District Attorney Krasner Files Charges Following Murder of Man Walking Dog in Brewerytown

CONTACT:
Jane Roh, 215–686–8711, Jane.Roh@phila.gov

PHILADELPHIA (Jan. 17, 2021) — The District Attorney’s Office (DAO) has charged Josephus Davis (DOB: 12/31/2000) of Philadelphia with Murder and related charges for his role in the firearm homicide of a young man near his home in Brewerytown in the early evening hours of Wednesday, January 13th.

Davis has been charged with Murder (F), Conspiracy (F1), Robbery (F2), and illegal firearms offenses (VUFA 6505, 6506, 6108). He is not eligible for pre-trial release on cash bail.

Davis has been in custody since being arrested by Philadelphia Police for a vehicle theft that appears unrelated to the January 13th murder. On January 14th, prior to his arrest for the murder in Brewerytown, the District Attorney’s Office filed charges of Receiving Stolen Property and Unauthorized Use of a Motor Vehicle for that separate incident.

“This violent act robbed a young man of his life and future, and inflicted additional violence on the family and community that grieves him. The harm caused by the individuals responsible extends farther outward, to the neighborhood and city where a young man was killed in the early evening hours while walking his dog,” District Attorney Krasner said. “It’s not fair, nor is it just — but sadly, it is directly related to firearms outnumbering people in a vacuum of reasonable regulation.”

“I am thankful for the Philadelphia Police officers who worked to investigate this crime and identify and arrest Davis in collaboration with our DAO Homicide Unit. PPD and DAO will continue working to arrest and appropriately charge everyone culpable in this terrible killing,” District Attorney Krasner continued. “I extend my deepest condolences to those who knew and loved Mr. Loncar. The Philadelphia DAO argued in two separate cases last year that Davis be held in jail, yet bail was lowered by judges over our objections. So we are clear, the District Attorney’s Office does not set bail. The judiciary sets bail, after hearing arguments from the prosecution and the defense. We will have more to say on this matter as more information from our partners in the criminal justice system becomes available.”

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The Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office is the largest prosecutor’s office in Pennsylvania, and one of the largest in the nation. It serves the more than 1.5 million citizens of the City and County of Philadelphia, employing 600 lawyers, detectives, and support staff. The District Attorney’s Office is responsible for prosecution of approximately 40,000 criminal cases annually.