Child Killer Gets 25 Years

LUNENBURG – A Lunenburg County judge affirmed and ordered a 25-year prison sentence as recommended by a Lunenburg County jury on April 25th against Mario Davis who was convicted of Felony Homicide and Felony Child Abuse for the killing of 15-month-old Aja Cofield, his stepdaughter, last year.

Commonwealth’s Attorney Robert Clement said that Davis stated to the court that he did not “intentionally intend” to hurt her and wished he could change the fact that she is gone.

According to Clement, Circuit Court Judge S. Anderson Nelson stated that the evidence was sufficient and clearly supported the jury’s verdict.  He said the people of Lunenburg County had spoken, and the decision was just.

The judge also imposed an additional three years suspended with supervised probation as requested by the Commonwealth’s Attorney pursuant to a special statute created by the state legislature for situations such as this since juries cannot suspend time or give probation.  In the past before this statute, a defendant would serve his time and then be released without supervision.

The judge also ordered conditions of good behavior, supervised probation, completion of an anger management counseling program, completion of a parenting course, and no unsupervised contact with children under the age of 16 years.