Lionel Davis was 25 when he was killed in Memphis, Tennessee; his death on December 17, 2019, was officially ruled a homicide. The Memphis Police Department opened an extensive investigation after the killing, and authorities identified several individuals as suspects in the case.

Those suspects were taken into custody and charged with first-degree murder. The matter moved into the courts, where prosecutors presented witness testimony and forensic evidence and the defense challenged that material at a full trial. Family members of Lionel Davis attended the proceedings and sought a just outcome for their loved one.