In the quiet, early hours of a Sunday morning in South Bend, Indiana, the life of 19-year-old Anthony Maurice Mobley Jr. was tragically cut short. On April 30, 2017, the young man was fatally shot on Logan Street, a conclusion that would later be officially ruled a homicide due to multiple gunshot wounds. The events of that morning would set in motion a police investigation and a legal battle that would ultimately leave a family searching for closure.
Just after 4 a.m., the sound of
gunfire shattered the peace, prompting a call to the South Bend Police Department. Arriving at the 100 block of South Logan Street, officers discovered Anthony Mobley Jr. lying on the lawn of a home, next to a running vehicle in the driveway. He had sustained multiple gunshot wounds and, despite attempts at resuscitation, was pronounced dead at the scene. As the St. Joseph County Metro Homicide Unit began their investigation, which would span roughly 11 hours at the scene, they learned that Anthony's younger brother, Jamal, had also been a victim of the violence. Hearing the gunshots from the car, Jamal had gotten out and ran, realizing as he fled that he had been shot in the shoulder. He was later treated at a hospital and released.
The investigation quickly pointed to 19-year-old Tabais Davis as a person of interest, who was considered armed and dangerous. The narrative that emerged from the investigation detailed an altercation that preceded the fatal shooting. It was reported that Anthony had gone to the home where a female acquaintance was with Davis. An argument broke out, and after Anthony left the house, Davis allegedly followed him outside and opened fire, shooting Anthony five times in the back and once in the hand. Police believed a total of 12 shots were fired from the same gun.
Tabais Davis eventually turned himself in to the authorities and was formally charged with one count of murder and one count of attempted murder. The case went to trial, and after three days of testimony and deliberation, a jury reached a verdict. Davis’s defense argued that he had acted in self-defense. The jury acquitted Davis of all charges, a legal decision that concluded the criminal proceedings but did not erase the pain and questions for Anthony Mobley's loved ones. The community was left to reflect on a violent incident that ended one young life and irrevocably changed others.
