Shaq Pays For Shaniya Davis' Funeral
Posted by Media Outrage on November 27th, 2009
Shaquille O’Neal reached out to Shaniya Davis’ father to find out how he could help in the wake of the tragic death of his daughter.
Via ESPN:
FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. — Basketball star Shaquille O’Nea paid for the funeral of a 5-year-old North Carolina girl after being moved by national news coverage of the case of Shaniya Davis, who police say was kidnapped and killed.
The Cleveland Cavaliers player was touched by the stories he saw and got in touch with the family to see what he could do to help, a spokeswoman for O’Neal said Thursday.
More than 2,000 people attended the girl’s funeral Sunday. Her body was found Nov. 16 beside a rural road.
Her mother, Antionette Davis, who had reported the child missing six days earlier, is charged with human trafficking and child abuse involving prostitution. Mario McNeill is charged with murder, rape and kidnapping in the case.
“I was sitting at home watching it on the news and the story brought a tear to my eye,” O’Neal told The Cleveland Plain Dealer newspaper.
Corey Breece, of Rogers and Breece Funeral Home, which handled the service, declined to tell the Fayetteville Observer newspaper how much it cost but added that a child’s funeral “averages around $4,500.”
A man who answered the phone at the funeral home Thursday told the AP that only the owner could comment and that he was away.
Shaniya Davis’ father, Bradley Lockhart, and his family had set up a trust fund in memory of Shaniya to help raise money to pay for the funeral. Lockhart was not available to talk Thursday, said a man who answered the phone at his home.
November 27th, 2009 at 5:59 pm
Too sad!
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November 27th, 2009 at 6:10 pm
God Bless him.I cant believe the killers of this girl are still breathing and my Mother is gone,life is unfair.
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November 27th, 2009 at 6:11 pm
Good move Shaq.
This has to be one of the saddest cases I have heard about in a long time due to the fact the child’s own mother gave her over to a pedophile for drugs.
The father who had custody of the child since she was born said her mother had gotten a job, her own place and he thought she had straightened her life out. He figured this would be a good time for the child to get to know her mother. I know his decision to let the child stay with his mother will haunt him for the rest of his life.
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November 27th, 2009 at 7:24 pm
That was really nice of Shaq.
Still can’t believe the mother and that asshole did that to her. She was just a baby. Makes me wish I was the judge and the jury.
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November 27th, 2009 at 8:09 pm
This was really big of Shaq. I think the mother of this child and the murderer should be taken out and quartered. RIP little one.
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November 27th, 2009 at 11:51 pm
What a great thing to do, love him for that. Shaq maybe a horrible husband, but he has a loving and kind heart.
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November 28th, 2009 at 12:52 am
That’s mighty nice of him. Poor girl. God bless her family.
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November 28th, 2009 at 1:57 am
RIP to the little beautiful girl and my thoughts and prayers are with the family x
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November 28th, 2009 at 8:21 pm
That was so wonderful for Shaq to help the family out. My prayers are extended to the rest of her family….Her Mom and that pedophile should rot in jail.
Rest In Peace Little Angel!
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November 29th, 2009 at 12:31 am
OMG…this story made me want to hurl. This poor little sweet child. I hope her piece of shit mother gets violated with a shank in prison and the asshole accomplice gets a death row roommate who has a fetish for hardcore porn with dread locks. Absolute horror.
Way to go Shaq. I wish I had the money to help out too.
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November 29th, 2009 at 7:49 pm
tha’s what’s up. the mother will get her ass beat in that prision you best believe and I hope the Real nigga’s in the prision will rape the shit out of dude. I hate people who violate kids!!!1 They are the worst type of Animals!!!!!!
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November 29th, 2009 at 8:07 pm
@Teena Thomas…I so agree with you! That so-called mother and the monster who took that child’s life will get theirs and some!! Bless Shaquille and those who’ve supported the family and came together to give that baby a propper going home. Although she wasn’t cared for here on earth, I believe she’s being loved beyond her wildest dreams in Heaven.
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November 30th, 2009 at 6:42 pm
That was a true blessing for Shaq to help the family by paying for Shaniya’s funeral.
I’m in agreeable with the other comments, the mother should rot and the accomplice should get the same done to him as he did to Shaniya.
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