Cunningham Convicted of Aggravated Murder
Cunningham Convicted of Aggravated Murder
For Immediate Release: February 9, 2023
On February 9, 2023, an Alexandria jury convicted David Jasante Cunningham, a 41-year-old City resident, of three felonies, Aggravated Murder and two counts of Object Sexual Penetration. The crimes occurred in an apartment on South Van Dorn Street on or about December 4, 2021. The matter was prosecuted by Senior Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Maana Parcham, Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Harsh Voruganti, and Commonwealth's Attorney Bryan Porter.
The date of the sentencing hearing has yet to be determined. The maximum penalty for Aggravated Murder is life in prison without the possibility of parole. The maximum penalty for Object Sexual Penetration is life in prison.
On December 7, 2021, the Alexandria Police responded to a residential apartment building on South Van Dorn Street. Therein they located the victim, 23-year-old Alexandria resident Melia Jones, deceased. Ms. Jones was a person diagnosed with Down Syndrome. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner later determined the cause of death to be asphyxia. During an autopsy, the Medical
Office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney Examiner determined Ms. Jones had suffered injuries consistent with a sexual assault.
Alexandria Police conducted an exhaustive investigation and identified the defendant as a suspect. The defendant was almost twice the victim’s age and of normal intelligence. Evidence admitted at trial included surveillance video of the defendant interacting with the victim, fingerprint and DNA evidence which incriminated the defendant, and a lengthy video of the defendant’s interview with police detectives in which he admitted to sexual contact with the victim.
Commonwealth’s Attorney Bryan Porter made the following statements about the matter:
“Today, a predator has been held accountable for the knowing, premeditated sexual assault and murder of a precious human being. For the rest of his life, the defendant will be housed in a prison, free to reflect and reckon on his vile and vicious acts. He deserves no better.
“But I do not wish to focus on the defendant. Instead, I choose to focus on the wonderful, love-filled life lived by Melia Jones. Melia lived and loved as one should, as her friends from the Pulley Center and her family know well. We are all here, in this life, for but a moment, and it should be our goal and our end to spend that time bringing love and happiness to those we are fortunate enough to encounter. Melia will always be remembered for her laughter, her dancing, and the happiness she brought to the lives of others.
“One of the poverties of my profession is that, in a murder case, a prosecutor never gets to meet the victim they are tasked with honoring. In this case, I truly hope my prosecution team has treated Melia’s memory with the dignity it deserves.
“I would like to thank a litany of people for their support on this extremely important case.
“First, I would thank the men and women who staff the Pulley Center. The fact that you have dedicated your lives to helping the most vulnerable amongst us is, to put it plainly, heart-stirring. I sincerely thank you for your very important work, and I sincerely appreciate your interest in this case.
“Obviously, I would thank Melia’s family. You have shown an amazing amount of grace and resolve as this matter has wended through the system, and your resolve was a beacon for those of us tasked with trying this matter.
“I would thank the women and men of the Alexandria Police Department, to include Detectives Whelan and Gill, all of the Crime Scene Investigators, and the Latent Print Examiner, Jessie Baker, for their thorough and professional investigation.
“I thank the jurors, 12 citizens good and true, for their attention and care to the extremely difficult testimony on which this matter was predicated.
“I would also thank my staff, to include the attorneys who tried this case, the victim advocates who coordinated with the family and the witnesses, and the administrative staff that helped maintain the incredible amount of documentation in this matter. There is nobility in our profession when it done correctly. Each of these public servants do their jobs for little fame and no fortune. Instead, their motivation is serving the Alexandria community.
“Finally, I always have and always will consider it a privilege to represent my hometown of Alexandria in matters as serious as this one. As I always tell victim families in homicide cases, we are just human beings and cannot make the situation right. The only way to make it right would be to go back in time and stop the defendant from committing this atrocious crime. But while we cannot make it right, with humility, we hope we obtained a modicum of solace for a grieving family.”
The defendant is incarcerated in the William G. Truesdale Alexandria Adult Detention Center pending the sentencing hearing.