By Steven Dahlman

April 18, 2026 – Following a two-year legal saga marked by numerous delays and procedural maneuvers, the second of two suspects has been found guilty of a violent 2023 armed robbery in a River North parking garage.

The conviction followed months of Davis representing himself and filing dozens of motions in what appeared to be an effort to challenge the court’s authority and the State’s readiness for trial.

Violent encounter in River North

The case began in the early hours of April 21, 2023, in the parking garage of Grand Plaza Apartments near North State Street & West Grand Avenue.

According to prosecutors, a 48-year-old man and a 32-year-old man were waiting for an elevator when Davis (then 53) and Gladney (four days short of his 31st birthday), both armed with handguns, emerged from a stairwell.

Davis allegedly went through one victim’s pockets, taking $1,000 in cash, three mobile phones, and three sets of key fobs. When the victim attempted to flee, Davis fired a handgun at him, though the man was not struck.

Chicago Police officers quickly blocked the garage’s exits and apprehended Davis and Gladney as they attempted to drive out of the facility. Inside their vehicle, officers recovered two firearms and the victim’s stolen key fobs.

Different paths for accomplices

While Gladney pleaded guilty in late 2023 and, on January 2, 2024, started serving a ten-year sentence for armed robbery at Pinckneyville Correctional Center – later at Sheridan Correctional Center – Davis chose a more confrontational legal path.

Facing a potential life sentence as an “armed habitual criminal” due to a violent record – including a 1997 conviction for attempted murder and home invasion – Davis sought to have his case dismissed multiple times. He argued that his “speedy trial” rights were violated, despite the court granting the state extensions to process DNA evidence and video discovery.

“Playing the system”

The timeline of the case shows a defendant familiar with the legal system’s levers. In July 2023, Davis fired his public defender to proceed pro se, specifically to demand an immediate trial before the state had completed its DNA analysis.

“Exactly,” Davis had replied.

However, the “speedy trial” gambit ultimately failed. DNA evidence recovered from one of the handguns matched Davis, and the court consistently denied his motions to dismiss. The docket remains filled with pro se motions, including petitions for Habeas Corpus and motions to dismiss the indictment, nearly all of which were denied.

Davis was found guilty of armed robbery, aggravated discharge of a firearm, and aggravated unlawful restraint. Mid-trial, the State dismissed the additional armed habitual criminal charge.

Davis continues to challenge the verdict. He has filed a motion for a new trial and a motion to reconsider the finding of guilty, arguing that the court erred by appointing counsel against his wishes and denying his speedy trial motions.

The next post-trial motion hearing is scheduled for May 13, 2026.