A St. Paul teenager was ordered to spend 25½ years in prison on Friday for his role in a fatal stabbing near Harding High School that killed 19-year-old Jay’mier Keymari Givens. The hearing drew a courtroom full of relatives and friends, who lined up to deliver emotional victim-impact statements as the case formally shifted out of juvenile proceedings and into adult court.
According to Twin Cities, 17-year-old Jeremy Joe Davila pleaded guilty in adult court to aiding and abetting second-degree intentional murder after waiving juvenile certification. He agreed to the presumptive 25½-year guideline sentence, a move that avoided the risk of a longer aggravated term. The outlet reported that some of Givens’ relatives addressed Davila directly during the hearing and urged the judge to recognize the gravity of the killing.
Prosecutors’ account of the killing
Prosecutors say Givens was discovered late on March 31, 2025, on the 1400 block of East 6th Street near Harding High School and was later pronounced dead at Regions Hospital. An autopsy documented 22 sharp-force wounds, most of them to his back. Charging documents, cellphone records, and neighborhood surveillance video were used to piece together what happened that night, according to the Star Tribune.
Evidence seized during the investigation
On April 8, investigators executed a search warrant at a residence connected to Davila and a 14-year-old boy. Inside, they reported finding two knives stashed in the basement rafters, two sets of clothing that matched what appeared in surveillance footage, and small amounts of blood, according to MN Crime. Court documents later quoted the younger teen as admitting that both he and Davila stabbed Givens multiple times.
Family reaction in court…