A Wisconsin woman, Ashanti Davis, has been charged with solicitation of first-degree homicide after jailhouse phone calls allegedly revealed her role in plotting the murder of her former boyfriend, Bernell Hall. Hall, a father of three, was shot and killed during what appeared to be a staged robbery in Milwaukee in November 2024. The shooting occurred while Hall and Davis were sitting in a car behind a building. Two masked men ambushed them and demanded that they empty their pockets. However, prosecutors contend that the robbery was a ruse, and Hall was the only intended victim.
Davis was arrested on December 31, 2024, nearly two months after Hall’s death. Initially, Davis told authorities that she heard a single gunshot while fleeing the scene, but further investigation uncovered evidence suggesting her involvement in planning the murder. According to the criminal complaint, Davis had been in contact with an incarcerated man whom she was dating at the time. The two allegedly conspired to have Hall killed.
Multiple jailhouse phone calls between Davis and the inmate were recorded, and these conversations formed the basis of the charges against her. In one such call, Davis allegedly made a cryptic remark on October 28, 2024, stating, “Baby daddy, boom, pop, boom,” which prosecutors believe referred to the planned murder. In another call on October 29, Davis is said to have remarked, “I got a cat to kill the rat,” again speaking in riddles to avoid detection, as the calls were monitored. She further indicated that the plot would be carried out soon, saying on October 31, the day before Hall’s death, “it’s going to happen real soon.”
Following the shooting, Davis allegedly told the inmate in a phone call on November 1 that “they killed him” and that “people think I had something to do with it.” These statements, along with the timing and content of the calls, led authorities to charge Davis with orchestrating the murder.
Hall’s mother, Nicole Hall, expressed her belief that Davis would eventually be caught, citing her tendency to incriminate herself through her own words. “I knew she would end up getting caught because she doesn’t know how to stop talking,” Nicole Hall said. “I knew she would incriminate herself.”
Davis appeared in court on January 4, 2025, where she was held on a $100,000 bond. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for January 10, 2025, where further details of the case may be revealed. The investigation into the murder continues, as authorities work to gather additional evidence related to the staged robbery and the alleged conspiracy behind Hall’s death.
