Killer Who Danced on Victim's Body Gets 50 Years

Tamarius Davis, 27, was sentenced to 50 years in prison on Thursday for the August 2021 murder of Dustin Wakefield, a 21-year-old new father. Davis shot Wakefield on the patio of a Miami Beach restaurant while Wakefield was protecting his wife and infant son.

Davis, a former UPS driver who was on vacation from Georgia, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder. He had previously told police that he "randomly" selected his victim while under the influence of psychedelic mushrooms. His defense attorney argued that Davis experienced a psychotic episode, believing he was in a video game, which detached him from reality.

However, Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Laura Stuzin dismissed the defense's claims, stating, "This was not a mistake or just a bad episode. This was preventable." She told Davis, "There was something lurking in your inner being that was dark, and you knew it, and you hid, and you could have asked for help."

Prosecutor Casey Hughes argued that the drugs only amplified Davis's inherent tendencies, stating they "exposed the bitter roots in his heart" and "gave him courage to do what was already there." Hughes emphasized the severity of the crime, warning that anything less than life in prison would be a failure to counter evil.

Wakefield's widow, Karina Olguin, described the enduring impact of the loss on her family. She recounted her young son's questions about his father and her own struggles with safety, leading her to map escape routes in public places. "When I wanted to become a mother there was one thing I wanted more than anything; I wanted my son to grow up with a daddy," she said.

Wakefield's sister, Kayla Wakefield, also spoke of the abrupt loss of her brother's future. Davis's actions also resulted in non-life-threatening injuries to another restaurant patron.