Cornell McNeal guilty of capital murder, rape for 2014 Fairmount Park crime
In November 2014, Letitia Davis was raped and set on fire in Fairmount Park. She died of her injuries eight days later.
Almost a decade after the violent death of Letitia Davis in Fairmount Park, Cornell McNeal was found guilty of capital murder and rape today.
After his trial began July 7, a Sedgwick County jury deliberated for almost four hours today and found McNeal, 34, guilty of the 2014 attack on Davis.
On Nov. 14 of 2014, Davis, a mother of four, was walking through Fairmount Park — just a block away from WSU — when she encountered McNeal who beat, sexually assaulted and set her on fire.
A neighbor reported hearing screams, and, after going to check, found Davis and a small fire.
After being hospitalized, Davis gave the Wichita Police a description of McNeal. Davis suffered burns on 70 percent of her body and died eight days later due to burn complications.
Despite pleading not guilty to the charges and attack, DNA linked McNeal to the crime.
According to The Wichita Eagle, McNeal is expected to receive life in prison with no option for parole.
The Wichita Eagle reported if McNeal was convicted of capital murder, prosecutors had planned to ask jurors to impose the death penalty.
Mia Hennen is the News and Managing Editor for The Sunflower. Hennen is a sophomore at Wichita State majoring in English and minoring in communications,...
Niki K Christopher • Jul 14, 2022 at 6:42 pm
I was living in NE Kansas when this gruesome attack happened, and although I heard about it then, I haven’t seen anywhere in recent articles here why it has taken so long to get this crime to trial.