Stop Snitchin’

On June 29, the court swelled with V-Not members. "It was like a jungle in that courtroom," Sandra says. "They ran it, threatening people with gang signs. It was crazy. I'd never seen anything like it."

Only two witnesses willingly answered prosecutors' questions: Burnside and a cab driver who picked up some teens from The Cage after the shooting. "[Jennifer], she told her son to tell them everything," Sandra says. "And he did, because he listens to his mother."

Burnside said he was standing in the chaos of The Cage's parking lot when he saw two friends in a fight. He ran to help. That's when gunfire erupted. He looked over to see Feaster with his 9mm in the air.

Burnside and his friends ran for the Board of Education parking lot, just across the street. There, he saw four guys, including Davis, tuck their guns into their waistbands. "You can't say I don't bust," he heard Davis say. Then he saw them drive off. Still, Burnside never actually saw Davis fire his gun.

Among the less cooperative witnesses were two of Shawrica's friends. Both were there the night of the shooting. Both told the court they were testifying against their will.

Then came Feaster. Despite his cooperation agreement, he refused to answer questions. Three times he was asked to identify V-Not members. He simply rolled his eyes skyward, twisting in his seat with indifference.

The judge found him in contempt.

"He came in all cocky, saying he plead the fifth," Lester says. "And that was after he cried [during his sentencing], said he was sorry Shawrica died."

The following week, nine more witnesses took the stand, including Travis' girlfriend. Though she'd initially told police that she saw Travis shoot into the air, she now claimed he didn't have a gun that night. When asked why she changed her testimony, she asserted that police threatened to take away her baby when she was initially questioned.

It wasn't until the leaves turned red and gold that Teodosio finally made her decision. Burnside pleaded guilty to fighting and was placed on probation in exchange for his cooperation. Police weren't able to link him to V-Not.

Dominique Adams and DeMarco Deck, two other V-Nots who witnessed the shooting, pleaded guilty to being involved in gang activity and were also slapped with a year of probation. All three boys agreed to testify against remaining suspects.

Since Travis was now 18, Teodosio transferred his case to adult court. Davis, still 16, would remain in the juvenile system.

On October 22, Travis' trial got underway. But with no murder weapon and other witnesses refusing to talk or changing their stories, the case rested solely on Feaster.

He again refused to testify, his reluctance allowing Travis to walk. Judge Brenda Burnham Unruh found Feaster in contempt. He was sentenced to 16 years in adult prison for violating his plea agreement.

"Tyree [Feaster] didn't know any better," Sandra Lester says. "That's what the streets taught him. He did apologize to me. He said he was scared. But what's he scared of? He'd be better off talking than facing big Bruno in jail. A lot in jail are mad about Tuna."

Finally, it was Davis' turn to face the court. Burnside testified that he'd seen Davis with a gun, but never saw him fire. Without other witnesses, that wasn't good enough for the court.

On November 14, Judge Teodosio found Davis not guilty of all charges except aggravated rioting.

Lester was outraged. She's convinced Davis killed Shawrica. That's the word in Manchester-Thornton. "We know what's what on the street," she says. "I think Davis has no conscience. I think his mother threw the gun away. My friend. Ha. I told him he was going to hell in gasoline drawers."

As Davis celebrated with his family, the case seemed all but closed. All suspects, except for Feaster, were back on the street. The chance for new indictments appeared slim. "All you doing is sending a message to these kids that they can do whatever they want," Lester says. "These kids, they don't look at death like we used to. To them, Shawrica is just a number. Just part of the game. They may be kids, but they aren't normal kids."

On an unusually warm December day, Ozzy Wimberely, a dapper man in shiny loafers, cuts hair at Ray & Jim's Barber Shop on Copley Road, just around the corner from where Shawrica and Feaster attended high school.