Bray Jackson is seething with anger at Richmond County Sheriff Richard Roundtree over his agency’s perceived lack of effort in apprehending the suspect responsible for her sister’s brutal murder, along with the death of her unborn baby.
Her sister, Shaneikwa Lafavor, was seven months pregnant when she was gunned down on East Taylor Street on May 22. Detectives almost immediately identified Shawn Antonio Walker as the killer and obtained murder warrants. Yet, the sheriff’s office has not once posted his photo or sent out a wanted flyer for him after 10 months.
“Richard Roundtree doesn’t do nothing,” Jackson said. “Why are you still sheriff?”
Jackson said her mother talked to the sheriff’s office and were told they handed it over to the marshals. Since then, she heard that a couple of probation officers who have seen Walker.
With no press release and no alert to the public, Jackson finally found Walker’s photo herself and posted it on Facebook earlier this year. But Walker is still on the loose.
“I just put it out there,” she said. “The Richmond County police, they don’t care. There is no justice. They just overlooked my sister’s case.”
The sheriff’s office released this statement on Monday: “Its an ongoing case and at this time we do not have any additional information to provide at this time”
In addition to Lafavor and her unborn daughter, Walker stands accused of shooting Lafavor’s boyfriend and his 11-year-old son. Allegedly, an argument erupted between Lafavor and Walker outside their home just before Lafavor’s boyfriend arrived. Gunfire ensued, followed by Walker’s swift escape, according to Jackson.
Jackson suspects that Walker may be familiar with the neighborhood, as his grandmother resides there.
During the shooting, Lafavor’s son ran out of the house seeking help and was shot in the leg. He survived but now struggles with post-traumatic stress disorder. Lafavor’s boyfriend, the father of her unborn child, was also shot. Inside the house, at least three other children hid during the gunfire.
The victim’s family is united in their desire to see Walker apprehended and believe he may be hiding within Richmond County. Jackson said her call to detectives in the case go to voicemail. And their request to get her sister’s belongings – including her phone, watches and weapons – have gone ignored.
Adding to her frustration is her fear. Jackson worries that Walker knows who she is.
“I am tired of feeling like I have to look over my shoulder, because I know this guy knows what I look like,” Jackson said. “I think they need to try to find him. What is he going to do to the next person? … How many more people is he going to take?”
