Brandon Davis, the man convicted of aggravated murder in the shooting death of Asiah Slone, will serve nearly 45 years in prison before being eligible for parole, a Butler County judge ruled Tuesday.
Davis, 46, of Middletown, looked back at his family as he was led out of Judge Kelly Heile’s courtroom, saying, “Love y’all.”
However, he maintained his innocence throughout the 15 minutes he spoke at his sentencing hearing. He claimed he “had nothing to do with the murder of Asiah Slone,” and that his co-defendant, Perry Hart, fired the two shots into Slone’s head.
Davis claimed he was slandered, targeted by the Middletown Division of Police, and proved innocent by the evidence presented at trial, stating, “For the minority, it’s been guilty until proven innocent.”
In a jail interview, a man claims innocence after being charged with the murder of a woman found dead in a trash can Prosecutors said he fired the first of the two shots that killed Slone and threatened Hart to “make sure she was dead” before disposing of her body.
“He’s a stone-cold killer,” said Butler County Prosecutor Mike Gmoser, adding that he should get the maximum sentence “and never see the light of day.”
After finding Davis to be a violent repeat offender, Judge Heile sentenced him to life in prison on the first count of aggravated murder, with the possibility of parole after 30 years.
Davis’ five other felony convictions, including kidnapping, were combined with the aggravated murder count.
Heile also sentenced Davis to two more consecutive sentences. Davis’ prison term will begin with a 4-1/2-year sentence for aggravated murder with a firearms specification. Then a 10-year prison sentence is imposed for being a repeat violent offender.
The charge of having weapons under disability carries a three-year sentence that will be served concurrently.
If Davis is ever granted parole, he must register with the Butler County Sheriff’s Office as a repeat violent offender.
Davis’ attorney, Brad Kraemer, announced at the start of the nearly hour-long hearing that they intend to appeal.
Davis was found guilty following a five-day trial at Butler County Common Pleas Court. The jury took about four hours to return a guilty verdict on all counts, including having weapons under disability, kidnapping, and attempted murder.
Davis testified in his own defense during his trial, denying any involvement and even admitting to being present when Slone was shot twice in the head on June 7 while sleeping on the floor of the house.
He also spoke for several minutes on Tuesday, claiming that the evidence presented during his trial proved he did not shoot Slone. He also claimed that the murder was the idea of his co-defendant, Perry Hart.
Davis was one of two men charged with Slone’s death, 35, who had been reported missing before her remains were discovered in a trash can by searchers on July 1.
Slone was reported missing in June. Her remains were discovered on July 1, 2024, and were later identified by the Butler County Coroner’s office using DNA testing two days after Hart was arrested. Slone was discovered in a Rumpke trash bin in the 1000 block of Centennial Avenue, near Yankee Road.
Davis was the first to stand trial, and Hart, along with others, testified against him in the house where Slone was killed.
Gmoser dismissed Davis’ theory that Hart was the sole perpetrator of Slone’s death as “absurd”. The prosecutor claimed Hart “wasn’t smart enough to concoct” that plan.
Hart had been charged with aggravated murder and three counts of kidnapping. However, due to Hart’s corroborating testimony against Brandon Davis in his February trial, the county prosecutor offered the lesser charge of involuntary manslaughter with a 3-year gun restriction in addition to the kidnapping charges.
Hart’s next court appearance is on March 31 at 9:30 a.m., for a criminal disposition hearing.
