Shaniya Davis’ father appears on Oprah.
The Oprah Winfrey show on Friday, featured the father of Shaniya Davis, the 5 year old girl from Fayetteville. The young girl’s body was found dumped off a rural road, in the woods after being asphyxiated and sexually abused.
The words that echoed so true from Winfrey’s mouth were ” What is the world coming too”.
The man last seen on video surveillance footage carrying Shaniya, Mario Andrette McNeill, was charged with first-degree murder and first-degree rape of a child.
The 5 year old’s own mother was also charged, with felony child abuse and human trafficking, related to prostitution.
The same show that Winfrey made her big announcement that she will leaving in Sept 2011, featured Bradley Lockhart, Shaniya’s father and her aunt Carey Lockhart- Davis who were via satellite from Fayetteville.
When asked by Winfrey, if he had anything to say to Shaniya’s mother he stated, “Right now, I just think it’s best that we let the justice system take its course,” and continued “I try to keep my heart as pure as possible, and I’m sure one day I will be able to sit down and talk to her, try and understand what was going through her mind.”
Lockhart mostly raised Shaniya, after a one night stand with her mother, before allowing their daughter to join Davis and have her care for her. He said he last saw his daughter on Oct. 2.
“There was so much to be said about this precious angel, as you can see from the outreach and the vigils,” Lockhart stated.
Since her body has been discovered, there have been four vigils held.
Her aunt Lockhart-Davis said that she was told after questioning about repeated burns on Shaniya’s body that she had accidentally walked into a cigarette. And also that she had walked too close to a heater which had then fallen on her.
The story became national news after the police announced her missing on Nov.10.
Shaniya’s story began receiving national attention shortly after police announced she was missing Nov. 10.