Man Charged With Shaniya's Murder

A North Carolina man previously accused of kidnapping a 5-year-old North Carolina girl now faces charges of first-degree murder and first-degree rape of a child. Mario McNeill admitted taking Shaniya Davis from her Fayetteville home.

Preliminary autopsy reports showed that Shaniya was asphyxiated.

Police gave few further details about the case as they announced the new charges against McNeill. No new charges have been filed against the child's mother, Antoinette Davis, who is being held on charges of human trafficking involving prostitution.

"It is our sincere hope that the Davis family may now begin to put this horrific event behind them and begin the healing process," Fayetteville Police Chief Tom Bergamine said at the news conference.

Evidence Found in Car

Police issued the new warrants against McNeill after they collected 11 bags of evidence - including hair and fibers, clothes, and a straw - from his vehicle.

A search warrant for the vehicle said McNeill picked the girl up in front of her home and drove her to a Sanford hotel 40 miles away. Hotel surveillance video captured McNeil carrying the girl in the building.

Her body was found a week later in a wooded area south of Sanford.

See Also:
Man Faces Murder Charge in NC Girl's Disappearance

Earlier Articles:
Searchers Find Body of Shaniya Davis
Mother of Missing Girl Arrested

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^{Photo: Family Photo}