Rock Hill man gets 40 years for 2014 killing

The family everyone referred to as “Santario and them” cried and embraced each other Monday after the man who shot and killed Santario McCoy inside a Rock Hill home a year ago was sentenced to 40 years in prison.

Donquavious Davis, 20, pleaded guilty earlier this month to voluntary manslaughter, burglary and possession of a weapon during a violent crime in the June 2014 shooting death of 24-year-old Santario McCoy. He was sentenced Monday to five years for the gun charge, 30 years for the manslaughter charge and 40 years for the burglary charge, all running concurrently.

Prosecutors said Davis killed the father of three in a jealous rage after McCoy began seeing Davis’ ex-girlfriend, with whom Davis also has a child. He shot McCoy once in the chest with a .38-caliber handgun just inside the front door of a home on Baker Street Extension the night of June 29, 2014.

Larry Mullins fought back tears after the sentencing as he remembered his son, the “ultimate big brother” who was always protective of his younger siblings.

“Our family has always been referred to as ‘Santario and them,’” he said. “He was the father figure, in some ways, before I came into their lives. The fact that there is no more ‘Santario and them’ – it’s tough to deal with.”

In front of a packed courtroom that included former teammates of McCoy’s, who played football for Northwestern High School, 16th Circuit Deputy Solicitor Willy Thompson explained how McCoy came to be the target of Davis.

Davis and his girlfriend ended their relationship in January 2014, after they had a child together, Thompson said. Over the next few months, Davis sent about 1,000 text messages to his ex-girlfriend.

“I want you back,” Thompson said, quoting one of the profanity-laced messages. “I don’t want you looking for (men) or having them around my child, because I will go for murder.”

Davis repeatedly threatened the woman and McCoy, and at one point in the weeks before the shooting physically assaulted McCoy, Thompson said.

The night of the shooting, several people were at the Baker Street Extension home socializing and playing video games, 16th Circuit Solicitor Kevin Brackett said. One witness said he was leaving the home when he came across a man in the carport who asked if McCoy was inside. Minutes later, McCoy answered a knock at the front door.

“Mr. Davis stepped into the house, struck Mr. McCoy quickly in the face – pistol-whipped him,” Brackett said, “and then drove him back a bit and then shot him.”

Davis fled, and later turned himself in after a two-day manhunt. Prosecutors said that even after he was arrested, Davis tried to get another girlfriend to testify that he was with her at the time of the shooting.

Davis’ lawyers said he had no intention of killing McCoy when he came to the house, and noted that he ran away after firing a single shot.

Harry Dest, 16th Circuit public defender, said Davis has had a lot of “instability” in his life.

“His mother is actually right behind these doors, about to be sentenced by Judge (Paul M.) Burch this afternoon,” Dest said. “His father is non-existent in his life.”

Davis addressed the court and turned to speak to McCoy’s family.

“I made a mistake. I’m young. Everyone makes mistakes,” he said. “It brought my family a lot of pain; it’s brought the McCoy family a lot of pain. I’m truly sorry. I hope that you will have mercy on me. I hope the McCoy family can forgive me. I hope that my family can forgive me.”

Davis’ family members offered apologies to the McCoy family, and asked Circuit Court Judge John C. Hayes III for mercy.

“I don’t know how hurt you are. I’ll never know,” Paul Robinson said toward the McCoy family in asking for mercy for his grandson. “We can’t change what happened. He knows he’s got to be punished for his action.”

Davis faced up to 50 years in prison. Members of McCoy’s family, and prosecutors, requested the maximum.

“I do not believe the facts of this case warrant much mercy beyond that obtained by the plea agreement,” Hayes said. “However, I will give Mr. Davis some credit for coming forward to plead today.”

Lynette Mullins, McCoy’s mother, said after the hearing that she is satisfied with the sentence.

“It still doesn’t bring Santario back,” she said. “That’s where I feel like it wasn’t enough.”

McCoy left behind three young children, and his parents say they are now raising them. They laughed when they called McCoy’s son “the spitting image” of him.

“I tell people sometimes, ‘I don’t have time to miss Santario, because he’s with me,’” Larry Mullins said. “He’s right there.”

This story was originally published July 13, 2015 at 9:44 AM with the headline "Rock Hill man gets 40 years for 2014 killing."