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Des Moines man who fatally stabbed brother gets prison time

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May 31st, 2019 by Ric Hanson

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) ā€” A Des Moines man convicted of fatally stabbing his brother has been sentenced to up to 50 years in prison. The Des Moines Register reports that 51-year-old Shawn Davis was sentenced Thursday. In April, a Polk County jury found Davis guilty of second-degree murder for fatally stabbing his 35-year-old brother, Preston Davis, on Aug. 5, 2017, during a family gathering. They had been arguing and Shawn Davis punched his brother. Police say Shawn Davis then retrieved a knife and stabbed Preston in the home’s driveway as Preston and another person were leaving.

Shawn Davis’ criminal history includes a second-degree murder conviction for the October 1986 shooting death of 27-year-old Thomas Law. His sentence was reduced after the Iowa Court of Appeals ordered a new trial in 1989, and he later received a 12-year-sentence for voluntary manslaughter.