The cases against two Oak Grove men charged in connection with the disappearance of a man from Clarksville will be heard by a Christian County Grand Jury following a preliminary hearing Wednesday morning in Christian District Court.
Kentucky State Police Detective Brandon McPherson testified that 20-year old Dawuan Davis and 22-year old Marquell Devont’e Sims of Oak Grove were captured on video surveillance December 17 at the Shell Station on KY 115 in Oak Grove inside a vehicle owned and driven by Justin Tyler Sawyer.
Sims reportedly told state police that they met Sawyer at the Newton Apartments in Oak Grove to purchase marijuana. He said Davis shot Sawyer in one of his legs there and in the other leg at the Shell station.
After helping Davis place Sawyer in the back seat of his own car, video surveillance showed Sims exiting the car and walking across the road to the Pilot gas station.
Davis reportedly later told Sims that he shot Sawyer three more times in the back seat of his car when he didn’t stop moving.
Sawyer’s body has not been recovered, but 36-year old Gene “Doug” Henry of Oak Grove told police he helped Davis move the body from the back seat to the trunk of the car.
Davis and Sims are charged with first-degree robbery, first-degree assault and kidnapping. Judge Lindsey Adams ruled there was enough evidence that a crime had been committed to send Davis’ case to the grand jury. Sims will appear for his preliminary hearing Friday.
Henry is charged with abuse of a corpse and tampering with evidence and was scheduled for his own preliminary hearing, but defense attorney Michael Cotthoff waived it Wednesday morning. Prosecutors have also agreed for Henry to be released from jail on his own recognizance while the case is pending.
