UPDATE: D’ante Davis was sentenced to 107 years in prison, minus a little more than 1.5 years for time served.
DELAWARE COUNTY, Ind. — A jury deliberated for a little over two hours on Friday to find a Muncie man guilty of a July 2021 murder and armed robbery.
D’ante Davis, 24, was convicted of fatally shooting and robbing 23-year-old James Braydon King III.
On July 22, 2021, several people called Muncie police after hearing gunshots at the Canterbury Townhomes. One 911 caller said they saw two men running out of an apartment, and one had an assault rifle and a bag while the other had a handgun. The two men then reportedly took off in separate vehicles.
Court documents state that a witness who was inside the apartment said a man named Jason Becraft showed up unannounced to buy marijuana from King. When Becraft first walked in, King was counting “a large amount of money.” The witness said Becraft told them “Tay” was waiting outside the apartment. Davis also goes by the name “Tay,” allege court documents.
Becraft left after five to 10 minutes. The witness said less than five minutes later, someone in a black mask came in holding an assault rifle and started shooting. After the shooter left, the witness told police King’s backpack, which contained $10,000-$15,000, was missing from the apartment.
Investigators said King had been shot nine times and was pronounced dead at the scene. There was also around 50 spent shell casings scattered across the apartment.
According to court documents, one of the cars seen leaving the scene after the shooting was found at Becraft’s grandmother’s home. Becraft admitted to police he was at the apartment to buy weed from King the day of the shooting, but said he left immediately after and did not see anyone go into the apartment after he left. He also initially denied knowing Davis but later said he did know him although he didn’t associate with him due to Davis’ “activities.”
Police also made contact with the driver of the alleged getaway car Becraft used. The driver said she stayed in the car while Becraft bought the marijuana. Police said Becraft told her he “got a lick” when he came back to the car. A “lick” is known as getting money from someone who is supposedly easy to rob.
Davis is set to be sentenced on February 24. He faces anywhere from 45 to 65 years on the murder conviction. The armed robbery conviction comes with 10 to 30 years in prison.
This is not the first violent offense for Davis. In 2017, he pleaded guilty to battery in connection to a 2015 incident in which a 7-year-old boy was shot. He was sentenced to six years in the Indiana Department of Corrections but was released in 2021.
Becraft was also charged with murder and armed robbery in connection to King’s death. His jury trial is scheduled for March.
