AURORA | A paroled felon will spend the rest of his life in prison for killing a young mother and shooting her boyfriend in the face in 2018 .
The 18th Judicial District Attorney’s Office announced Tuesday that Judge Andrew Baum had sentenced Shaun Davis, 33, to prison for the maximum sentence in the shootings of Aliyah Bonicelli, 23, and her boyfriend, who survived.
Davis shot Bonicelli execution-style in the back of the head after shooting her unnamed boyfriend in the face April 8, 2018.
District Attorney George Brauchler said the shootings were an example of the risk to the community of paroling repeat, violent offenders. Davis was paroled early twice after he was convicted of aggravated robbery.
“Without question, had this monster served his full sentence for his past felonies, this innocent mother would still be alive,” Brauchler said. “The public should ask why this happened and how will we prevent it from happening again.”
Aurora Police were called to the University of Colorado Hospital in the early hours of April 8, 2018, where personnel were treating two people with gunshot wounds.
Bonicelli’s boyfriend told police the two were giving Davis a ride when he pulled out a gun and shot him in the face. He said he survived by playing dead. He heard Bonicelli beg for her life, telling Davis she had a young daughter.
Davis then pistol-whipped Bonicelli and shot her in the back of the head.
After Davis fled the scene, the boyfriend was able to drive himself and Bonicelli to the hospital, where she later died. He said he was carrying $3,000 in cash before the incident which was missing.
“He is a cold-blooded killer. He stripped a mother’s life while she begged to keep it,” said Senior Deputy District Attorney Laura Wilson. “He tried to execute two people over $3,000.”
Detectives arrested Davis three days after the shooting.
An Arapahoe County jury in May 2019 found Davis guilty of first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, aggravated robbery, first-degree assault and possession of a weapon by a previous offender.
Davis was sentenced to life in prison plus 166 years for his convictions.