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Davis charged with murder
By Elise Franco
AUSTINTOWN
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Shawn Edward Davis
Shawn E. Davis is in the Mahoning County jail without bond and charged with aggravated murder following the death of 1-year-old Makenzie McBride.
Davis, 25, was arraigned Wednesday in Mahoning County Area Court in Austintown, and is scheduled for a pretrial hearing at 10 a.m. Wednesday.
He was first charged with felonious assault after Austintown police and fire personnel and Lane Ambulance were called to 854 Compass West Drive on Monday on a report that Makenzie was unresponsive, Detective Sgt. Kathy Dina said.
The detective said Davis told police the child was jumping on the couch and fell off face-first. The girl’s mother, Shannon McBride, 22, wasn’t home.
Makenzie was taken to St. Elizabeth Health Center, Youngstown. Dina said doctors there noticed extensive bruising on the left side of the girl’s face and determined that she had a skull fracture.
She was then flown by helicopter to Akron Children’s Hospital where she died about 7:30 p.m. Tuesday.
Dina said the doctor’s examination confirmed that Makenzie’s injuries were too extensive and didn’t fit with Davis’ story. Dina noted thick cushions and pillows on the couch and thick carpeting with no toys or clutter on the floor near the area where Davis’ said the child fell.
“There’s no way this came from falling from the couch,” she said. “We charged him with [aggravated murder] because we believe the intent to harm the child was there.”
Dina said the doctor’s examination was brief, but results from the autopsy should reveal if abuse occurred over a period of time.
“The doctor didn’t do an extensive exam because he knew she was going to pass away and didn’t want to put her through that,” she said.
Dina said Shannon McBride has two other children, both females, age 3 and 6. Whether either girl was abused “will be investigated,” Dina said.
Shannon McBride will be interviewed by police as a part of the investigation.
Gary Gunther, investigator for the Summit County coroner’s office, said the autopsy began Wednesday but had no time line for its completion.
“They’re working on the autopsy,” he said. “The length of time it takes to complete really just depends on how much trauma there is.”