Omar Davis Jr’s mom calls killer’s sentence a ‘slap on the wrist’

By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS

Tribune Staff Reporter

lmunnings@tribunemedia.net

THE mother of Omar Davis, Jr –– the high-achieving young accountant killed in 2022 –– said the 15-year sentence her son’s killer has received is a “slap on the wrist” that does not bring justice.

Normand Toussaint, initially charged with murder, took a plea deal on Tuesday for a reduced charge of manslaughter. Supreme Court Justice Franklyn Williams, KC, sentenced him to 15 years imprisonment.

Omar’s partially decomposed body was found in a garbage bag in the trunk of a vehicle on August 16, 2022, after he reportedly suffered multiple wounds to his head and upper body, including stab wounds.

Omar’s mother, Gia Whymns, is puzzled by the case’s resolution, including why prosecutors settled for a manslaughter charge when the evidence for murder was allegedly strong.

“Why he couldn’t get 25 years?” she asked yesterday. “He should have been charged with murder because he jook Omar up more than once and he clean up everything, put him in the back of his trunk, jump in his car, had people helping him, and park his car where his body start getting decomposed.”

“When I bury Omar, I couldn’t even had open coffin. I had to close the casket.”

Prosecutors have pursued plea deals partly to shorten the length of criminal trials and reduce the backlog of cases.

Ms Whymns, however, said she was initially assured that prosecutors would pursue the maximum penalty for Omar’s killer.

“The prosecutor told me when I first went to him for the interview, we get this, we get this, we get this, we got all the recordings and all of this and all of that we need to put him away for a long time,” she said.

“Then (Tuesday) he just jumped up and says, we ain’t taking no more than 15 years. He come to me like that was such a good thing and I was looking at this man like, mister, your head can’t be good, hey?”

Ms Whymns claimed prosecutors had a video showing someone helping Toussaint put Omar’s body in a car, but declined to charge that person because of his age –– another decision she disagrees with.

Before his death, Omar had graduated with a double degree from Central State University, where he achieved a 4.0 cumulative GPA. He was scheduled to start an internship with a major accounting

firm in Atlanta. During his childhood in Kemp Road, his father was murdered. His success, despite his background, struck a chord with many who learned his story.

Prosecutors alleged that a fight broke out between Omar and Toussaint over something the former had on his phone.

Two years later, the question of what her son had on the phone still plagues Ms Whymns.

She said if she could talk to her son again, she would ask him what was on the phone.

“What you have on this phone what this boy want that he want hurt you for?” she asked.

She added that speculation and inferences about her son’s sexuality haven’t diminished her love for him.

“I mean, I am hearing stuff but I can’t say because I don’t know,” she said. “I don’t know him the way people describe, at least not even people, what this Normand person describing him as.”

“But I don’t care if that was the case. I don’t care. I love my son no matter what.”

“That’s my son, nobody else.”

Ms Whymns said she has not forgiven her son’s murderer.

“All (Tuesday) he tell me ‘bout he sorry and this his first time killing and all kind different things,” she said. “He turn round and say have his deepest sympathy. I just shake my head because I ain’ even on your run right now. You done spending this little bit of time in jail, coming out and enjoying your life and take my son life?”

She said dealing with her son’s death has not gotten easier.

“It’s never going to get easier because I have so much memories with Omar,” she said. “When I see young men doing so good and you know, I just saying, oh lord, this could have been my son right here.”

“Looking at my next little boy, I can’t never forget about it and it’s killing my next son more than it’s killing me because I trying to be strong for him so that he can’t see me breaking down.”