PORT ALLEN — A 20-year-old man from Brusly was sentenced to prison after he pleaded guilty in the 2024 death of another teen, whose burned body was found in a sugarcane field.
Tyler Davis, now 20, pleaded guilty to manslaughter, obstruction of justice and unauthorized entry into an inhabited dwelling.
A judge sentenced Davis to 49 years in prison for shooting and killing 18-year-old Ja’Morius Mitchell in 2024. Mitchell’s body was discovered on Dec. 18, 2024 in a sugarcane field in the Addis area after local farmers attempted to control a fire that had been set to destroy evidence and Mitchell’s body.
After Davis’ sentencing on Monday, Ja’Morius’ mother, Jessica Mitchell, spoke to UWK about what this means to her.
“I’m doing great. I got the best news of my life today, so it’s a blessing,” Jessica Mitchell told UWK. “It feels like this weight that has been lifted off my shoulders after almost two years of fighting for justice for my baby over something that was so senseless. And I never believed in a justice system at first, but I can say now ‘I’m a believer,’ you know. My baby, he finally he got the justice that was well overdue, and my family and I, we have peace. So now we can kind of look forward to moving on and healing without having to go back and forth, and being reminded of that that terrible, tragic event.”
She thanked District Attorney Tony Clayton and his team, including Lonny Guidroz and Vincel Simpson, for helping provide justice for her son.
Mitchell said she isn’t angry at Davis for what he did, but instead, her heart hurts for him. She said that she hopes he will now have the chance to think about his actions and how he threw his life away.
“When I first met (Tyler Davis), he looked at me and he smiled and told me he didn’t have no remorse. But today, I know he had time to be able to sit down and think about what happened. I’m not angry, but I’m more heartbroken than anything. Because those families actually lost. You know, I lost my son. I could never see him again, but his family has lost him as well. You know, because now he’s trapped and stuff in a system where he can’t get out of all behind something that that one night of anger or rage or hatred, whatever it was that motivated him to do that, he now has a chance to sit and think about how he threw his life away,” she said.
She added that she hopes he can turn his life around, too. “I just pray that God touches his soul, touches his heart, and if he is given another chance at society, that he never make the same mistakes twice.”
The investigation into Ja’Morius Mitchell’s death
Ja’Morius Mitchell was found in a sugarcane field ditch in the Addis area after a fire had been set. His body was discovered under pieces of cut sugarcane and had severe burns to over 40 percent of his body, according to the District Attorney’s Office. He was shot twice from behind with a semi-automatic rifle style pistol. His body was identified through a matching clothing description and dental records.
His family had reported him missing to the Plaquemine Police Department after he did not come home on Dec. 12, 2024.
His mother told UWK that her 18-year-old son was last seen on Dec. 12, 2024. She told UWK that “her son isn’t a runaway and has never did anything like this. We talk everyday and text all day and Thursday, it just stopped.”
The night of Dec. 12th, his mother said he left with two friends and was not heard from since then.
Two men—Devontae Johnson, 23, and Sterling Powell, 18—were arrested just days after Ja’Morius Mitchell’s body was found in the cane field. They were both charged with one count of principal to second-degree murder and one count of obstruction of justice.
Davis fled during a search of his home on Dec. 19, 2024, when a backpack was
located in a shed containing the murder weapon and several of his personal effects. While on
the run from law enforcement, Davis entered an unoccupied home in Port Allen and hid his clothing in a dryer before fleeing the West Baton Rouge area. The Middle District of Louisiana Fugitive Task Force took Davis into custody in Baton Rouge on Jan. 3, 2025.
“We ended another case of gun violence today. A young man was violently killed and Tyler Davis will now spend most of his life in prison for that killing,” said District Attorney Tony Clayton in a statement. “This violence has to end. Criminals should be aware that, with the help of law enforcement, we will continue to solve and prosecute these cases aggressively, seeking harsh penalties, every time. We will not allow it in our communities.”
Legacy to live on
Jessica Mitchell told UWK that she plans to continue keeping her son’s name and legacy alive by creating a foundation in his honor.
“I’ve actually been working on some paperwork with the IRS. I’m working on doing a Forever 18 Legacy Foundation, and I want to be able to take the young children who are trapped in the streets or feel like they have nowhere to go. And my plan is to get it off the ground next year. But I want to be able to send at least 10 African American young men to college on full scholarships. I want to help them to learn how to prepare for interviews, what to do on a job. I basically want to take them from wearing saggy pants and toting guns to wearing suits and ties and a briefcase.”
Mitchell believes this will continue the impact her son left on the world.
“My son always believes in helping people, so I think this will be great.”
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