Suspect in Oak Grove disappearance of Clarksville man also facing Tennessee charges

The alleged gunman in the 2020 disappearance of Justin Tyler Sawyer in Oak Grove is now facing charges in Tennessee and his attorney believes the Kentucky case can be resolved.

Twenty-one-year-old Dawaun Davis of Clarksville is charged with assault and robbery in the first-degree, in addition to kidnapping. He’s also being held as a fugitive from another state, with Tennessee seeking him on felony warrants after Kentucky is done with his case.

Davis allegedly shot Sawyer five times during a drug deal gone wrong in the parking lot of the Shell station on KY 115 and then used the help of Gene Douglas Henry to move Sawyer’s body to the trunk of his car. Another suspect, Marquel Sims, was in the car at the time of the shooting and he ran across the road to the Pilot truck stop.

Sims and Henry have already accepted plea deals to lesser charges for their roles.

Stephanie Ritchie-Mize represents Davis and told Circuit Judge John Atkins Wednesday that she believes the local case can be resolved in some way once she has evidence from the Montgomery County case.

Judge John Atkins scheduled another pre-trial hearing for August 3.