JACKSONVILLE, N.C. (WITN) – Michael Davis Jr. was denied bond Monday morning during his first court appearance following the murder of his wife, Staci Davis, on Saturday night.
The 48-year-old Davis is charged with the murder of Staci Davis, who was found with gunshot wounds at the Williamsburg Apartments off Gum Branch Road around 10:20 p.m. Saturday. She was declared dead at the scene.
The 43-year-old woman was the director of youth and family services at the New River Onslow YMCA and served on the board of directors for One Place, a Jacksonville nonprofit focused on helping children and families.
Dawn Rochelle, chief executive officer of One Place, spoke about Staci Davis’s impact.
“At her core, she was a mom to so many, which is why I think you see the outpour on social media because of all the moms that would call her. She’d say she loved their babies right along with her own,” Rochelle said.
Jacksonville Police Chief Jarad Phelps said the shooting stemmed from a domestic incident.
“For a domestic issue to escalate to this magnitude is a cause for concern. We work with the victim center all the time to try to educate people and give resources to domestic violence victims,” Phelps said.
District Attorney Ernie Lee argued for no bond, citing Davis’s criminal history, including a 1997 arrest for manslaughter. Davis was denied bond and has his next court date on March 23.
A GoFundMe has been set up for Staci Davis’s family.
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