Shaniya Davis Trial Delayed Until April

The Feb. 18 trial in Fayetteville's high profile human trafficking case in the 2009 death of 5-year-old, Shaniya Davis, has been delayed.

The accused, Mario Andrette McNeil, 32, is being represented by Fayetteville lawyers Terry Alford and Harold "Butch" Pope. The team requested to delay the trial by 60 days on Jan. 11 after they had received discs of evidence, including video surveillance footage from the mobile home park where the child and her mother lived.

According to the Fayetteville Observer's report, a motion and order for continuance was filed on Jan. 31, the lawyers said "counsel for defendant would not be prepared to render effective representation if the trial proceeds on Feb. 18."

"This motion is not made for the purpose of delay," they said in the paperwork, "but is necessary to enable the defendant to complete the review (of) all of the discovery, examine and evaluate the numerous items of evidence, and to retain experts to assist the defense."

Both the child's mother, Antoniette Nicole Davis, 28 and McNeil's trials have been delayed until April 8.