Lancelot Kenyatta Ellison, a 46-year-old African American male, was tragically shot dead in his apartment in Hickory, NC, on June 1, 2015. The incident occurred around 11:40 p.m. when police were called to 8th Ave. Drive SE regarding a homicide. Upon arrival, officers found Ellison unresponsive from gunshot wounds. Despite attempts at CPR, Ellison was pronounced dead soon after.
The investigation revealed that the motive behind the murder was a robbery.
Two suspects, Demarcus Kashaun Pollard and Tevin Jerome Davis, both 23 years old at the time, were arrested in connection with the homicide. Pollard was arrested on June 11, 2015, and charged with first-degree murder. Davis turned himself in on June 4, 2015, and was charged with first-degree murder, second-degree kidnapping, and felony robbery with a dangerous weapon.
Further details emerged during the investigation, indicating that Davis drove a co-defendant to retrieve a gun and then to the residence where Ellison and his girlfriend were staying. The intent was to rob Ellison of marijuana and money they believed he had. Upon arrival, a brief verbal exchange occurred between the co-defendant and Ellison before Ellison was shot three times. During the robbery, a witness reported that a gun was put to her head, and she was forced to the ground, being told she would be shot if she moved. Davis admitted to taking a gun from Ellison after the shooting and helping the co-defendant restrain one of the two females present so the robbery could be completed.
In January 2021, Davis, then 28 years old, was convicted of accessory after the fact to first-degree murder, robbery with a dangerous weapon, and second-degree kidnapping. He was sentenced to serve an active prison term of five to seven years. As part of his plea, Davis agreed to provide testimony against his co-defendants if called upon to do so. The case highlights the tragic loss of Lancelot Kenyatta Ellison and the subsequent legal proceedings that followed his untimely death.
