A Prince George’s County judge on Thursday gave a man two consecutive life sentences without parole for fatally shooting his 2-year-old daughter and her mother in 2016, condemning his actions as “callous” and showing a “lack of empathy.”
Judge William Michael R. Pearson handed down the sentence to Daron Boswell-Johnson at the circuit courthouse as the victims’ family packed the courtroom.
“It contradicts what it means to being a human to carry out the act of that day,” Pearson said before sentencing Boswell-Johnson to the two life terms plus 20 years on weapons charges.
The decision came about two months after a grand jury convicted Boswell-Johnson of murdering NeShante Davis, 26, a county schoolteacher, and their daughter, Chloe Davis-Green.
Authorities said Boswell-Johnson drove to Davis’ Fort Washington home on Feb. 2, 2016, to confront her about $600 he would owe in monthly child support payments.
After Davis refused to drop the child support claim, Boswell-Johnson shot Davis and Chloe, who sat in her car seat as Davis prepared to drop her off at day care before heading to work, police said.
Boswell-Johnson admitted to the crime, as well as previously searching the internet on how to stop child support payments.
But his attorney, Antoini Jones, maintained Boswell-Johnson’s innocence and requested a new trial.
“I believe my client is falsely convicted,” Jones said at Thursday’s sentencing, claiming the confession was coerced and that certain evidence was not presented fairly.
The judge denied the request before asking Boswell-Johnson if he had anything to say.
“No, your honor,” he said as four deputy sheriffs stood nearby with another six on the opposite side of the courtroom.
State’s Attorney Angela Alsobrooks, who personally prosecuted the case, said it’s rare to see an outpouring of family members to consistently follow a case for its duration.
“This is hard to imagine,” she said outside courthouse with more than a dozen Davis’ family members standing behind her. “This isn’t just me, it affected everyone. No one could talk about the case without weeping. We all grieved for this baby and her mother.”
NeShanna Turner, Davis’ sister, thanked Alsobrooks and the Prince George’s community for prayers and well-wishes.
“We have been asked several times, ‘is this closure?’” she said. “It’s not closure to us. This is something that we will continue to feel for the rest of our lives. We will also forever hold their memories … to help us get through this.”