Sister, brother charged in Byers murder

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) - A sister and brother have been charged in connection with the road rage killing of Lance Byers Wednesday afternoon.

Jeanette Davis, 24, was arrested Tuesday by Grand Rapids police. She was arraigned on charges of second-degree murder and felony firearm.

Jeanette Davis said little during her arraignment. She is being held on a $1 million bond.

If convicted, she could spend life in prison.

Court documents show that a Grand Rapids Police detective, when he appeared before a judge to request an arrest warrant for Jeanette Davis, said she confessed to shooting Lance Byers. She said she carried the gun because she was afraid of other people.

Her brother, 21-year-old Jountay Zeamer Davis, who goes by Zeamer, turned himself in and is cooperating with police.

He was arraigned for being an accessory after the fact to second-degree murder and being a second-time habitual offender on Wednesday.

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Tonight at 10 p.m. on WXSP and 11 p.m. on WOOD: The father of the suspects speaks only to 24 Hour News 8 about the charges -- and what he says may have put the suspect in a dangerous mood the day of the shooting.

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Byers, a 42-year-old father, was gunned down near Saint Mary's Hospital after a minor traffic accident near Lafayette and State SE shortly after 8 a.m.

Belk said the incident happened after Byers was in his car at the intersection of Lafayette Avenue SE and State Street. Jeanette Davis and her brother were sitting at the same corner. Zeamer Davis decided to switch lanes.

"They darted out in front of him and ended up bumping cars at that point," GRPD Chief Kevin Belk told 24 Hour News 8.

There was an argument. It got physical.

"During that argument, we believe that Jeanette Davis got out of the vehicle and without warning fired one shot, killing, striking Lance Byers," said Belk.

Belk said that it didn't appear that Jeannette Davis should have felt threatened.

"We do not believe it was self-defense," said Belk. "As I said, the circumstances were not such that anyone was in fear of their life and that there was a need to intervene to protect someone's well-being."

Tips led police to the Lincoln Navigator, which was found in a garage in Kentwood at Zeamer Davis's girlfriend's home.

Late Wednesday afternoon, 24 Hour News 8 learned Byers was assigned to Jeanette Davis' public assistance case through his job at the DHS.

Belk said DHS investigators looked into the connection, but determined there is no evidence they ever met face-to-face. Most of their business was done by email.

Byers had recently re-approved her bridge card.

Jeanette Davis was found hiding at her grandmother's house in Wyoming, but Belk said he did not anticipate any charges against the grandmother.

Belk said the Grand Rapids Major Case Team investigated all leads and made the arrests. He added the unusual Pittsburgh Pirates hat had little to do with breaking the case.

Two women, one believed to be Jeanette Davis's sister, said only "Innocent until proven guilty" after leaving the arraignment.