The trial of Xavier Davis, who stands accused of the harrowing triple homicide of a Houston family in 2021, has begun, with prosecutors and defense lawyers presenting their perspectives on the fateful night. As reported by KHOU, the capital murder trial commenced today, with Davis facing charges for the killings of Donyavia Lagway, 29, her husband, Gregory Carhee, 35, and their 6-year-old daughter, Harmony Carhee.
Prosecutors allege Alexus Chenelle Williams hired Davis in a tragic turn of events, seeking retribution after her affair with Lagway ended. According to a statement obtained by KHOU, Williams purportedly granted Davis the right to take any money he could find in the family's apartment post-murder. Moreover, it has been suggested that Williams may have even observed the killings unfold over Facetime.
In a distressing twist of fate, the couple's 10-year-old daughter, critically wounded in the shooting, managed to survive by feigning death and cared for her younger brother amidst the carnage. "This incredible young lady was able to get up despite being gravely wounded," former prosecutor Sean Teare described the child's actions, as per a report by KHOU. After the assailant had left, she locked the door and called for help in an extraordinary display of poise and fortitude.
The rare decision to seek the death penalty in Harris County is signaled by this trial, and Nicole Hensley from the Houston Chronicle notes that if Davis is convicted, jurors will then determine whether he should be sentenced to death. In opening statements, which began at approximately 10 a.m., lawyers outlined the grim details of how a young witness, shot in the arm, heard her father's tragically futile appeal to their attacker, informing Davis they had nothing left to give him.
Authorities had initially suspected a second individual to be involved in this gruesome crime, eventually leading to Williams after uncovering her affair with Donyavia. After painstakingly cracking Williams' cell phone, they found extensive message exchanges between her and Davis, suggesting premeditation, as stated by KHOU. The horrifying ordeal has left the Houston community in shock and mourning, with Ronette Terrell, Donyavia's cousin, questioning the senseless brutality that befell her family, particularly her innocent children.
