Man charged with murder in J. Pfenny’s shooting denied public defender
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)
A man who was charged with the murder of a Jefferson City bar employee and patron in 2022 has been denied a public defender.
Damien Davis, of Kansas City, was charged with two counts of first-degree murder, two counts of armed criminal action, two counts of unlawful use of a weapon and illegal gun possession in the shooting death of 26-year-old Skylar Smock and 43-year-old Corey Thames on Nov. 26, 2022 at J. Pfenny's Sports Grill and Pub.
The court found on Tuesday that Davis was not indigent and not eligible for a public defender. A public defender was previously ordered to represent Davis in 2022.
Davis is being held in the Cole County Jail without bond.
Cole County Prosecutor Locke Thompson filed a notice of intent in September to seek the death penalty.
Smock, who was an employee at the bar, tried to break up a fight and remove Thames from the business when Davis started firing shots, according to investigators.
Police say Davis admitted to firing shots at Thames but says he unintentionally shot Smock. Davis has prior charges that prohibit him from having a gun, according to online court records.
