Subject: Re: Shaniya Nicole Davis (5) R.I.P. Sun Nov 22, 2009 9:52 am
Child traffickers target runaways and 'throwaways'" November 19, 2009
Child traffickers target runaways, 'throwaways' By Eliott C. McLaughlin, CNN November 18, 2009
Who killed 5-year-old Shaniya Davis? Her mother is charged with human trafficking, and many questions remain about what happened. Watch "Nancy Grace" as she digs deeper, tonight at 8 on HLN.
(CNN) -- It sounds like the plot of a crime drama or the scourge of a developing country, but human trafficking is a serious problem in the U.S. and America's children are frequent pawns, experts say.
The case of Antoinette Nicole Davis, a North Carolina mother accused of selling her 5-year-old daughter, Shaniya, into prostitution, highlights one of the most heinous -- albeit rare -- forms of trafficking within the U.S.
Davis faces numerous charges, including human trafficking, felony child abuse and prostitution. Mario Andrette McNeill has been charged with kidnapping in the case after police said a surveillance camera captured images of him and Shaniya at a hotel in Sanford.
Polaris Project, a nonprofit organization that studies human trafficking, has more frequently seen cases in which children were sold by family members "out of desperation in developing countries" such as Cambodia or sub-Saharan African nations, said executive director and CEO Mark Lagon.
"But it happens sometimes here," he said.
More common in the United States are traffickers who exploit abused runaways or so-called "throwaways" -- children abandoned by their parents and living on the streets, Lagon said.
"The trafficker plays the role of a father or loverboy who is offering care to the child, who is vulnerable," he said, explaining that what begins as flattery and attention often turns to suggestions of prostitution.
The child, typically homeless and in need of food and shelter, can be manipulated into "survival sex," Lagon said. In other instances, the trafficker or pimp will get the child hooked on drugs and use their addiction as leverage.
Named for the North Star that guided slaves along the Underground Railroad, Polaris Project works to stamp out the global trade in humans.
Lagon, formerly the State Department's director of the Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons, said it's a tough fight because there is a dearth of "good statistics" on human trafficking and it's not a crime in which victims readily come forward.
But the news is replete with reports on major rings being busted. The FBI did not return messages to discuss human trafficking, but news releases from the agency's Innocence Lost initiative show that in the past 18 months, four stings -- dubbed Operations Cross Country I, II, III and IV -- have yielded about 2,300 arrests and the recovery of about 170 children.
"We may not be able to return their innocence, but we can remove them from this cycle of abuse and violence," FBI Director Robert Mueller said in a statement after a February bust.
Specific examples also abound. In August, two bar owners and a manager in Long Island, New York, were charged with sex trafficking and alien harboring with victims as young as 17. A few days later, a husband and wife in Orange County, Florida, were charged with kidnapping a 15-year-old at gunpoint and forcing her to turn tricks.
In September, a U.S. Army private and three other men were indicted on charges of running a sex-trafficking businesses from a Millersville, Maryland, apartment. One of the prostitutes was 16.
No pleas have been entered in the Florida or Maryland cases. The three defendants in Long Island have pleaded not guilty.
While prostitution is a common impetus for trafficking children, Lagon said there are numerous examples of young men and women being forced into domestic servitude. Many times, he said, those victims are sexually abused as well.
"This is something that deserves decades in prison." Mark Lagon, Polaris Project executive director and CEO
Though statistics on the depth of domestic trafficking are difficult to ascertain, the University of Pennsylvania conducted a study in 2001 showing that between 244,000 and 325,000 American children were at risk of sexual exploitation, including child pornography, juvenile prostitution and trafficking children for sexual purposes.
The average age of a female victim's first involvement in prostitution, according to the study, was between 12 and 14.
"That, shockingly, means a number get in when they're incredibly young, and that's all the more horrifying," Lagon said.
Lagon said he was impressed with federal initiatives and believes "it's great the FBI has more and more focused on trying to save prostituted children as sex trafficking victims."
The only caveat to his praise, he said, is a concern that adults swept up in raids are sometimes charged as prostitutes when they, too, may have been subjected to coercion or pulled into the trade as minors.
The onus is on society and government to stop the trafficking of American children, he said. Citizens should pay attention to signals that something is amiss with a child and be careful not to "sneer or stigmatize" when they see a prostituted teen.
Government, meanwhile, should toughen its punishments for child trafficking and more actively target the "johns" and pimps who make the trade possible, according to Lagon.
"That person has to be punished like they've committed a crime akin to slavery. This is something that deserves decades in prison," he said.
Subject: Re: Shaniya Nicole Davis (5) R.I.P. Mon Nov 23, 2009 1:37 am
FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. — Shaniya Nicole Davis was raped and killed the same day she was taken from her Fayetteville home, according to arrest warrants released Friday.
Mario Andrette McNeill, 29, of 2613 Pine Springs Drive, was charged late Thursday with first-degree murder and first-degree rape of a child. He is scheduled to appear in court on the charges at 2:15 p.m. Friday.
Antoinette Nicole Davis reported her 5-year-old daughter missing from their Fayetteville home on Nov. 10. The girl's body was found in a patch of kudzu off a rural road near the Lee-Harnett County line six days later.
Arrest warrants state Shaniya was assaulted and killed on Nov. 10.
She died of asphyxiation, according to preliminary autopsy results.
Her funeral is scheduled for 3 p.m. Sunday at Manna Church, 517 Cliffdale Road in Fayetteville.
McNeill has been held in isolation at the Cumberland County Detention Center on a first-degree kidnapping charge since his initial arrest a week ago. He surrendered to police after the release of hotel security video from a Comfort Suites in Sanford that appears to show him carrying Shaniya on the morning of her disappearance.
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.
Davis, 25, was arrested 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 "did permit an act of prostitution with Shaniya."
Police haven't said whether Davis could face additional charges or whether anyone else could be arrested in the case.
McNeill was taken off probation on Oct. 28 – six months early – following an April 28 conviction for drug possession, speeding to elude arrest and assaulting a government official. Officials said he had complied with all requirements while under supervision, and a judge agreed with a recommendation that he be released early from probation.
He also was convicted in 2003 for a triple shooting and in 2007 for another drug offense.
Fayetteville police said the investigation of Shaniya's death has taken an emotional toll on all who have been involved in the case.
"It's still emotional. It's one of those things (that's been) the hardest thing I've ever had to do, and I've seen a lot of stuff," Capt. Mark Bridgeman said.
Subject: Re: Shaniya Nicole Davis (5) R.I.P. Mon Nov 23, 2009 1:39 am
Sat Nov 21, 2009 Shaniya N. Davis
FAYETTEVILLE - Miss Shaniya Nicole Davis, 5, of 7935 Lester Drive, passed away Monday, Nov. 16, 2009.
Shaniya was a happy, loving and friendly little girl. She was a good little helper around the house. She loved to play dress up and do girly things like fixing hair and playing with her Barbie dolls. She loved playing outside and riding her scooter. Pink and yellow were her favorite colors. She was a kindergarten student at Morganton Road Elementary School.
You came into our lives
for a little while.
You left footprints on
our hearts, and we will
never be the same!
She leaves behind to cherish her memories her father, Bradley W. Lockhart of Fayetteville; her mother, Antoinette Davis of Fayetteville; paternal grandparents, William and Stephanie Raynor of Lexington Park, Md.; maternal grandparents, Carl and Priscilla Summers; maternal great-grandmother, Sarah Davis; maternal great-great-grandmother, Hunter Blue; four brothers, Byron Coleman of Charlotte, Alijah Fogle of Titusville, Fla., Chavez Lockhart and Joe Davis, both of Fayetteville; two sisters, Michele Coleman of Michigan and Cheyenne Lockhart of Fayetteville; two aunts, Brenda Davis and Sara Davis; four great-aunts, Patricia Davis, Leona Davis, Caroline Davis and Yvonne Mitchell; six great-uncles, Mike Davis, Levon Davis, Derrick Davis, Sylvester Davis, Larry Mitchell and Arthur Cromartie of Fayetteville; her second family, Tyrongella Davis and the Turner family of Raeford. She had a host of other cousins and relatives.
The family will receive friends from 5 to 9 p.m. today, Nov. 21, 2009, at Rogers and Breece Funeral Home, 500 Ramsey St., Fayetteville.
Funeral services will be conducted at 3 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 22, 2009, at Manna Church with the Rev. Johnny C. Davis officiating. She will be laid to rest at Fayetteville Memorial Cemetery.
Pallbearers will be Mike Owens, Joseph Santiago, Byron Coleman and Chavez Lockhart. Honorary pallbearers will be Steve Gilliam, Joe McGee, Tony Eason and her kindergarten class at Morganton Road Elementary School.
Memorial donations may be made to The Shaniya Davis Trust Fund, c/o Wachovia Bank, 4200 Morganton Road, Fayetteville, NC 28304.
Services entrusted to Rogers and Breece Funeral Home, of Fayetteville.
Subject: Re: Shaniya Nicole Davis (5) R.I.P. Mon Nov 23, 2009 1:41 am
FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. — Shaniya Nicole Davis was raped and killed the same day she was taken from her Fayetteville home, according to arrest warrants released Friday.
Mario Andrette McNeill, 29, of 2613 Pine Springs Drive, was charged late Thursday with first-degree murder and first-degree rape of a child. He is scheduled to appear in court on the charges at 2:15 p.m. Friday.
Antoinette Nicole Davis reported her 5-year-old daughter missing from their Fayetteville home on Nov. 10. The girl's body was found in a patch of kudzu off a rural road near the Lee-Harnett County line six days later.
Arrest warrants state Shaniya was assaulted and killed on Nov. 10.
She died of asphyxiation, according to preliminary autopsy results.
Her funeral is scheduled for 3 p.m. Sunday at Manna Church, 517 Cliffdale Road in Fayetteville.
McNeill has been held in isolation at the Cumberland County Detention Center on a first-degree kidnapping charge since his initial arrest a week ago. He surrendered to police after the release of hotel security video from a Comfort Suites in Sanford that appears to show him carrying Shaniya on the morning of her disappearance.
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.
Davis, 25, was arrested 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 "did permit an act of prostitution with Shaniya."
Police haven't said whether Davis could face additional charges or whether anyone else could be arrested in the case.
McNeill was taken off probation on Oct. 28 – six months early – following an April 28 conviction for drug possession, speeding to elude arrest and assaulting a government official. Officials said he had complied with all requirements while under supervision, and a judge agreed with a recommendation that he be released early from probation.
He also was convicted in 2003 for a triple shooting and in 2007 for another drug offense.
Fayetteville police said the investigation of Shaniya's death has taken an emotional toll on all who have been involved in the case.
"It's still emotional. It's one of those things (that's been) the hardest thing I've ever had to do, and I've seen a lot of stuff," Capt. Mark Bridgeman said.
Subject: Re: Shaniya Nicole Davis (5) R.I.P. Mon Nov 23, 2009 1:42 am
http://www.duniyalive.com/?p=75246 Shaniya Davis’ father appears on ‘Oprah Winfrey Show’ Posted on November 21st, 2009 in America New York: Shaniya Davis’s father Bradley Lockhart appeared in the ‘Oprah infrey Show’ on Friday. Lockhart and his sister, Carey appeared in the interview.
Shaniya Davis was a 5-year-old girl, whose dead body was recovered from Fayetteville area. The girl went missing from a local hotel last week.
Shaniya’s dead body was located in an area bordered by Highway 87 south and Walker Road - just south of Sanford - during a second day of searching.
Meanwhile, Shaniya’s mother Antoinette Nicole Davis was charged with human trafficking, child abuse and prostitution. She has been arrested on several charges.
According to the reports, Nicole Davis is being questioned by the Fayetteville police in extensive way. According to the Fayetteville police, Shaniya was last seen with 29-year-old Mario McNeill, with whom she went out.
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Subject: Re: Shaniya Nicole Davis (5) R.I.P. Wed Nov 25, 2009 1:26 am
Subject: Re: Shaniya Nicole Davis (5) R.I.P. Wed Nov 25, 2009 4:38 am
FAYETTEVILLE The state of North Carolina is reviewing what kind of contact the Cumberland County Department of Social Services had with Antoinette Davis and her children, The Fayetteville Observer reported.
The announcement, made by the N.C. Child Fatality Task Force on Monday, comes a little more than a week after police arrested Davis and charged her with human trafficking and child abuse by prostitution.
Two days after her arrest, on Nov. 16, the body of her daughter, 5-year-old Shaniya Davis, was found off a rural road south of Sanford. She died of asphyxiation, according to preliminary reports.
Mario Andrette McNeill, 29, is charged with first-degree murder, first-degree rape and kidnapping in Shaniya's death.
Police, Davis' family members and DSS have declined to say what kind of involvement the agency had with Antoinette Davis and her family.
One of Shaniya's uncles, Michael Davis, has told reporters that DSS investigated Antoinette Davis in the past. He said DSS investigated Davis regarding her 7-year-old son. The uncle told reporters that DSS completed its investigation, and Antoinette Davis was allowed to keep her children.
On Friday, the director of the Cumberland County Department of Social Services released a statement saying the release of any information about the agency's involvement with the Davis family would jeopardize the state's ability to prosecute Davis and would hurt any current or future investigation.
"We are saddened about this tragedy, and we know the community has an interest regarding Social Services' connection to this family," Director Brenda Jackson said in an earlier statement. "However, any information regarding the agency's child protective services intervention with children and families in our community is confidential."
Tom Vitaglione, co-chairman of the state's Child Fatality Task Force, said state DSS officials have been in touch with local officials about a possible review of how the case was handled.
"This is a family that was already known to social service workers down there," Vitaglione said. "They are all very distraught about the whole thing."
Vitaglione said his task force will send a team to Fayetteville to look at when DSS first made contact with the family, what the status of the case was and if everything was done properly in terms of procedures.
The task force will work with the district attorney's office to determine the speed of their investigation so as not to interfere with the criminal case, Vitaglione said.
The Child Fatality Task Force is a division of the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services, which has oversight authority over all county DSS agencies.
Last week, Jackson said her agency was assisting law enforcement in the Shaniya Davis investigation but declined to comment as to what extent.
Police also would not say what role DSS was playing in the investigation.
"Everything is being looked at," police Capt. Charles Kimble said at a news conference last Thursday when asked about Social Services' involvement with the family.
Vitaglione said his task force also will take into consideration the effects this year's state and local budget cuts have had on social service agencies.
"Child protective service divisions have been hit particularly hard," Vitaglione said. "We have really not supported this with our dollars."
Jackson told the county DSS board at a regular meeting last week that her case workers had been working long hours this year and some weekends to help deal with the heavy workload.
About 70 positions at DSS remain unfilled, Jackson told the board, and roughly 30 of those are considered critical positions by the agency.
"Most of those vacancies are in child services and food and nutrition services," Jackson said.
The agency is awaiting the green light from the county manager to resume recruitment for those jobs.
Vitaglione said the task force was created by the N.C. General Assembly in 1991 to study the cause of death in childhood, particularly child abuse, which is why he often finds his team looking into different social services agencies.
Shaniya was reported missing from her home off Murchison Road on Nov. 10.
She had been raised by her father, Bradley Lockhart, over the past three or four years. Lockhart has said he let Shaniya stay with Antoinette Davis last month after it appeared Davis had a job and a place to stay.
Subject: Re: Shaniya Nicole Davis (5) R.I.P. Wed Nov 25, 2009 4:41 am
Shaniya Davis' Aunt Lashes Out at System
Carey Lockhart-Davis Says It's "Disgusting" That 5-Year-Old's Alleged Killer Gets Cared for By State
(CBS/AP) A day after laying Shaniya Davis to rest, the 5-year-old girl's aunt blasted the justice system for providing her alleged rapist and murderer with a better quality of life than many Americans have.
"We have a lot of people … [who have] lost their jobs, who don't have health care, even children that are in homes don't get three square meals a day. But this man sits with guards protecting him, he's receiving free medical, free meals," Carey Lockhart-Davis said on CBS' "The Early Show" Monday.
Mario McNeill has been charged with first-degree murder and first-degree rape of a child. Authorities say Davis was strangled to death.
The 29-year-old McNeill was charged previously with kidnapping, with authorities saying he took Davis from her Fayetteville home. Her body was found Monday in thick underbrush off a rural North Carolina road after searchers spent nearly a week looking for her.
The girl's mother, Antoinette Davis, is charged with trafficking her daughter and child abuse involving prostitution.
On Sunday, family members gathered for an emotional funeral service that even drew hundreds of strangers from around the country. A visibly distraught Lockhart-Davis, who helped raise Shaniya with the girl's father, Bradley Lockhart, said the experience has been "overwhelming."
"I spent a lot of special times with Shaniya and it's heartbreaking."
Lockhart-Davis said she's had to take down pictures of her niece because the reminders are too difficult for her and her family to bear.
"My children don't want to be home because that's an emptiness in here without her laughter."
Lockhart-Davis said she's "agitated" that McNeill, who is in custody under suicide watch, is now under state care.
"It disgusts me," she told "Early Show" co-anchor Maggie Rodriguez. "It bothers me a lot. And that's something I just don't understand."
State to review DSS' contact with slain girl's family
FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. —A state team of experts will examine any contact the Cumberland County Department of Social Services had with the family of a 5-year-old Fayetteville girl who was killed and whose mother has been accused of prostituting her.
Shaniya Nicole Davis was reported missing from her home on Nov. 10. Her body was found in a patch of kudzu off a rural road near the Lee-Harnett County line six days later.
She died of asphyxiation, according to preliminary autopsy results.
Mario Andrette McNeill, 29, of 2613 Pine Springs Drive, has been charged with first-degree murder, first-degree rape of a child and first-degree kidnapping in the case. Police have characterized him as a family acquaintance.
Shaniya's mother, Antoinette Nicole Davis, 25, has been 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 "did permit an act of prostitution with Shaniya."
DSS looked at Davis with regard to her 7-year-old son, not Shaniya, according to her uncle, Michael Davis. The case was closed, and Antoinette Davis was able to retain custody of the boy, her uncle said.
DSS Director Brenda Jackson has declined to comment on the agency's involvement with the Davis family, citing the criminal investigation into Shaniya's death as well as confidentiality rules for child protective services cases.
The state plans to appoint a review team to investigate any DSS contact with the Davis family, and the team's findings will be turned over to the state Child Fatality Task Force. The task force studies all child deaths in North Carolina to make recommendations to legislators on changes to state laws and administrative polices to prevent future deaths.
"You just say, 'How in the world did this happen?' and 'How could it have gotten to this end place?' and 'We need to do better,'" said Tom Vitaglione, co-chairman of the task force.
Fifty-eight children in the state were homicide victims in 2008, according to advocacy group Action for Children North Carolina.
Rob Thompson, executive director of another advocacy group, The Covenant With North Carolina's Children, said giving the public more information about tragedies like Shaniya's death could help prevent similar incidents.
"I think just having a better picture of what happened would allow us to see all of things that may have had a role in this horrible situation," Thompson said. "In cases where you're not jeopardizing the privacy of a victim, I think it is more appropriate to be as transparent as possible."
Vitaglione said Cumberland County DSS workers "are devastated" by Shaniya's death, and the fact that child protective services is overburdened and underfunded in the state doesn't ease their distress.
DSS agencies are federally mandated and funded but are run by individual counties and overseen by the state.
"In some ways, it's an impossible task that we've asked them to do," he said.
Last year, DSS agencies received 127,192 reports of child abuse and neglect statewide, and workers were able to substantiate abuse or neglect in less than 10 percent of the reports, according to Action for Children.
"I think the most important thing is that we really try and reduce that caseload both through proper training, proper oversight and proper supervision (as well as through) proper funding," Thompson said.
Reporter: Amanda Lamb Photographer: Terry Cantrell Web Editor: Matthew Burns
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Subject: Re: Shaniya Nicole Davis (5) R.I.P. Sun Nov 29, 2009 3:07 pm
A rose colored casket adorned with hundreds of flowers sat at the front of the church. A casket so small that it served as a vivid reminder that inside laid the body of a small defenseless child. Her name was Shaniya Davis. More than two thousand people packed the church, and hundreds peered through the windows to catch a glimpse of the homegoing ceremony. Shaniya's father, Bradley Lockhart who was not scheduled to speak, got up and encouraged the community to not get angry about the situation because he believed that God had a reason for taking Shaniya so prematurely. He then turned to his daughter's rose-colored casket and said lovingly "I know you're going to be waiting for me [in heaven]. I'll see you when I get there."
Mr. Lockhart's strength in the midst of such a horrific tragedy is commendable because most of us would have succumbed to anger and rage had something like this happened to our child. In fact, most of us didn't know Shaniya, but the emotion that her tragic story evoked was paralyzing. She was able to give a face to something so sadistic and perverted that most choose not to acknowledge...that everyday, hundreds and thousands of children are sold into the sex trade. It's a phenomenon known as sex trafficking.
There is no consistent face of a trafficking victim. They are both male and female. They are of all ages, races, and socio-economic backgrounds. However, although anyone can fall prey to trafficking, victims tend to come from vulnerable populations such as runaways, at-risk youth, drug addicts, the poor, and oppressed and marginalized groups. Traffickers often target individuals in these populations because they are reportedly easiest to recruit and control. These criminals are driven by two primary factors: high profits and low risk. The FBI was recently able to recover 52 children that had been sold into prostitution. Consequently, over 500 traffickers were successfully convicted. However, this is only the tip of the iceberg because reports suggest that well over 100,000 children and young women are sex trafficked every day. What makes Shaniya's story all the more disturbing is that it is her very own mother that stands accused of selling her precious baby girl into sexual slavery. Despicable, nauseating, infuriating...but a reality of the world in which we live.
What I'd like for people to understand is that no one is safe when it comes to this issue. Just as you get up routinely each day to go to work, pedophiles wake up to plan and strategize just how they can lure and molest children. They are extremely adept at doing just that. That is why the statistics show that a child is abducted every 40 seconds in our nation. Moreover, nearly 50 percent are African American. There is a false sense of security that many of us tend to have because we feel that our circle of elite friends and family, and large brick homes buffer us from the inherent cruelty of the world. However, the statistics do not lie.
Sadly, there are millions of Shaniya's across the world. They have no voice. They have no power. They have no face, and until recently, the wider public refused to even acknowledge that their stories were legitimate. Shaniya's story helped to change this. So, I agree with her father. God had a plan, and was ready to bring an angel home because her job had been accomplished. May you rest in peace baby girl.
Subject: Re: Shaniya Nicole Davis (5) R.I.P. Sun Nov 29, 2009 3:09 pm
NBA great Shaquille O'Neal pays for Shaniya's funeral By Nick Needham Staff writer
The story of what happened to Shaniya Davis has affected thousands of people, including NBA star Shaquille O'Neal, who paid for the slain 5-year-old child's funeral.
"He was very touched by the story, and requested how to get in touch with the family," said a Cleveland Cavaliers spokesperson, who confirmed Wednesday that O'Neal paid for the service.
More than 2,000 people attended Shaniya's funeral at Manna Church on Sunday. She was buried at Fayetteville Memorial Cemetery.
Corey Breece, of Rogers and Breece Funeral Home, would not reveal Wednesday the cost of the child's service. However, he said the cost of a child's funeral "averages around $4,500."
Bradley Lockhart, 39, the child's father, could not be reached for comment. A family friend, Vaughn Eason, said the family was out of town for the holidays.
Shaniya's body was found Nov. 16 in a wooded area off N.C. 87 south of Sanford, six days after she was reported missing by her mother.
Mario McNeill, 29, is charged with first degree kidnapping, murder and rape in the case. McNeill turned himself into police on Nov.13 after he was seen on surveillance video at a Sanford hotel holding Shaniya in his arms.
Antoinette Davis, 25, the child's mother, is charged with human trafficking and child abuse involving prostitution against her daughter.
Davis and McNeill are incarcerated in state prison facilities in Raleigh until their next scheduled court dates.
Davis will appear back in Cumberland County on Dec. 3. McNeill's court date is scheduled for Dec. 9.
"I was sitting at home watching it on the news and the story brought a tear to my eye," Shaq, as he is commonly known, told The Cleveland Plain Dealer newspaper on Wednesday night.
He first asked to get in touch with the Lockhart family on Nov. 18, the day after the State Medical Examiner's office confirmed that a child's body found in Lee County on Nov. 16 was in fact Shaniya's.
Bradley Lockhart and his family had setup a trust fund in memory of Shaniya to help raise money to pay for the funeral.
Eason said last week that any leftover funds earmarked for Shaniya's funeral would go to local charities, groups and agencies that help neglected or abused children.
"Being a law enforcement guy that investigates crimes against children, I wanted to be able to help in some way," Shaq told the Cleveland newspaper.
Shaq completed reserve officer's training when he lived in Los Angeles and Miami, the Cavaliers spokesperson said Wednesday. His last certification was in 2005.
Performing random acts of kindness is nothing new for Shaq.
Last year, according to the Cleveland newspaper, he paid for the funeral of NBA Hall of Famer George Mikan.
In 2007, Shaq had his own reality television show, "Shaq's Big Challenge," in which he helped children of middle school age lose weight and live a healthy lifestyle.
He was traded to the Cavaliers this past summer to be their new center. He stands at just more than 7feet tall.
Shaq, who is recovering from a shoulder injury, sat out his sixth consecutive game Wednesday night against the Detroit Pistons.
(CNN) -- Professional basketball star Shaquille O'Neal paid for the funeral of a 5-year-old North Carolina girl whose body was found last week, O'Neal's team confirmed Thursday. Authorities believe the child, Shaniya Davis, was kidnapped, raped and murdered after being reported missing November 10. Her body was found six days later on a roadside about 30 miles from her hometown of Fayetteville, North Carolina. Her funeral was Sunday. O'Neal said in a statement released by his team, the Cleveland Cavaliers, that he was touched after seeing Davis' story on CNN sister network HLN's "Nancy Grace" show. "What happened to her was tragic. I wanted her to have a funeral that would be as beautiful as she was," O'Neal said in the statement. Corey Breece, of Rogers and Breece Funeral Home, told the Fayetteville Observer he wouldn't discuss the cost of the child's service, but he noted a child's funeral "averages around $4,500." The girl's father, Bradley Lockhart, and his family had set up a trust fund to help raise money to pay for the service, according to the Fayetteville Observer. Family friend Vaughn Eason told the paper any remaining money would be used for groups and charities working to assist abused and neglected children. Police have charged Mario Andrette McNeill with kidnapping and said he also will face murder and child rape charges.
Video: Shaniya Davis laid to rest
Preliminary autopsy results indicated the child was asphyxiated, Fayetteville Police Chief Tom Bergamine told reporters last week, as authorities awaited final autopsy reports. Davis' mother, Antionette Nicole Davis, has been charged with human trafficking and other offenses. Police have said they believe she was prostituting the girl. O'Neal, as a volunteer for law enforcement agencies in recent years, has been active in causes that deal with domestic violence issues, mainly child-abuse cases.
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Subject: Re: Shaniya Nicole Davis (5) R.I.P. Sun Nov 29, 2009 3:12 pm
Girl's death could impact state programs to protect children
Raleigh, N.C. — The death of a 5-year-old Fayetteville girl is already resonating through hallways of the Legislative Building, where lawmakers say state programs designed to protect children need more support. Shaniya Nicole Davis was reported missing from her home on Nov. 10. Her body was found in a patch of kudzu off a rural road near the Lee-Harnett County line six days later. She died of asphyxiation, according to preliminary autopsy results. Mario Andrette McNeill, 29, of 2613 Pine Springs Drive, has been charged with first-degree murder, first-degree rape of a child and first-degree kidnapping in the case. Police have characterized him as a family acquaintance. Shaniya's mother, Antoinette Nicole Davis, 25, has been 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 "did permit an act of prostitution with Shaniya." The Cumberland County Department of Social Services previously looked at Davis with regard to her 7-year-old son, according to family members. But it's unclear how much contact DSS workers had with the family because the agency has declined to release information related to the case, citing the criminal investigation and privacy concerns. Lawmakers said Tuesday that they wonder if DSS could have done more to intervene and prevent Shaniya's death, but they acknowledged that deep budget cuts have left the system poorly staffed. "Our child protective services are really not adequate at all," said state Rep. Verla Insko, D-Orange, who chairs the appropriations committee for the state Department of Health and Human Services. "When we face a budget cut, it's often the programs that serve children that are overlooked. They're the first to be cut and the last to be restored," Insko said. DSS agencies face growing caseloads and high turnover among young, inexperienced staff, she said – a combination that can become dangerous. Last year, 58 children were homicide victims in North Carolina, and authorities deemed children had been abused in 33 of those cases. It's unclear in any of the cases whether the abuse was known beforehand or came to light only after the child died. "What we need to do is to prevent the crime from happening. That's where the focus needs to be," said state Rep. Deborah Ross, D-Wake. Ross served on a study committee three years ago that made recommendations to improve Child Protective Services programs in the state. In this year's budget, $900,000 was included to provide extra training for social workers. She said she hopes that lawmakers will remembers Shaniya's death when the General Assembly reconvenes next May and that it will provide an impetus for improving Child Protective Services programs. "Any kind of situation like the one we've seen in Cumberland County is unacceptable," she said. "Investing money in preventing child abuse and investigating incidents of child abuse has not become the priority that it needs to be."
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Subject: Re: Shaniya Nicole Davis (5) R.I.P. Mon Nov 30, 2009 7:45 am
Melinda Team Angels
Subject: Re: Shaniya Nicole Davis (5) R.I.P. Mon Nov 30, 2009 7:48 am
DSS investigated mother A search of court records turned up no previous criminal charges against Davis, but she lived at a home on Wall Street in July that police raided. Officers found "narcotics manufacturing materials" in the house, but no one was charged, according to an incident report.
Neighbors said McNeill was frequently seen with Davis on Mary Street, where Davis lived with her mother before moving to Sleepy Hollow Drive.
The Cumberland County Department of Social Services previously investigated Davis with regard to her 7-year-old son, not Shaniya, according to her uncle, Michael Davis. The case was closed, and Antoinette Davis was able to retain custody of the boy, her uncle said.
Subject: Re: Shaniya Nicole Davis (5) R.I.P. Tue Dec 01, 2009 7:57 am
The Shaniya Davis Tragedy Bradley says Shaniya was born from a brief relationship with Davis. "Antoinette did care for Shaniya her first year when she was first born. After that, she felt that it was best that Shaniya stayed with me as I was able to provide and give her a better environment," he says. "Any time Antoinette asked to see her, I made arrangements that she was able to spend time with her daughter."
Bradley, a contractor, says he last saw Shaniya on October 2, 2009, just before he had to leave for an out-of-town job. "When he's gone, Shaniya's with me. And on October 9, Antoinette had called me and asked me if she could visit with Shaniya," Carey says. "Shaniya loved her mother very much, and she did want to be with her."
As she had many times before, Carey says she dropped Shaniya off at her mother's house. "I gave her a kiss goodbye and I told her to be a good girl for Aunt Carey," she says. "As she ran off to her mom, she turned back and looked at me and said, 'I love you, Aunt Carey, and I'll see you later.' And that was the last time I've seen Shaniya." http://www.oprah.com/article/oprahshow/20091120-tows-shaniya-davis/3
The Shaniya Davis Tragedy Reports say Child Protective Services was investigating Davis. Other reports say that she may have sold Shaniya into sex trafficking to pay off a drug debt. "I wasn't aware of any drug problem. It never even crossed my mind," he says. "Antoinette never lived in the best neighborhoods, so of course there was always that concern. But I never was concerned of her caring for [Shaniya] as a mother; for the weekends, she would keep her."
There are also reports that relatives had seen cigarette burns on Shaniya's body. "I saw certain things, but they would be things like scrapes on the knees that normal children would receive. ... The cigarette burn that was in question, someone was smoking a cigarette and I was told that Shaniya had walked into the cigarette accidentally," Carey says. "When I questioned Shaniya, she wouldn't really explain things. Shaniya and I's relationship was much different. Our relationship was full of laughter and joy, and a lot of the time that we spent together, it was more playful and learning."
The Shaniya Davis Tragedy Bradley says he may speak with Davis one day, but not now. "I just think that it's best that we let the justice system take its course," he says. "I try to keep my heart as pure as possible and I'm sure one day I will be able to sit down and talk to her and try to understand what was going through her mind."
When asked what he'd like to see happen to McNeill, Bradley says the outcome is not up to him. "It's in the Lord's hands now, and the justice system's, and he's got to come to grips and repent for his actions," he says. "I know the grace of the Lord and if he's sincere within his heart, he'll be able to move forward with his guilt."
Still, Bradley hopes that Shaniya's story will help keep other children safe. "There's so much to be said about that precious angel. As you can see from the outreach and just the vigils ... she's definitely touched a lot of hearts and she's dug deep inside a lot of people," he says. "I just hope that they've taken some of this joy that she's brought down to them, and some of this hurt, and we can curb it from happening to another child. Get something in place to where the system benefits those who need help, and quit walking away from it."
Subject: Re: Shaniya Nicole Davis (5) R.I.P. Wed Dec 09, 2009 7:19 pm
Antoinette Davis- Dec 3, 2009
Mario Andrette McNeill - Dec 9, 2009
Antoinette Davis Dec. 3, 2009 Update: Davis returns to court, motion requested
December 4
Dec. 3, 2009 - Antoinette Nicole Davis returned to District 12 Cumberland County Courthouse Thursday with a motion to continue. Motion has been entered. However, anyone requesting a motion to continue who is facing a felony must go through a panel process before another court date is released according to the Cumberland County District Attorney's office. Antoinette Davis is facing two felonies and two misdemeanors. No trial date has been set at this time.
When speaking to the District Attorney's office, they assured that when a date is set the information will be released. This process is not active in lower offenses. However, this is a high-profile double felony case and could take days or weeks to reach a trial date.
Antoinette Davis has been charged with human trafficking, felony child abuse involving prostitution, filing a false police report, and interfering with an investigation surrounding the death of Shaniya Davis.
Mario McNeill has been charged with first-degree kidnapping, first-degree rape, and first-degree murder in the death of 5-year-old Shaniya Davis. Mario McNeill is to return from Raleigh's Central Prison to the Cumberland County Courthouse on December 9, 2009. Mario McNeill's motion to continue remains to be seen.
Shaniya Davis was found on November 16, 2009 next to Walker Road hidden in the woods of Lee County, North Carolina. Approximately 250 people, including local authorities, searched for the little girl ever since Antoinette Davis reported her missing a week earlier.
The case against Antoinette Davis is strong. Allegedly, Antoinette Davis allowed Mario McNeill to take Shaniya Davis, her biological daughter, in exchange for money due and sexual transfer. Shaniya Davis' autopsy proved that 5-year-old Shaniya Davis had been raped and murdered on the day she was reported missing.
With the help of a GPS, a Sanford video camera and other substantial leads, Fayetteville police arrested Mario McNeill with Shaniya Davis' murder. Mario McNeill was already being held in Cumberland County when the murder charges surfaced. Mario McNeill was transfered after appearing in court to Raleigh's Central Prison and placed on suicide watch. For more on that story visit Mario McNeill Enters Raleigh's Central Prison.
Antoinette Davis was also been placed in a safekeeping cell and away from other inmates upon entry into North Carolina Correctional Institution for Women.
There have been no new charges filed against Antoinette Davis, as of yet. The media did not release much information surrounding Davis' Dec 3 court appearance due to the motion to continue.
Last edited by Melinda on Tue Dec 22, 2009 7:41 am; edited 1 time in total
Melinda Team Angels
Subject: Re: Shaniya Nicole Davis (5) R.I.P. Tue Dec 22, 2009 7:32 am
Sun Nov 22, 2009 9:08 am
