On a Wednesday evening in Washington, D.C., on September 16, 2015, Levi Kinte Davis, a 38-year-old male, was shot and killed. The incident occurred at approximately 8:30 p.m. in the 4200 block of East Capitol Street, NE. Davis was inside an SUV when he was shot multiple times.
The investigation into his death led police to his girlfriend, Carmelita Henderson. At the scene, Henderson appeared unemotional to investigators.
Initially, she claimed to be a friend of the victim and that two masked men had shot him while she was in the driver's seat. However, police uncovered a more complex story. Henderson and Davis had been in a romantic relationship, which began while he was an inmate at the D.C. jail where she worked as a mail clerk. Authorities alleged that Henderson was upset with Davis because their relationship had led to her being fired from her job. The prosecution built a case around the theory that this was her motive for arranging his murder.
In December 2016, Carmelita Henderson was arrested and charged with first-degree murder. During her trial, a witness testified that Henderson had confessed to her role in the killing, stating that Davis had gotten her fired and she wanted him dead. The prosecution argued that Henderson had orchestrated the shooting, enlisting two men to carry out the act. Despite this testimony and the prosecution's arguments, the defense contended that there was a lack of concrete evidence to prove Henderson's involvement. In May 2019, a jury found Carmelita Henderson not guilty of the murder of Levi Kinte Davis.
While Henderson was acquitted, the case remains unresolved. The one or two men who police believe were the actual shooters were never publicly identified or arrested. Following Henderson's trial, there have been no further announcements regarding any new suspects or arrests in connection with the murder of Levi Kinte Davis.
