Man faces life sentence in slaying
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A Hurricane Katrina evacuee from New Orleans faces a mandatory sentence of life in prison following his conviction in the 2005 shooting death of a Baton Rouge man outside a now-defunct hotel.
An East Baton Rouge Parish jury found Ricky Davis guilty of second-degree murder Thursday night in the killing of 26-year-old Corey Hawkins on Oct. 29, 2005.
Davis, who lived on Read Boulevard in eastern New Orleans, turned 43 on Friday.
State District Judge Bonnie Jackson will sentence him July 9.
Davis was convicted of fatally shooting Hawkins outside the Plantation Inn at Airline Highway and Bluebonnet Boulevard.
Davis and witnesses told police the two men had a discussion while Davis was standing near Hawkins’ car and Hawkins was inside it, a Baton Rouge Police Department affidavit says. At one point, Hawkins backed up his car and then drove forward, the affidavit says.
Davis and witnesses told police Davis fired at Hawkins because he thought Hawkins was trying to run over him, the affidavit says.
In a 911 call made by Davis’ girlfriend and played for the jury, the sound of spinning tires could be heard immediately before the sound of gunshots.
Davis’ attorney, Tommy Damico, argued to the jury that Davis shot Hawkins in self-defense. Damico said Hawkins allegedly had committed a rape and Davis was trying to prevent him from driving away from the hotel when the shooting occurred.
Prosecutor Barry Fontenot, who rejected the rape allegation, countered that Davis was the aggressor.
“The shooting started as the victim was backing up,’’ he told the jury. “How is it self-defense when somebody is leaving?’’
The Plantation Inn was demolished in 2007 to make way for the Bluebonnet Square retail strip center.
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