Kalvin Davis

Kalvin Davis Jr., an 18-year-old Black man from Erie, Pennsylvania, was remembered as a naturally gifted athlete with a bright smile and a big heart. Known to his family as “Boppa,” he was a comedian, wise beyond his years, and a loyal friend who was generous with his time and advice. Kalvin was also the father of a young son, Kalvin Davis III.

In the early morning hours of July 1, 2021, Kalvin was sleeping in an upstairs bedroom of a duplex at the corner of West 29th and Cherry streets. He was with several other young men when the residence became the target of a shooting. At about 3:50 a.m., surveillance video showed three gunmen approach the building and simultaneously fire numerous gunshots into the second floor. A single bullet penetrated an exterior wall and struck Kalvin in the head, killing him.

Erie police investigators recovered dozens of shell casings outside the duplex, including 18 from a .40-caliber weapon and others from 9 mm firearms. A day after the shooting, a crucial piece of evidence surfaced when police recovered a .40-caliber Glock pistol during a traffic stop in another part of the city. Ballistics testing confirmed it was the murder weapon, matching it to casings found at the scene and to the bullet recovered from Kalvin. Further testing revealed four DNA profiles on the gun, one of which was connected to a suspect.

The investigation led police to Jamie D. Smith Jr., who was arrested in October 2022. Though evidence suggested three shooters were involved, Smith was the only person charged in Kalvin’s death.

In May 2024, Smith, then 21, accepted a plea agreement and pleaded guilty to third-degree murder. A judge immediately sentenced him to four to eight years in state prison. The sentence was structured to run consecutively to a 30-to-60-year sentence Smith was already serving for a separate third-degree murder conviction from January 2022, making his total prison term 34 to 68 years.

Kalvin's family expressed profound disappointment with the length of the sentence. At the hearing, his father, Kalvin Davis Sr., said, "I don't understand how drug dealers on the street can get 15 to 20 years, but someone who takes another person's life can get four to eight years." Tania Upchurch, the mother of Kalvin’s son, told the judge through tears, "We want the maximum sentence because we have to live without Kalvin forever." The case was closed following the sentencing in May 2024.