In the quiet suburban town of Maplewood, New Jersey, a grim discovery shattered the community's sense of peace in late January of 2017. On January 29th, the local fire department was called to an apartment on Van Ness Court for a well-being check, as someone had been unable to make contact with the occupants. Firefighters gained entry into the residence to find a tragic scene: three individuals, all victims of gunshot wounds.
One of the deceased was identified as 44-year-old male, Lance Fraser of Newark. The other victims were Michael Davis, 45, a resident of the apartment, and Roshana Kenilson, 30, of Paterson. The incident was the first homicide in Maplewood in nearly five years, sending ripples of shock and concern through the neighborhood.
The Essex County Prosecutor's Office Homicide/Major Crimes Task Force immediately launched an intensive investigation into the triple homicide. Initially, the motive behind the killings was unclear, and no suspects were publicly identified. However, the collaborative efforts of multiple law enforcement agencies, including the Maplewood Police Department and the FBI, soon led to a breakthrough. Less than two weeks after the discovery, authorities announced the arrests of two men in connection with the murders. Jimmy P. Mays, 37, was apprehended in Columbia, Maryland, while the second suspect, 33-year-old Lavelle T. Davis, was located and arrested in Yonkers, New York.
With the suspects in custody, the details of the heinous crime began to emerge. Mays and Davis were charged with a litany of offenses, including three counts of murder, conspiracy to commit murder, felony murder, robbery, and various weapons charges. The investigation revealed that the motive for the brutal slayings was robbery, with the perpetrators targeting the victims for cash and drugs. The subsequent legal proceedings culminated in the convictions of both men for the murders of Lance Fraser, Michael Davis, and Roshana Kenilson. In a measure of justice for the lives lost, Jimmy Mays was sentenced to 153 years in prison, while Lavelle Davis received a sentence of 138 years. The court proceedings also brought to light the particularly cruel nature of the crime, noting that Lance Fraser had been tortured during the ordeal.
