a tad rough on this father? Let's put the blame where it really belongs... and that is with Antoinette Davis and Mario Andrette McNeill.

JMO.

After listening to Mr. Lockhart, I believe with all my heart that he is a victim in this...... he obviously loved his little angel tremendously.

And I appreciate the fact that he thanked the community that searched and gave of themselves to help find Shaniya. He seems like a very good man to me.

The aunt is also obviously heartbroken over the loss of her niece...

thank you justice.. so much for posting that video.

i hope he finds peace that "his angel" is with the lord. she is "home"

my thoughts and prayers are with this grieving father..

and may the "mother" get all that is coming to her.

You are welcome Randi. I feel bad for Shaniya's father and aunt. I think he was trying to do the right thing and there is no way he could have known what was going to happen to her.

My heart is just breaking for Shaniya, this case has just rattled me to the core of my soul. I keep going back to the feces stained blanket that supposedly belonged to Shaniya, that was found in the neighbor's trash can. Had she been raped/pimped at the trailer as well, that night? Then taken out again to the hotel? LE is stating she was alive at 7:30am when McNeill left the hotel with her. Did he deliver her to another beast for that hour and 20 minutes? Was it for McNeill himself? Or, had McNeill been "priming" Shaniya for prositution himself? It just doesn't make sense that McNeill secured a room for an hour for himself, there had to be someone already there, with $$$ or drugs in hand.

I have to wonder if Antoinette Davis pre-planned prostituting her baby girl for drugs/money when she told Shaniya's father she wanted another chance at being a mother. Shaniya had only been there approximately 3/4 weeks at that time. I just find it hard to believe this just came out of the blue, at 5:30 in the morning. I feel this little girl's fate was sealed at the get go. I keep reading local blogs, and hear talk that Shaniya never came out of the bedroom at the trailer. Some of the comments have been removed, it was either Coe or McNeill that supposedly was quoted as making that comment to LE. But, I can't back that up because I can't find the comments now.

In my heart, I've just felt that wasn't the first time "mommy" pimped her little girl in the short time she was there. I think she never felt it would result in the murder of Shaniya. I hope I am wrong in my thinking, because Shaniya suffered what no child should ever endure at the hand of the woman that gave birth to her. Handing your baby over, knowing damn well what was going to happen to her.

My heart goes out to her father, I believe his intentions were true and sincere. I think it's apparent he had no idea the environment Shaniya was really going into. Antoinette Davis duped him, IMO. And sold her own flesh and blood, that was relying on her to protect and take care of her.

Shaniya Davis' death is second tragedy for the child's father

The death of 5-year-old Shaniya Davis is the second time her father, Bradley Wayne Lockhart, has dealt with tragedy.

In 1998, Lockhart's wife of seven years was murdered along with her 19-year-old sister at a home on Graham Road. The two women were bound, gagged and shot with a shotgun in what police said was a robbery.

Three others were also shot; one, 24-year-old David Epps, also died.

Lockhart and his wife, Vickie Sue Lockhart, had three children together. Since the murders, the children have mostly stayed with their grandparents in the Remington subdivision behind Seventy-First High School.

"We've had a lot of tragedy in our family," said Byron Coleman, the father of Vickie Sue Lockhart and Channel Coleman. That's about all he could bring himself to say, after the discovery of Shaniya's body Monday near Sanford.

Two men were later convicted and sentenced to life in prison for the 1998 killings.

Byron Coleman and his 13-year-old grandson helped in the search for Shaniya, which began Sunday morning along N.C. 87.

Coleman said he also spent Saturday night driving back roads between Sanford and Siler City looking for any sign of Shaniya. The former Marine said he had talked to officials at Camp Lejeune about helping with the search about an hour before Shaniya's body was found.

"It made my stomach just turn," said Phyllis Coleman, Byron's wife, of hearing the news. "It was heartbreaking to us ... We loved Shaniya, too."

The Colemans said Bradley and Vickie Sue Lockhart's three children - Byron III, 20; Cheyenne, 17; and 13-year-old Chivas - are handling the loss of Shaniya as well as they can. They are Shaniya's half-siblings.



http://www.fayobserver.com/Articles/2009/11/17/953014

I watched Nancy Grace tonight and found out that Shaniya's Father has another child, a son, with another woman. Does he actually think he shouldn't care about the character, or MORALS of the women with whom he has children? Shaniya's half-sister was on Nancy Grace the other night speaking about Shaniya. While I do understand that this is a young girl, I do NOT understand WHY she was smiling & grinning while discussing Shaniya. Remember, this is just after a little girl's body had just been found, & they were almost sure it was Shaniya. I would think this girl would have the ability to realize the seriousness of the situation. She certainly appeared old enough to know what was going on. This was, after all ~ someone she loved ~ her half-sister.

Shaniya's Father must have known something about Antoinette Davis's drug use & lifestyle. I have no sympathy for him, because, he gambled with his own daughter's life. I can't help but wonder about the mentality of a man who chooses to have children with numerous women. Shaniya had TWO parents. One sold her into child prostitution, & the other one allowed it to happen. My heart does NOT go out to, nor will I ever have any sympathy for a man who does NOT protect his children. Since Shaniya's Father has already experienced a major tragedy in his life, one would surely think he would be even MORE protective of his children. Am I the only one who can see this? I certainly would NEVER have trusted any child of mine with a drug user!

I also heard on HLN today that there is a "son" that was in the home as well as someone else's children. I hope to God that ALL children have been removed from the home.

From what I have read regarding this horrific hard-to-contemplate case - there was no custody agreement between the father and mother. It is said that Shaniya was conceived during a one-night "acquaintance". I believe that the father had raised this child from birth. There was very little interaction with Shaniya and her "mother". The father, once allowing Shaniya to "visit" this path month, had no grounds for getting Shaniya back without a legal battle for custody. The ill-advised "possession is nine-tenths of the law", still plays a part in so many tragedies where children, (and - no, they are not "possessions") are held by the parent who had demonstrated little interest in the child, but refuses to relinquish him or her.
I have much sympathy for the father, who obviously had done a wonderful job raising his child. A father can provide the best environment for a child. Unfortunately, the path to custody of a child can be devastating emotionally and financially.
This should never have happened, and a sweet once-happy laughing little girl has been deprived of all that a child should be guaranteed.
Sadly, this child, whom I think of as Shaniya SweetSong, has flown to another place to be Best Friends Forever with Caylee Marie Angelbabe and all the others who have gone too soon.

In my opinion, Fathers are supposed to protect their children. Had it not been for Shaniya's Dad turning her over to Antoinette Davis, she would be alive today. I cannot have any sympathy for anyone who doesn't think first about the safety of their child. Shaniya did not have to suffer this horrible fate. How can anyone turn over a child they have raised from birth ~ to a drug user? My sympathy is reserved for Shaniya. Why does this man have children with women he knows nothing about? That's part of the reason Shaniya is no longer with us. This is my whole point.

.. booklover, i think your point has been heard.

no reason to argue it to us, as we too are practicing that wonderful right we have -- freedom of speech and expression.

you have your opinion, and i have mine, no need for either of us to defend what is ours alone... our opinions!!

randilynn wrote:.. booklover, i think your point has been heard.

no reason to argue it to us, as we too are practicing that wonderful right we have -- freedom of speech and expression.

you have your opinion, and i have mine, no need for either of us to defend what is ours alone... our opinions!!

randilynn, I was just expressing my opinion just as you have stated yours. That being said, I was definitely NOT trying to be rude to anyone. If I have come across as being rude, it was certainly not intentional. I am not a mean, or rude person. That is not my personality at all. Your use of exclamation marks in your last sentence, gives me the distinct impression that you are being rude to me, most especially since you directed your post to me personally.

Have y'all seen this?
http://chatham.mync.com/site/Chatham/news/story/44620/some-claim-shaniya-davis-was-at-risk-and-needed-a-better-home/

Oh my, this is not good.....

Several people who were close to 5-year-old Shaniya Davis and her father Brad Lockhart say they tried to intervene in the child's life because they felt the little girl was at risk.

A close friend of Brad's, and his ex-father-in-law both say they offered to take in Shaniya rather than let her live with her mother, because they say when the child was in the custody of her mother, bad things happened to her.

"My wife says she saw cigarette burns on Shaniya's arms," said Brad's friend Tim Allen, who says he is very angry over what happened.

Byron Coleman, Brad's ex-father-in-law, said Shaniya "had burns on her legs, arms and things" after visits with her mother.

"She had a cigarette burn on the corner of her eye, which she claimed her grandma did when she went over there," added Shaniya's half sister Cheyenne Lockhart.

The three all claimed that the 5-year-old suffered physical abuse while in the custody of her mother

They say they "tried" to intervene...bull malarky!...I was going to wait to offer my opinion of the dad but I can't....The first time I saw him on TV talking about Shaniya, I thought there was something odd about him....granted he didn't kill his daughter but he put her at risk knowing the abuse she had suffered...And where did he meet Shaniya's mother? In a whorehouse? Sad, so sad....no one protected her....everybody has something to say now that she's dead...pathetic.

Police: No new charges in slaying of N.C. girl
Authorities need to determine where child died to build prosecution case

FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. - Investigators probing the kidnapping and death of a 5-year-old North Carolina girl say they are unable to file additional charges until they determine where the crimes occurred.

Fayetteville police had said they planned to file more charges in the death of Shaniya Davis, whose body was found Monday beside a rural highway in Lee County. But Police Chief Tom Bergamine said Wednesday more charges won't come until jurisdiction is determined.

Authorities are trying to decide where the girl was killed and if the case will be prosecuted in Lee County or neighboring Cumberland County, where she lived.

Searchers discovered the girl's body Monday, nearly a week after her mother reported her missing from a mobile home park in Fayetteville.

The child's mother, Antoinette Davis, 25, is charged with human trafficking and felony child abuse. Her sister, Brenda Davis, has said she does not believe the charges and argued that Antoinette would not hurt her children.

Also charged in the case is Mario Andrette McNeill, 29, who was accused of kidnapping Shaniya after surveillance footage from a Sanford hotel showed him carrying the girl. Authorities said McNeill admitted taking the girl, though his attorney said he will plead not guilty.

Under mom's care
Shaniya Davis had gone last month to stay for a while with her mother as part of an informal agreement with the father, Bradley Lockhart.

Lockhart declined to discuss details of the case Tuesday. He said Shaniya had spent most of her life living with him until he decided to give Antoinette Davis a chance with her daughter after she got a job and appeared to be overcoming financial difficulties. Shaniya moved to her mother's house on Oct. 9.

"She was just learning how to ride her scooter," Lockhart said. "Every day was special with Shaniya."

He spoke briefly to reporters gathered outside his home Tuesday. Teddy bears, stuffed animals, balloons and flowers adorned the steps to the house. Lockhart stepped outside for brief comments and pleaded to the public to be vigilant in reporting crimes.

"I'm sorry baby you had to go through this," Lockhart said, choking back tears. "But you are in a better place and in better hands."

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34016238/ns/us_news-crime_and_courts/

I'm so sorry baby Shaniya...you deserved a better life...RIP Baby!

If it is true that Shaniya was coming home from her mother's house with cigarette burns, the dad had no business allowing her to live there. I'm sure he didn't expect her to be prostituted or murdered, but it looks like he had enough information to know that she was being abused there and he should accept some responsibility for putting her in a dangerous situation.

Too bad this poor angel wasn't put up for adoption, where she at least would have had a chance. I agree, the dad had no business letting her go over there if he had any inkling she was being harmed. And for whatever reason the mom did this, she is a P.O.S.

Michelle wrote:Have y'all seen this?
http://chatham.mync.com/site/Chatham/news/story/44620/some-claim-shaniya-davis-was-at-risk-and-needed-a-better-home/

Hi, Michelle! Thank you for sharing this with us. This is exactly why I have absolutely NO sympathy for Shaniya's Father. He is the one who placed Shaniya in that dangerous situation. Shaniya would be alive today if it had not been for him. Now, his phony cries for sympathy mean nothing to me. My sympathy is for Shaniya. She is the one who suffered only God knows what, & she is the one who paid the ultimate price for her Father's stupidity. Not only is this man stupid, he is a phony as well. I believe Shaniya's Dad is looking for fame & publicity rather than justice for his daughter. He knew about Antoinette Davis, & how she treated Shaniya, and yet he did NOTHING to stop it. Maybe, he's now looking to profit from her murder. That wouldn't surprise me at all. I wonder how long it will be before he signs a book & movie deal?

http://www.legacy.com/gb2/default.aspx?bookID=8066084627327&page=11

A guestbook for those who want to leave a message for Shaniya and/or her family.

http://www.wral.com/news/local/story/6444454/

Fayetteville Police Chief Tom Bergamine said Wednesday that no new charges will be filed in the death of 5-year-old Shaniya Davis until authorities figure out where she was killed.

Shaniya was reported missing from her home, at 1116-A Sleepy Hollow Drive in Fayetteville, by her mother on Nov. 10. Volunteer searchers found her body Monday afternoon in the woods off N.C. Highway 87 near the Lee-Harnett county line.

No cause of death has been released.

Two people have been arrested in her disappearance – charges against a third person were dropped – but no one has been charged with killing her.

Prosecutors in Cumberland and Lee counties met Wednesday afternoon to discuss how to handle the case. They must prove where the girl was killed to establish legal jurisdiction to prosecute someone in her death.

"This is a very complex case, unfortunately, that reaches out over the city of Fayetteville, counties (and) federal jurisdictions," Bergamine said. "Several details regarding this investigation have a direct impact on which county will assume jurisdiction in prosecuting this case."

He declined to answer questions about the investigation.

Sanford police and Lee County Sheriff's Office investigators have referred all questions to Fayetteville police. Prosecutors in Cumberland and Lee counties couldn't be reached Wednesday for comment.

Separately, Fayetteville police arrested a man who was allegedly using Shaniya's name to collect money from drivers on McPherson Church and Skibo roads. Donald Roddy Jr., 36, of Hypony Trail in Parkton, was charged with obtaining property by false pretense.

Two held in girl's disappearance
Police arrested Mario Andrette McNeill, 29, on Friday and charged him with first-degree kidnapping in the case. Investigators said McNeill has admitted to taking Shaniya from her home, and Nov. 10 video from a hotel security camera in a Comfort Suites in Sanford appears to show him carrying her.

In an affidavit for a warrant to search McNeill's 1997 Mitsubishi Galant, investigators said McNeill told them he picked Shaniya up in front of her home and drove her to the hotel. Investigators also said they found feces smeared on the outside door handle of the front door to the home and on the handrail of the steps to the front porch.

Police recovered 11 pieces of trace evidence, such as hair and fibers, from the car, as well as clothes, a belt, a straw, a cell phone and a portable GPS system, according to the search warrant.

Shaniya's mother, Antoinette Nicole Davis, 25, was arrested late Saturday and charged with human trafficking, felony child abuse–prostitution, filing a false police report and obstructing a police investigation. Arrest warrants state that Davis "did knowingly provide Shaniya with the intent that she be held in sexual servitude" and she "did permit an act of prostitution with Shaniya."

more at link~

Dis wrote:They say they "tried" to intervene...bull malarky!...I was going to wait to offer my opinion of the dad but I can't....The first time I saw him on TV talking about Shaniya, I thought there was something odd about him....granted he didn't kill his daughter but he put her at risk knowing the abuse she had suffered...And where did he meet Shaniya's mother? In a whorehouse? Sad, so sad....no one protected her....everybody has something to say now that she's dead...pathetic.

Hi, Dis! I had a gut feeling about Shaniya's dad from the beginning of this case. I believe he's looking for fame & fortune. In my opinion, those tears are not genuine. They are for the purpose of selling his "story" to the highest bidder. I wonder how much money he thinks he can make from this horrible tragedy? The more he appears in front of the cameras, screaming & crying to the Lord ~ the more phony he appears to me. Has he even acknowledged his "responsibility" in placing his daughter in harm's way? If there is a book or movie deal in the making, I want nothing to do with either one. I don't want this idiot to profit from the torture & murder of Shaniya.

Just my two cents on the article that told how the dad ignored the abuse....

The people who came forward in that report are people that was involved in a very nasty custody battle with Brad. So for now I am taking what they said with a grain of salt.

IF the abuse were true and dad was at work, why didn't these people log a complaint? THEY were Shaniyas first line of defense when her dad was working....along with her Aunt. If true they told Brad and he failed to act....why didn't they follow through with a complaint then? Why keep your mouth shut until now?

The other thing we noticed...in her pictures, there are NO burn scars on her arms or face. Cigarette burns leave a scar.

Anyway, grain of salt from here for now. Subject to change if more valid info comes out.

JAG wrote:Just my two cents on the article that told how the dad ignored the abuse....

The people who came forward in that report are people that was involved in a very nasty custody battle with Brad. So for now I am taking what they said with a grain of salt.

IF the abuse were true and dad was at work, why didn't these people log a complaint? THEY were Shaniyas first line of defense when her dad was working....along with her Aunt. If true they told Brad and he failed to act....why didn't they follow through with a complaint then? Why keep your mouth shut until now?

The other thing we noticed...in her pictures, there are NO burn scars on her arms or face. Cigarette burns leave a scar.

Anyway, grain of salt from here for now. Subject to change if more valid info comes out.

Thank you, JAG!!!!!

I don't believe for a second that Brad is looking for money and fame from the death of his daughter. His tears have seemed very genuine to me. On NG last night, he didn't want to even speak on camera..... That doesn't scream "self-serving" to me. He may not have been a perfect father, but I would bet that if he could do it over, he would jump at the chance. I know I certainly wasn't a perfect mother.

I really hope everyone allows this father grieve in peace and will stop beating him up. He has enough long, hard days in front of him without adding to his pain.

We are all, however, entitled to what we believe.

Murder Charges Not Filed In Davis Case; McNeill’s Lawyer Says He’s Primary Suspect

Police are determining jurisdiction location in the death of Shaniya Davis before any new charges are filed, Chief Tom Bergamine of the Fayetteville Police Department said during a press conference Wednesday morning.

The official cause of Davis' death is still undetermined.

Shaniya's father Bradley Lockhart held a press conference in front of his home Tuesday. He thanked everyone involved in helping to find his daughter.

On Tuesday afternoon, one week exactly since Davis was reported missing, police released the 911 call made by the mother Antoinette Davis. Click here to hear call.

Read Tuesday night's story: "Some Claim Shaniya Davis Was At Risk And Needed Better Home

Full Coverage: The Search For Shaniya Davis

About 200 volunteers and law enforcement gathered Monday morning to search that area after receiving a tip that her body may have been dumped there. About six miles from the hotel where Shaniya was last seen alive and 100 feet off Walker Road is where searchers found her body.

"You have a lot of people in shock right now. You always hold out hope that you're going to be able to reunite, especially a child with their family," said Fayetteville Police spokeswoman Theresa Chance.

Shortly before 2 p.m. on Nov. 16, officials cancelled the Amber Alert issued for Davis.

ARRESTS
Police arrested Shaniya Davis' mother, Antoinette Nicole Davis, Saturday night. She made her first court appearance Monday afternoon. Antoinette Davis has been charged with human trafficking, felony child abuse/prostitution, filing a false police report, and resist, delay, or obstruct. The charges could lead to more than 30 years in prison. Davis will be in court again on December 3.

Debbie Tanna confirmed that Antoinette Davis is pregnant, but could not confirm who the father was.

Police said Shaniya is the victim of the human trafficking and child abuse/prostitution charges, but would not go into more detail about the charges.

Mario Andrette McNeill, 29, was arrested Friday and faces kidnapping charges in the case. He has been charged with first degree kidnapping and is being held on a $100,000 secured bond.

No murder charges have been filed, but McNeill's attorney, Allen Rogers, said it's "reasonable" to guess McNeill might be named.

"With the reports we have seen, he's the primary suspect," Rogers said. "Unfortunately we have a murdered little girl and it's reasonable that the state would be looking to Mario McNeil."

Police searched McNeill's car, a 1997 Mitsubishi Galant, and took a black and yellow abblebottom jacket, size four, a pair of jeans, size 24 months, a plastic straw, swabbings, and soil samples.

According to those search warrangs, McNeill admitted taking Davis from the front of her house to the hotel in Sanford, where surveillance video recorded him.

McNeilll was on unsupervised probation when Davis went missing. McNeill has been charged multiple times since 2001. The charges include assault inflicting serious bodily injury, possession with intent to sell marijuana and cocaine and with maintaining a vehicle for drug use and hitting a police officer with his car.

According to the Fayetteville Observer, Superior Court Judge Jack Thompson changed McNeill's probation status from supervised to unsupervised in 2007.

Roger says those types of decisions are normal if the person in question has been doing well.

"What's important is he fulfilled all of his responsibilities, all that was required of him and was terminated," Rogers said. "That's the standard. The judicial system did its part."

Previous suspect Clarence D. Coe has been released from jail and charges have been dropped against him, Fayetteville Police spokeswoman Theresa Chance said during a briefing Friday. Chance said McNeill confessed to taking the child. Click here to watch Coe's interview with NBC17 shortly after he was released.

BACKGROUND
Authorities say tips came pouring in after they released information that Shaniya was seen with McNeill at a Sanford hotel. Police say they received a call from a hotel in Sanford regarding a child matching the description of Shaniya in the presence of an adult male early Tuesday morning.

Upon reviewing surveillance tape from the hotel, police determined that the child seen at the hotel was indeed Shaniya and she was in the custody of 29-year-old McNeill.

It is unknown at this time what McNeill's connection is to the child, police say. April Autry tells NBC17 that she is McNeill's girlfriend and is friends with Shaniya's aunt.

Thursday evening the Fayetteville Police Department and the family of Shaniya made a plea for Shaniya's safe return.

Shaniya was reported missing from her mobile home park around 7 a.m. Tuesday. Her mother, Antoinette Davis, says she last saw the Shaniya around 5:30 a.m.

A neighbor, Andrea Moore, said she heard people arguing somewhere outside the night before Shaniya was reported missing and also heard loud pounding noises next to her own home. Moore said she was woken up Tuesday morning by police, who she said had put up yellow police tape around the front of her trailer.
http://news.mync.com/site/news/story/44291/amber-alert-authorities-search-for-missing-5-year-old-girl/



Who does he 24 months pants belong to?

As the investigation continues, there are allegations that the 5-year-old's father could have done more to prevent her death.

Bradley Lockhart, a contractor who spends most of his time out of state, was working in Utah when Shaniya turned up missing.

Shaniya Davis was living in her father's $240,000 home in an upscale Cumberland County neighborhood, before he sent her to live with her mother in the Sleepy Hollow Mobile Park with a history of drugs and prostitution.

Tim Allen, who is taking care of Lockhart's 17-year-old daughter after her father kicked her out of his home, says Lockhart's girlfriend named Ty was doing a wonderful job taking care of the 5-year-old for months.

"Yeah she was well taken care of, just always hair done and smelling good, just like she was her own biological child," Allen said. "I don't know if he met somebody out in Utah and basically Ty just went away ? and just went downhill from there."

http://abclocal.go.com/wtvd/story?section=news/local&id=7125084

JAG wrote:Who does he 24 months pants belong to?

I don't know, but I find it very disturbing that they were found inside the pedophile's car. I hope there aren't other children that were sold into prostitution and given to this guy.

Thanks for all of the updates, Jag. I knew there was a bitter custody battle with Brad's in laws after his wife's murder. I believe I read he was paying child support on two of them still, and on Shaniya.

If the allegations turn out to be true, about known abuse while Shaniya visited her mother..why didn't all of these people come forward before and report it? It doesn't make sense. I guess we will find out soon.

Does McNeill have young children, anyone know?

J4A...my thoughts! I'm terrified there are more kids. Even the size 4 jacket is too small for a 5 & 7 year old, and too big for the 6 month old. So we have two different sized clothing that just doesn't add up.

Piper...that was my understanding as well, support on the two kids the in laws have and he supported Shaniya as well.

I *think* it was said Shaniyas aunt on her mothers side had a child with this man. I'm saying *think* because I have read so much info on this case, but for some reason that is fuzzy. He was the 6 month old in the trailer when the mom was arrested. But I could be wrong on this so take it with a grain of salt until I can find a link and bring it back for you.

Piper wrote:Thanks for all of the updates, Jag. I knew there was a bitter custody battle with Brad's in laws after his wife's murder. I believe I read he was paying child support on two of them still, and on Shaniya.

If the allegations turn out to be true, about known abuse while Shaniya visited her mother..why didn't all of these people come forward before and report it? It doesn't make sense. I guess we will find out soon.

i think this can be answered very easily... THEY are the ones looking for the 15 minutes of fame here!! usually after a tragedy, there are a few who "come forward" and say they were the SOLE voice of reason... too bad the "voice" isnt found until AFTER the fact, when they can get the attention!!


and.. btw.. if you pay any attention at all to my typing habits.. you notice when i use punctuation of any sort.. (except quotation marks of course...) i use them several times. please do not assume i am being RUDE or discourteous, it is just who i am ... and i need love like everyone else... dont discriminate because i happen to have a typing ssstutter...

big ol' amen to JAG and Snaggles!!!

http://www.wral.com/news/local/story/6444454/

Just posting a snip here as it is mostly repeated things we already know:

In an affidavit for a warrant to search McNeill's 1997 Mitsubishi Galant, investigators said McNeill told them he picked Shaniya up in front of her home and drove her to the hotel. Investigators also said they found feces smeared on the outside door handle of the front door to the home and on the handrail of the steps to the front porch.

Police recovered 11 pieces of trace evidence, such as hair and fibers, from the car, as well as clothes, a belt, a straw, a cell phone and a portable GPS system, according to the search warrant.