Detroit man convicted for 2021 murder, carjacking of Kentucky man in Facebook Marketplace ambush
(CBS DETROIT) - A Detroit man was convicted for the 2021 murder and carjacking of a Kentucky resident who drove to Michigan to purchase a vehicle trailer off Facebook Marketplace, the Michigan Attorney General's Office said.
Davontae Eshawn Long, 31, was convicted on June 28 of one count of felony murder (mandatory life sentence without parole), one count of carjacking (potential life sentence), one count of felon in possession of a handgun (punishable by up to five years in prison) and three counts of felony firearm (mandatory two-year sentence).
According to the attorney general's office, the victim, a 28-year-old man, drove from his home in Louisville to Detroit on Dec. 9, 2021, to complete the purchase of a vehicle trailer, which was arranged on Facebook Marketplace. When the victim arrived, officials say Long pulled the man from the Cadillac Escalade he was driving and fatally shot him in the back. Long then reportedly left with the Cadillac and the man's possessions, as well as a .45 caliber handgun.
"Both buyers and sellers should exercise extreme caution when arranging private online marketplace sales, especially when traveling long distances to places they are unfamiliar with," said Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel in a statement. "This was a tragic and brutal ambush, and I am grateful for the jury's service in handing down these significant verdicts."
Long will be sentenced on July 18.