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Miami Beach murder sentencing: Dustin Wakefield’s family asks judge for life term
Relatives of Dustin Wakefield urged a Miami judge to sentence Tamarius Davis to life in prison for the 2021 killing on Ocean Drive. Davis pleaded guilty in May to second-degree murder, attempted second-degree murder and child abuse.
MIAMI — Family and friends of Dustin Wakefield described their grief in court Monday as they asked a judge to sentence the man who killed him to life in prison.
Wakefield, 21, was sitting with relatives at a restaurant on Ocean Drive in South Beach on Aug. 24, 2021, when Tamarius Davis shot him, prosecutors said. Wakefield was visiting from Colorado with his wife, their 1-year-old son and other family members.
Prosecutors said Davis, then visiting from Georgia, had taken psychedelic mushrooms and obtained a gun before shooting at people in South Beach. They said he pointed the weapon at Wakefield’s toddler before shooting Wakefield five times, then was seen laughing and dancing.
Davis, now 27, pleaded guilty in May to second-degree murder, attempted second-degree murder and child abuse. His sentencing hearing began Monday, Oct. 26, and was scheduled to continue Tuesday morning.
Wakefield’s mother, Lora Wakefield, told the court the killing had devastated the family. She also said she forgave Davis. His father, Matt Wakefield, addressed Davis directly, calling him a coward.
Relatives remembered Wakefield as hardworking, charismatic and devoted to his faith and family. His mother said he had given his life while protecting his loved ones.
The judge will determine Davis’ sentence after the hearing concludes.