MERIDIAN — A woman has been charged with capital murder and several other felonies in connection with the carjacking and killing of former Meridian City Councilwoman and L.O.V.E.’s Kitchen Executive Director Fannie Johnson, city officials announced Saturday.
Tracey Ann Davis has been taken into custody and charged with one count each of capital murder, carjacking, felony fleeing, aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer and aggravated assault, according to the City of Meridian and Meridian Police Department.
Police said investigators have found no evidence that another person participated in the crime. Authorities said that determination is based on the investigation so far, including multiple independent witness accounts and information obtained directly from Davis.
“The swift work of our officers and investigative partners has ensured that the person responsible for this horrific crime is behind bars,” Assistant Police Chief Darrell Thompson said. “We want to be very clear about what our investigation has established. Multiple witnesses and information obtained during the investigation indicate that this suspect acted alone.”
Thompson also urged the public not to allow unverified information circulating on social media to be accepted as fact.
Police on Saturday corrected another claim that had circulated following the incident. MPD said investigators have determined Davis did not fire shots at law enforcement officers, contrary to an earlier inaccurate report.
“This is an important example of why we ask everyone to allow investigators to establish the facts before sharing information as fact,” Thompson said. “Our responsibility is to tell the public what we know, what we can verify and, when necessary, correct information that is wrong.”
Johnson was a longtime community leader in Meridian who previously served on the Meridian City Council and was executive director of L.O.V.E.’s Kitchen, an organization that has served people in need in the community for more than four decades.
Mayor Percy Bland remembered Johnson as a servant leader and called on the community to rely on verified information as the investigation continues.
“Fannie Johnson was the heart of Meridian, a servant leader who devoted her life to caring for people,” Bland said. “We owe it to Fannie, to her family and to this entire community to deal in truth. There’s plenty of emotion surrounding something this painful, but there should not be room for rumor.”
Bland said the police department will continue following the evidence, communicating verified information and remaining accountable to the community.
City and public safety officials are asking residents to rely on official communications from the City of Meridian and Meridian Police Department for updates in the case.
An official briefing on the investigation is scheduled for Monday.
