Shawn Davis entered a plea of “not guilty” today to one charge of first-degree murder while armed in the death of Southwest D.C. woman Tawana Barnes Copeland.
Copeland was killed Dec. 7, 2010 in her Southwest D.C. apartment. She was found stabbed to death by MPD officers responding to a call for an unconscious female. According to charging documents in the case, Copeland was stabbed multiple times and her home was arranged to make it appear as though a robbery had taken place.
Davis, her ex-boyfriend, was arrested a little more than a month later in connection with the case.
At Davis’ arraignment on the murder charge today, Judge Gerald Fisher set a trial date of July 11, 2012 in the case.
