Asia Davis, a 28-year-old Black woman and certified nursing assistant, was a devoted mother to her young daughter, Myles. Her own mother, Kenya Davis, described Asia as her only daughter, who was living in her own apartment in New Orleans East and just getting to a good place in her life.
On the morning of Thursday, May 11, 2023, shortly after she put her daughter on the school bus, Asia was attacked. Her body was later found at the intersection of Mayo Boulevard and the South I-10 service road. An investigation determined that she had been shot multiple times and then run over with an SUV.
In the weeks leading up to her death, Asia had twice called 911 to report domestic abuse. According to dispatch records, the New Orleans Police Department did not respond for 12 hours to either call, and both incidents were marked as "gone on arrival" when officers finally showed up.
The delayed response drew public criticism from city officials.
The investigation into the homicide quickly focused on Asia’s 44-year-old ex-boyfriend, Henry Talley Jr. He was arrested and initially booked on a charge of second-degree murder. Talley had a prior conviction for a murder he committed as a juvenile in 1996, for which he had served 25 years of a life sentence before being released. After his arrest for Asia's death, a grand jury reviewed the evidence and returned an indictment for first-degree murder.
The case against Henry Talley Jr. proceeded to trial. Prosecutors presented evidence that included phone records placing Talley in the area at the time of the murder. In March, following a seven-day trial, a jury found him guilty of killing Asia Davis.
At his sentencing hearing, Asia’s mother, Kenya Davis, addressed the court, stating, "She was shot down like a dog in the street." Talley maintained his innocence, telling the family, "I’m accused of a crime I didn’t commit." Criminal District Court Judge Rhonda Goode-Douglas, who reportedly choked back tears, handed down the mandatory sentence. As of the March verdict and sentencing, the case was closed, with Henry Talley Jr. sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
