John Willoughby: Greene Publishing, Inc.
Nicholas Rashawn Davis
After multiple attempts to find guilt or innocence, Nicholas Rashawn Davis, 28, of Greenville, pled guilty to lesser charges, for the death of Travis Lavonte Solomon, and was sentenced to the Florida Department of Corrections (FDOC) on Thursday, March 15.
Back on April 20, 2016, investigators obtained a “first-degree murder while armed” warrant and a “possession of firearm by convicted felon” warrant for Davis, in connection to the murder of 21-year-old Solomon. One day after unsuccessfully trying to locate Davis, investigators received a tip that led them to the area of 185 Apopka Trl., in Madison. Around 5 p.m., a search was conducted, but Davis was not located.
Investigators then received another tip, and at approximately 10 p.m., the Sheriff's Emergency Response Team (SERT) arrived back at the same property and surrounded the residence, arresting Davis without further incident. Davis was taken to the Madison County Jail and charged with first-degree murder while armed and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
On Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2017, Davis was additionally charged with introducing contraband into a detention facility and on Friday, July 28, 2017, Davis was charged with tampering with a witness.
After a declared mistrial and a jury pool mishap, Davis returned to the Madison County Courthouse once again on Tuesday, Jan. 23 for a three-day trial that ended in a hung jury.
Then on Thursday, March 15, according to a Madison County clerk of court employee, Davis pled to a lesser charge of manslaughter and was sentenced to six years in a FDOC facility, with credit for time served.
According to State Attorney Jeff Seigmeister, the case was re-assessed after the hung jury, and in light of the fact that it was a two-year-old case. “[We] wanted to give the victim's mother some closure,” said Seigmeister. Therefore, the charges that Davis was originally charged with were lessened to that of manslaughter.