Robert Earl Davis Jr. convicted in death of 5-year-old in Modesto

After a three week trial, Stanislaus County District Attorney Birgit Fladager announced 25-year-old Robert Earl Davis Jr. had been found guilty of first-degree premeditated murder and premeditated attempted murder.

According to police, on October 28, 2017, 5-year-old Xavier Smith and another 6-year-old boy were playing inside the garage of a home on Lake Park Court.

Davis shot at the home and into the garage where Smith and his friend were playing. Smith was killed and his friend was wounded.

After a three-month investigation, Modesto police were able to arrest and locate Davis. He now faces a maximum possible sentence of 77 years to life in state prison for the two charges.

He is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 7, 2022.