Shawn Antonio Walker, the 44-year-old Augusta man arrested in connection with the 2023 murder of a woman and her unborn child, was found guilty this week in Richmond County Superior Court.
Judge Daniel J. Craig sentenced Walker to life without parole plus 232 years, 11 months, and 13 days.
District Attorney Jared Williams released a statement following the verdict:
“I write to announce the conviction of Shawn Walker. He executed an innocent woman who was 25 weeks pregnant… over a parking space. He was also convicted of shooting her fiancé, Darius Mayo Sr., and one of his children.”
The May 22, 2023, shooting occurred at a home on East Taylor Street, where Walker opened fire during a domestic dispute, killing Shaneikwa Latorya LaFavor and her unborn child, and critically injuring Darius Mayo, who survived being shot 11 times. One of Mayo’s children was also wounded.
In addition to the murder conviction, Walker was found guilty on two counts of aggravated assault, possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
District Attorney Williams praised the efforts of his staff in securing the conviction, highlighting the role of DA Investigators who spent the Memorial Day holiday making a 16-hour round trip to Tennessee to transport witnesses. A second team repeated the same trip later in the week to ensure key testimony reached the courtroom.
“This was a total team effort, which is a theme of our office, and I’m so glad to be a part of it,” said Chief Assistant District Attorney Kevin Davis, who assisted in the trial led by Deputy Chief ADA Keagan Waystack.
Walker had evaded law enforcement for more than a year before being arrested in January by the Southeastern U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force and the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office. He was found hiding in a home on Watkins Street and initially refused to come out. With assistance from his mother, law enforcement was able to take him into custody peacefully after a standoff.
The sentencing marks the end of a prolonged and painful ordeal for the families involved. After the verdict, LaFavor’s family has taken to social media to praise the Lord and share their relief that justice was finally served.
