Apopka man convicted for 2019 murder of teen found shot to death near West Orange Trail

APOPKA, Fla. — Testimony concluded Wednesday in the trial of the man arrested for the 2019 shooting death of then 19-year-old Ahmad Davis in Apopka.

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A passerby found Davis’ body on Dec. 30, 2019 near the West Orange Trail in the area of 1934 Old Apopka Road.

In February of 2020, Apopka police announced the arrest of then 19-year-old Tyquarius Smith on a charge of first-degree murder for Davis’ death.

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Two other suspects who would testify as witnesses against Smith had already been arrested for accessory after the fact and tampering with evidence.

According to investigators, surveillance video showed one of the witnesses driving Davis to the area of 538 West Ella J. Gilmore Street where Smith and the second witness in the case approached and also asked for a ride.

Police say at some point during the ride, Smith shot Davis in the car then moved his body to where it was ultimately found.

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One of the witnesses who sat in the back seat testified against Smith because he was also shot during the incident, the State Attorney’s Office said.

Smith’s defense team tried to claim the passenger’s testimony was unreliable, but prosecutors say they found enough video and forensic evidence to support their case.

An Orange County jury found Smith guilty Wednesday of first-degree murder and aggravated battery with a firearm.

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Smith, now 23, was sentenced to life in prison with a minimum of 25-years mandatory for the murder. He was sentenced to another 15 years for the aggravated battery with a 10-year mandatory minimum to be served consecutively to the murder sentence.

“The Orange County Sheriff’s Office was instrumental in our efforts to obtain a guilty verdict in this case,” Assistant State Attorney Sean Wiggins said in a statement announcing the verdict. “Detective Brian Savelli tracked down surveillance footage from multiple locations, found witnesses, pursued leads and did everything necessary for our office to prosecute this case successfully. The combined efforts of the Orange County Sheriff’s Office put us in a position to present a case for a jury to decide justly.”

Video: 19-year-old found shot dead on West Orange Trail Orange County deputies are investigating after a 19-year-old man was found shot dead on a popular trail Monday afternoon.

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