In the late summer of 2021, the life of 53-year-old Conney Faye Mercer-Webb, a resident of Twin City, Georgia, was tragically cut short. On September 8th, a chain of events began to unfold that would reveal a brutal crime and a desperate cover-up. The initial sign of trouble was the discovery of Mercer-Webb's vehicle abandoned off the side of Modoc Road in Swainsboro.
When her family was unable to reach her, a sense of unease grew, as it was highly uncharacteristic for her not to return calls or messages.
Concerned for her well-being, law enforcement began a door-to-door canvas of the neighborhood near where her car was found. Their investigation led them to a residence that Mercer-Webb owned and rented out to a couple, Nathaniel and LaShawna David. When questioned, Nathaniel David initially claimed that his landlord had stopped by earlier in the day to collect rent but had left after a brief conversation. However, the situation took a dramatic turn as officers were leaving the property. Mercer-Webb's own son, who had been searching for his mother, spotted the Davids attempting to remove her body from the back of the residence and immediately alerted the police.
What followed was a frantic attempt by the couple to flee the scene. Officers gave chase and quickly apprehended both Nathaniel and LaShawna David. The grim discovery of Conney Faye Mercer-Webb's body at the rear of the rental property confirmed the horrific nature of the crime; she had been both stabbed and shot. It became chillingly clear that Mercer-Webb had been killed that morning when she went to collect rent from her tenants.
In the aftermath of the murder, Nathaniel and LaShawna David were arrested and faced a litany of charges, including murder, possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime, and possession of a sawed-off shotgun. The case culminated in the couple pleading guilty to the charges against them. Nathaniel David pleaded guilty to malice murder, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, and concealing the death of another. LaShawna David pleaded guilty to felony murder, concealing the death of another, and tampering with evidence. Both were sentenced to life in prison, with the stipulation that they must serve a minimum of 30 years before becoming eligible for parole.
