Two Men Sentenced to More Than 100 Years for Maplewood Triple Murder
NEWARK, NJ — Lavelle Davis, 38, of Galloway and Jimmy Mays, 35, of Egg Harbor Township, were sentenced to more than 100 years in New Jersey State Prison for murdering three people in Maplewood in 2017, according to Acting Essex County Prosecutor Robert Laurino.
Laurino announced on Wednesday that Mays was sentenced to 153 years and Davis to 138 years for killing and torturing Lance Frasier, 44, of Newark, and for murdering Roshana Kelson, 30, of Paterson and Michael Davis, 45, of Maplewood. All three were killed in Davis’ apartment on Van Ness Terrace in Maplewood.
An unidentified, unindicted co-conspirator was never charged, Laurino stated.
According to Assistant Prosecutor Carlo Fioranelli, who tried the case with Assistant Prosecutor Sean Dickson, on Jan. 29, 2017, Mays, Davis and an unknown co-conspirator went into 38 Van Ness Court in Maplewood, where one of the victims, Davis, resided looking for drugs and cash.
The three men, who knew Davis, shot and killed him and Kelson in the upstairs bedroom, where they were sleeping. They then tortured Fraser, before shooting and killing him. The three people ransacked the home and took items.
Both men were convicted by an Essex County jury of conspiracy, murder, felony murder, burglary, robbery, criminal restraint and multiple weapons offenses, according to Laurino.
At sentencing on Tuesday, Fioranelli urged the judge to impose consecutive life sentences for each of the three murders, stating that it was warranted given the facts of the case.
“No punishment will ever compensate the Kelson, Frasier, and Davis families for their tragic losses,” said Fioranelli. “I hope the sentence imposed today gives the families some sense of justice in this horrific situation and that the families continue to heal following the heartbreaking and untimely loss of loved ones.”
Judge Sules agreed and imposed a 46-year sentence for all three counts of murder in Davis’ case and a 51-year sentence for all three counts of murder in Mays’ case. Under the “No Early Release Act,” they must serve 85 percent of their respective sentences before being eligible for parole.
Davis had two prior felony convictions before being convicted of the triple murder, including conspiracy to commit aggravated assault and aggravated assault. Mays has four prior felony convictions, including possession of a narcotic, unlawful possession of a weapon, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose and jumping bail.
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