Former Marine Gets Six Years For Teen’s Murder

January 16, 2013

A former Marine was sentenced Tuesday to six years in prison for  the December 2011 murder of an Escambia County teen.

Michael Palmer Davis, 27, was convicted of the lesser charge of manslaughter back in November; he had been charged with second degree murder for the shooting death of Alonzo Dewayne Knight.

Deputies responded to the 7100 block of Princess Lane near Fairfield Drive and Patricia Drive during the early morning hours of December 2, 2011. Upon arrival, Knight was
pronounced dead at the scene from a gunshot wound.

Authorities said a friend of Davis got into argument with several teenagers. During the argument, Davis fired a shot from 142 feet away, striking and killing Knight.  Davis’ attorney argued that he was trying to break up the situation and did not actually intend to shoot anyone. As a trained Marine, the defense argued, he thought the shot was properly fired and he never thought a shot fired at the ground would hit someone.

Comments

10 Responses to “Former Marine Gets Six Years For Teen’s Murder”

  1. What? on January 17th, 2013 7:01 pm

    Please tell me what Sheriff Morgan has to do with the sentencing?

    6 years is not enough. You NEVER draw a weapon unless you plan to use it. He must have had really good attorneys or the glove didn’t fit. What a great deal he got.

    10/20/life only applies if you use a gun in the conjunction of committing another crime. The crime committed here was shooting a child. He wasn’t committing any other crime.

    Nevertheless, the punishment doesn’t fit the crime in this case, and justice did NOT prevail.

    Shame on you, judge. SHAME on you!

  2. melodies4us on January 17th, 2013 6:39 pm

    Why only 6 years for murder? I wonder who ’s next. :-(

  3. Beauty on January 16th, 2013 9:58 pm

    THAT IS TOTAL BULL….BUT VENGENCE IS MINE SAID THE LORD…JUSTICE TOOK ITS COURSE AND FAILED THIS FAMILY, NOW LET GOD HANDLE IT…@ WM THE JUDGE BEING A MARINE HAD SOME BEARING ON THE CASE, MY OPINION

  4. Patriot on January 16th, 2013 7:36 pm

    Whatever happened to 10/20/Life?

  5. It is messed up on January 16th, 2013 3:06 pm

    Yeah I’m with Sara next time morgan and the school people are on t.v talking bout the youth well parents cant solve problems that yall d ont really care about stop

  6. Henry Coe on January 16th, 2013 10:48 am

    Yes, 6 years. The law judges in part based on intent, not feelings.

    It doesn’t seem (or feel) fair, but that is how it works.
    I experienced a miserable time in work comp years ago because according to Florida Law and precedence, how I felt and the amount of pain I was in absolutely did not matter.
    When you support politicians that are in bed with Insurance Companies that write the laws in such away that pain and suffering don’t or won’t matter, it affects all areas of law.
    I don’t know if empathy should play a part in a ruling or not. It’s like if you accidently back over and kill a neighbor while driving. You could have had absolutely no intent, but if the law was such that empathy played a part in sentencing, you can’t actually judge based on what others feel because their is no way to prove a feeling based on someone else’s perceptions.

  7. wm on January 16th, 2013 10:25 am

    Judge Bergosh is himself a Marine…. Semper Fi — just sayin’.

  8. sara on January 16th, 2013 9:22 am

    Really!!!! I am so sorry for this childs family. ESCAMBIA COUNTY is a joke all the way around.

  9. bill on January 16th, 2013 7:09 am

    Six years for shooting & killing a kid! The crime deserves more punishment.

  10. Rod Pumas on January 16th, 2013 5:30 am

    Six Years????