Malachi Davis, charged in Sunday’s shooting death of John P. Kent of Humboldt, made his first court appearance on a second-degree murder charge in Allen County Tuesday.
Davis, 25, of Humboldt, appeared in front of Magistrate Judge Chuck Apt. Apt scheduled a review hearing for Wednesday afternoon.
Apt appointed Iola attorney Jacob Manbeck to represent Davis through the Public Defender’s Office.
The Kansas Bureau of Investigation alleged Davis killed Kent after Davis had been in another altercation near the intersection of 10th and Sycamore streets in Humboldt.
The original confrontation, between Davis and his girlfriend, spilled over late Sunday afternoon when the girlfriend sought refuge with a neighbor, who then contacted Kent, 43.
Kent’s arrival resulted in a verbal confrontation with Davis, who fired a single shot from his vehicle, striking Kent in the chest.
Kent was transported via ambulance to Allen County Regional Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.
Davis fled the scene following the shooting. Multiple law enforcement agencies began searching for the suspect before he was arrested by the Kansas Highway Patrol about 3 ½ hours later near Moran.
CONVICTION of a second-degree murder charge carries a prison sentence of anywhere between nine and 41 years, and a fine of up to $300,000.
Davis has had several other court cases working through the system.
He faces aggravated burglary and theft, drug distribution and drug possession charges — all from separate incidents — in Neosho County over the past four years.
A motion to revoke his bond in those cases was filed Tuesday.
In addition, he was convicted in Allen County in 2020 of fleeing or eluding law enforcement and reckless driving and in 2022 of possessing stolen property.
In Woodson County, he was convicted of misdemeanor theft in 2023, following an original charge of burglary of a dwelling.
