In a quiet Maplewood, New Jersey apartment, the lives of three individuals were brought to a tragic end in January 2017. Among them was Michael Davis, a 45-year-old male resident of the town. His life, along with those of 44-year-old Lance Fraser of Newark and 30-year-old Roshana Kelson of Paterson, was cut short by gunfire in what authorities would later describe as a robbery gone horribly wrong.
The grim discovery was made by firefighters who had been called to perform a wellness check at the Van Ness Court apartment after concerned family members were unable to make contact with the occupants. Upon gaining entry, they found the bodies of Davis, Fraser, and Kelson.
The investigation into the triple homicide led authorities to two suspects: Jimmy P. Mays, then 37, and Lavelle T. Davis, then 33. There was no relation between Lavelle Davis and the victim, Michael Davis. Investigators determined that the motive for the killings was to steal cash and drugs. The prosecutors detailed a brutal scene where Michael Davis and Roshana Kelson were shot and killed as they slept, while Lance Fraser was tortured before also being fatally shot. The home was then ransacked by the perpetrators.
A multi-state effort involving law enforcement from New Jersey, the FBI, and Maryland State Police led to the apprehension of the suspects. Jimmy P. Mays was arrested in Columbia, Maryland, while Lavelle T. Davis was apprehended in Yonkers, New York. Following their arrests, both men were charged with a litany of crimes, including three counts of murder, conspiracy to commit murder, felony murder, robbery, and various weapons offenses.
The legal process culminated in the conviction of both Jimmy P. Mays and Lavelle T. Davis for the triple murder and the associated charges. In June 2018, the two men were sentenced for their roles in the deaths of Michael Davis, Roshana Kelson, and Lance Fraser. A judge handed down lengthy prison sentences to both men, with Mays receiving 153 years and Davis being sentenced to 138 years. A third, unidentified co-conspirator was mentioned during the legal proceedings but was never charged. The sentences ensured that the two men responsible for the violent end to three lives would spend the remainder of their own behind bars.
