Jurors in Orleans Parish Criminal District Court began hearing evidence Wednesday in the killing of 28-year-old Asia Davis, a New Orleans East woman whose death has become a flashpoint in the city’s debate over domestic violence and police response. Prosecutors say a man accused of killing his ex-girlfriend in May 2023 shot her, then struck her with an SUV on the I-10 service road at Mayo Boulevard, while Davis’s family says she had called police about domestic incidents in the weeks before her death and believes a faster response could have saved her. Seven witnesses took the stand on the first day of trial.
What Prosecutors Laid Out in Court
Prosecutors told jurors that phone records and witness accounts place 44-year-old Henry Talley Jr. in New Orleans East the morning Davis died, and that his phone pinged in the area around 9:30 a.m., according to WWL-TV. The state says Talley shot Davis and then ran her over on the I-10 service road at Mayo Boulevard. A grand jury later upgraded the case to first-degree murder, per reporting on the charges. Seven witnesses testified Wednesday as prosecutors began stitching together their timeline for the jury.
Calls for Help and Police Response
Records show Davis called 911 twice in April about domestic incidents, but both calls were marked “gone on arrival” and officers did not respond for roughly 12 hours, a delay that drew criticism from New Orleans city council members, according to FOX 8. The New Orleans Police Department has said dispatchers prioritize calls based on the immediacy of danger and that some calls were reclassified after callers reported the suspect was no longer on scene. That explanation has done little to quiet questions about how the system handled Davis’s pleas for help.
Witnesses Describe Argument and Movements
One witness who works for the constable's office testified he saw a man arguing with a woman beside a gold SUV on Mayo Boulevard that morning, and prosecutors introduced phone-data mapping to show movements placing the defendant near the scene, court records show, per WWL-TV. Prosecutors also told the court Talley arrived at work later that morning in the French Quarter, a detail the state says fits its timeline of what happened before and after Davis was killed.
Legal Stakes Facing the Defendant
Talley faces charges including first-degree murder and illegal possession of a firearm, according to reporting from WWL. Under Louisiana law, first-degree murder can carry life imprisonment at hard labor without parole and, if prosecutors seek a capital verdict, the death penalty, options laid out in La. R.S. 14:30. Pretrial motions over evidence and procedure are expected to continue as the case moves forward.
Family Reaction and City Debate
Asia Davis's family has said they are still reeling and that earlier officer intervention might have saved her life, a claim that has fed broader questions about how the city handles domestic-violence reports, as documented by The 19th. The killing was one of several high-profile deaths of women in New Orleans in 2023 that sparked renewed calls for changes to policing and court procedures.
The trial is ongoing and more testimony is expected in the coming days; there is no verdict yet. The case has become a focal point in discussions about domestic violence, police response and the justice system in New Orleans, and court watchers say the proceedings will be closely followed, per local reporting from FOX 8.
