None — The man accused of killing a 38-year-old middle school teacher appeared in court for the first time Thursday. Ashanti Bess, called Ace by neighbors, said little in court, except that he understands the first-degree murder charge against him.
But understanding 22-year-old Bess himself remains a challenge.
Eyewitness News reporter Jim Bradley went to Bess's mother's North Charlotte home Thursday morning, but no one answered the door. It's the home where Bess surrendered to police on Wednesday, just hours before he was charged with killing Anthony Davis.
Davis was a teacher at Randolph Middle School. He was found shot to death in his southwest Charlotte home early Tuesday.
Davis was a technology teacher at Sedgefield Middle School at time Bess was a student there between 1999 and 2001. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools officials couldn't say whether the two were ever in the same class.
Several years after the two were at Sedgefield together, Davis began mentoring Bess. At the time, Bess was 16 years old.
Bess later attended both East Mecklenburg High School and Myers Park High School, but CMS has no record of him receiving a diploma.
Davis's family members said Bess was treated like a part of their family and spent several holidays with them. He even listed Davis's address as his own.
But now, police say Bess is responsible for Davis's death. Items were missing from the teacher's home when he was found dead, which led police to believe robbery was the motive behind the killing.
Bess doesn't have a previous arrest record in Mecklenburg County, but sources have told Eyewitness News that Department of Social Services officials knew him as a troublemaker, and had investigation him and his family multiple times.
For confidentiality reasons, department officials can't confirm whether they have worked with Bess or his family.
Previous Stories: February 10, 2010: Family Of Murdered CMS Teacher Shocked Over Arrest
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