Miller County Prosecuting Attorney Stephanie Potter Barrett filed a formal charge of murder Wednesday against a man accused of shooting a woman in the face in a Texarkana, Ark., aparment complex in April.
Markelle Demetrice Davis, 19, is facing 10 to 40 years or life in prison if found guilty in the April 17 shooting of Jaqualyn Paxton. Davis. He is currently being held in the Miller County jail with bail set at $1 million.
B.C. Pickett, a Fayetteville, Ark., defense attorney, is listed as Davis’ attorney of record as of Wednesday. Davis is expected to be in court for arraignment in June. The case is assigned to Circuit Judge Brent Haltom.
Davis was taken into custody just minutes after he allegedly shot Paxton in the face following an altercation at the Village Park South apartments in Texarkana, Ark., according to a probable cause affidavit. Miller County Sheriff’s Office deputies parked across the street from the apartments noticed a disturbance and heard a gunshot before seeing a 1993 Cutlass Sierra Oldsmobile speed from the parking lot.
The deputies detained Davis a couple of blocks from the shooting site. Davis allegedly had two magazines for a firearm in his pockets and allegedly told deputies his pistol was in the car. The car was seized and is in the custody of the Texarkana, Ark., Police Department.
Texarkana, Ark., police officers who responded to the scene of the shooting learned that Paxton had been transported via private car to a local hospital.
Those witnesses said they saw Davis driving away when they noticed Paxton’s body lying on the pavement and took her to Wadley hospital for emergency treatment. Other witnesses allegedly told officers they saw Davis and Paxton arguing before Davis pulled out a gun and fired.
