NaKesha Davis laughed lightly between tears, remembering how her husband, Tavares Davis, who was fatally shot a year ago, would have reacted to her closing The Funnel Cake Man businesses in Orland Park and Merrillville, Indiana, to protect him. mourn.
“He would have given us a side eye, but I’m sure he would understand,” said NaKesha Davis, recalling that her husband was hard-working and dedicated to the company they started together.
NaKesha and their two oldest children still run and operate the businesses, she said, so it was important for them to take time off for their mental health. The businesses were closed from Aug. 2 to Aug. 14, she said.
“It was important for me and my kids to disconnect and take time to process the grief,” said NaKesha. “The wound is still so deep it’s unbearable.”
Tavares Davis, 41, was fatally shot on Aug. 2, 2022, at the 15500 block of Drexel Avenue, Dolton, according to Dolton Police.
To honor his memory this year, NaKesha said she went to the cemetery on August 2 and spent the day with their children. NaKesha said she doesn’t call the day of his death an anniversary because that implies a celebration.
“I don’t celebrate that day,” NaKesha said. “On that day I mourn his loss.”
Another way they processed their grief, NaKesha said, was by embodying the adventurous spirit of Tavares Davis and his saying, “No Davis left behind.”
For example, they went ziplining, which their daughter chose as an adventure activity because the last time she went ziplining was with her dad, NaKesha said.
NaKesha said she was terrified, but her daughter reminded her of what Tavares Davis would have said.
“She was like, ‘No Davis left. Daddy would want you to be adventurous,” NaKesha said. “That’s something Tavares taught us – just how to live.”
The family honors the memory of Tavares Davis daily by talking about him and keeping his business going, NaKesha said. Their youngest child, a 2-year-old son, no longer asks where his father is, she said, but manages to blow a kiss in the air when he misses him.
“We always talk about him. He’s always at the forefront of our conversations. ‘What would Dad say? What would Dad do?'” NaKesha Davis said.
Police previously said a 27-year-old and another man who fled the scene in a Chevrolet Malibu with Michigan license plates are both persons of interest in the case.
Surveillance footage shows the 27-year-old getting into a white Mercedes-Benz SUV with other people, including Tavares Davis, police said. Tavares Davis was fatally shot and then thrown from the vehicle, police said.
While the 27-year-old man was arrested and prosecuted under a warrant from another police station, Dolton police chief Robert Collins said in October he was not in custody in connection with Davis’s death.
In February, Collins said investigators know the identities of those involved in Tavares Davis’ death, but no arrests have been made. Collins did not respond to requests for comment on Tuesday.
NaKesha said she’s not sure where the case stands as she hasn’t heard back from the detective about the case since she called earlier this month.
“I want some answers,” she said. “I’m hopeful, I really am. He deserves justice and the people involved will be held responsible for his murder.”
The family is offering a $5,000 monetary reward for information leading to an arrest.
NaKesha said she reached out to Cook County Crime Stoppers to offer the reward so people with information can anonymously report what they know. Cook County Crime Stoppers is offering an additional $1,000 for tips submitted that lead to an arrest, she said.
“I will never stop seeking justice for my husband,” NaKesha said.
