Plea Deal Could Result in a Life Sentence for Defendant Mario McNeill

Mario McNeill, 32, could face the death penalty if convicted of killing 5-year-old Shaniya Davis, but prosecutors offered a deal late Monday that if he pleads guilty the death penalty will not be sought in the capital murder trial expected to last for several weeks.

In this strange turn of events, just as the trial began its jury selection on Monday, it could be over on Tuesday. The juror panel released four more candidates late Monday after they admitted that they did not believe in the death penalty since it would end the defendant's suffering.

On Nov. 16, 2009 Shaniya was found dead near the Lee-Harnett county line. An autopsy determined that Shaniya died of asphyxiation and that injuries she suffered were consistent with a sexual assault according to a WRAL news report. Shaniya was given up by her mother to allegedly settle a drug debt.

If the trial proceeds it is unknown if McNeill will testify on the stand, but several witnesses from detectives on the case to friends and family members are expected to testify.

The jury selection still went on through Monday and 15 jurors with three alternates are what is expected. "Butch" Pope of the defense team said that he felt three alternates were sufficient, but "Robby" Hicks on the D.A. team suggested four.