VIRGINIA BEACH-- The man charged with shooting and killing an aspiring boxer at the Oceanfront in July 2011 has been found guilty.
Eric Levon Davis Jr., 22, of Hampton, was found guilty Friday of involuntary manslaughter and use of a firearm in the death of Cordaro Simpkins.
Police said Simpkins was with some friends on 18th Street around midnight on July 23, 2011 when someone in his group got into a fight with a person in another group.
Officers believe that during the encounter, Davis pulled a gun and fired shots into the air, then fired one into the crowd, which struck Simpkins in the chest, killing him.
Davis and his friends fled the area, but left a cell phone behind, which was later traced back to Davis' relative.
The jury recommended Davis spend the next 10 years in prison.
'He didn't go free, you know, that's the main thing,' said Simpkins' father, Daniel Lamb. 'He won't spend the rest of his life in jail, but he off the streets for a minute.'
Lamb, who also was Simpkins' coach, said the gym they initially opened as a training facility for his son is getting to be a success.
With pictures of Simpkins covering its walls, Lamb explained the gym is more than just a place to work out, especially where young people are concerned.
'We're gonna continue to work with 'em, and try to keep some of the kids off the street,' Lamb told 13News. 'We doing this to keep kids from the doing things that they shouldn't do, 'cause if they stay busy in the gym and really work hard, when they go home, they going to bed. They don't have time to run the streets.'
Davis' sentencing date is set for April 23.
