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Who is Keith Davis? Baltimore man, 31, who faced 4 trials for murder set free after charges dropped

Keith Davis Jr spent 7 years in prison after being accused of killing Pimlico Race Course security guard in 2015

BALTIMORE, MARYLAND: Keith Davis Jr, the man accused of killing Pimlico Race Course security guard in 2015, Kevin Jones, and facing 4 trials in the same case, has finally walked out free. The 31-year-old suspect spent nearly 7 years behind the bars before Baltimore’s new top prosecutor dropped all charges against him on Friday, January 13. Davis was booked after police claimed his gun casing matched the shooting scene. He was also shot at by the cops multiple times before being arrested, which left him severely wounded at that time. However, Davis somehow survived and had pleaded not guilty ever since.

According to ABC, State’s Attorney Ivan Bates in a press release on Friday, said, “Today’s dismissal is about the prosecutorial missteps of my predecessor in her pursuit of a conviction at all costs. I have a duty to ensure justice for all, not just the victim but also the accused.” It is worth noting that Bates earlier during her campaign trail promised her voters to reconsider the case. Her predecessor Marilyn Mosby, lost the Democratic primary last year while she faced federal perjury charges. Responding to the new development in the case, Mosby told The Associated Press on Friday, that the case “has always been about the pursuit of justice for Kevin Jones and his family.”

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The victim’s grandmother, Earlene Neals, reacted strongly after Davis walked as a free man. “Our family is destroyed. Kevin is getting no justice whatsoever — none,” she told AP. Though Keith Davis, didn’t talk to the media or issued any statement after release, his wife Kelly Davis said, “I hope people realize, we have watched a wrongful conviction in real time — and we did not look away.” She further told AP, “Keith survived the bullets because that was not the end of his story. It was meant to be so much bigger. Keith is not an anomaly."

Kelly claimed that several other defendants with ‘credible’ innocence claims remain in jail. She also said, “He’s home now”, but “we cannot get these years back that were stolen from us.” Bates kept himself at a distance and had requested one of his deputies to carry the formal review in Davis’ case. This was done since he had commented on the campaign trail. Deputy State’s Attorney Thomas Donnelly said, “It is clear that a blatant disregard for the rules of professional responsibility and the law has permeated throughout the attempted prosecutions of Mr Davis.”

Baltimore activist DeRay Mckesson, also hailed the ruling, “Today is a reminder that when you organize, you win. It wasn’t easy, but we did it." Mckesson tweeted, "Keith Davis Jr. is free and in good spirits. It’s amazing. When we organize, we win."