Shaniya's Dad Shares His Grief & Anger On NBC's "Today Show"...He Has A Lawyer

Shaniya Davis' dad speaks to Today Show's Meredith Vieira about his child's death and Human Trafficking.

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NC dad (Bradley Lockhart) defends letting mom take girl (Shaniya Davis) later slain


The father of a North Carolina girl who was kidnapped and killed said Tuesday he made the best decision he could at the time when he let her live with her mother, who has since been charged with prostituting the child.

Bradley Lockhart said during an interview on NBC's "Today Show" that he regrets how the decision turned out, but thought he was making the right choice for the daughter he had raised himself.

"We obviously make decisions in life that sometimes have repercussions or adverse situations that drift from our decision. We just have to continue to believe in God and hope that our decisions are the correct ones," he said.

Lockhart said he last saw Shaniya in early October as he left for an out-of-state work assignment. The girl moved in with Antoinette Davis, 25, about a week later after initially staying with Lockhart's sister, he said.

The father said he spoke to Davis after she reported the girl missing Nov. 10. Police said she was killed the same day. Lockhart said he hasn't spoken to Davis since she was charged last week with human trafficking and child abuse by prostitution of her daughter.

Mario McNeill, an acquaintance of Davis, is charged with murder, rape and kidnapping.

Authorities in Cumberland County said Tuesday that Davis had been moved from the county jail to the North Carolina Correctional Center for Women in Raleigh.

Lockhart said he didn't think he missed any warning signs that Shaniya would be at risk if he accepted Davis's request to help raise the girl. He has said Davis struggled financially over the years, but she had recently gotten a job and her own place.

"I don't think I really missed any (signs). Of course there's always speculation. There's always things you could look at and say, well maybe, maybe not," Lockhart said.

The North Carolina Child Fatality Task Force will review contacts the Cumberland County Department of Social Services had with Davis, who also has a 7-year-old son, The Fayetteville Observer reported Tuesday.

"This is a family that was already known to social service workers down there," task force co-chairman Tom Vitaglione said. "They are all very distraught about the whole thing."

The task force is charged with investigating every child death in the state, said Kevin Kelley a spokesman for the state's child welfare services. It will not begin looking into the Davis case until all criminal actions have been resolved or until a year after Shaniya's death, whichever comes later, Kelley said.

The task force will look at when local social services workers first contacted the family, the status of the case and whether proper procedures were followed, Vitaglione said. Investigators also will consider the impact of state and local budget cuts on social service agencies, he said.

"Child protective service divisions have been hit particularly hard," Vitaglione said.





Thousands gather at Shaniya Davis' Funeral


Shaniya Davis, the 5-year-old girl who police say was taken from her home and then raped and murdered, was laid to rest Sunday.

More than two thousand people attended the funeral at Manna Church in Fayetteville.


At one point, more than a hundred looked through the windows of the church door because they couldn't get in.

Bradley Lockhart, Shaniya's father, was not scheduled to speak but got up and encouraged the community to not get angry about the situation.

He turned to his daughter's rose-colored casket and said "I know you're going to be waiting for me [in heaven], I'll see you when I get there."

Shaniya's brother, Byron Coleman, got up to speak but was obviously too overcome with emotion to say anything.

Shaniya's aunt, Carey Lockhart-Davis, read a story she wrote for Shaniya.

Brad Lockhart told one of the pastors he wanted this funeral to be a "homegoing" celebration.

Davis disappeared from her home last Tuesday and her body was found in a wooded area just south of Sanford.

Police say Davis was raped and strangled. Mario McNeill, 29, is charged with the crime. He allegedly admitted kidnapping the girl.

Police announced Thursday that Cumberland County will have jurisdiction in the case. The investigation has been tough for veteran detectives.

"And it's still pretty emotional - still up and down," Captain Mark Bidgeman with the Fayetteville Police Department said. "You know, it's one of those things. It's the hardest thing I've ever had to do in my career."

According to court documents, McNeill killed the 5-year-old the same day she was reported missing from her mother's mobile home in Fayetteville.

Shaniya's mother, Antoinette Davis, 25, is charged with human trafficking and child abuse involving prostitution.

McNeill previously was charged with kidnapping. The newest charges against him include first-degree rape of a child and first-degree murder.

McNeill made a court appearance for the new charges on Friday. He could face the death penalty if convicted.




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