Shaniya Davis: Thousands gather to mourn loss of 5-year-old rape and murder victim

Shaniya Davis: Thousands gather to mourn loss of 5-year-old rape and murder victim: "Shaniya Davis: Thousands gather to mourn loss of 5-year-old rape and murder victim"

Fayetteville, NC - Nearly 2,000 mourners gathered together at Manna Church to say their final goodbyes to five-year-old Shaniya Davis, the little girl whose body was discovered last Monday in a wooded area near Sanford, North Carolina, after having been raped and strangled to death.

Davis's mother, Antoinette Davis, was charged last week with human trafficking and child abuse. Her boyfriend, Mario McNeill, has been charged with kidnapping, raping, and strangling Shaniya. According to WSOC-TV, Shaniya's father, Bradley Lockhart, had taken care of the little girl for the majority of her life. It was only recently that he agreed to allow her mother to have the opportunity to raise her as well.

The crowd was so large at the church that the line to see her rose-colored casket took more than one hour before the service had begun. Nearly 100 more observers were forced to stand outside and peer through the church windows to catch a glimpse of the service.

Lockhart stood up during the service and asked gatherers to celebrate his daughter's life rather than mourn her death. Several family members and friends rose to speak about and share their memories of the young girl and a slideshow was presented showing Shaniya at her happiest moments.

According to ABC, Lockhart asked one of the pastors to refer to his daughter's service as a "homegoing" celebration. During the service, Lockhart also looked at his daughter's casket and said "I know you're going to be waiting for me [in heaven], I'll see you when I get there."

This is not the first time Lockhart has experienced the tragic loss of an immediate loved one. On March 3, 1998, his first wife, Vickie Sue Lockhart, 28, and his 19-year-old sister-in-law, Channel Lockhart, were murdered, along with a third person, during a home robbery in Fayettville.