GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — The suspect connected to the mysterious murder of a Georgia State University student whose body was found inside a vacant mall Subway restaurant may be behind bars, but the family says his arrest only brings up more questions rather than closure.
Police charged 21-year-old Emmett Davis, Jr. with aggravated assault and felony murder in connection to Silling Man's death. Warrants said his alleged aggravated assault caused Man's death by asphyxiation.
Silling Man was a sophomore majoring in psychology at Georgia State University and was reported to be dating Davis during the time before her murder. Police believe the two had been living together in hotels near Gwinnett Place Mall during the period she was reported missing by her family.
ORIGINAL STORY | Woman's body found in abandoned Subway at Gwinnett Place Mall
She was first reported missing on Oct. 8 by a family member but returned after some time. Man was reported missing again soon after. While no missing person case was filed, the family said they had no contact with her after Oct. 10. However, police said she did pick up a check from the clothing store where she worked at Perimeter Mall on Nov. 20.
About a month later on Dec. 21, 2017, a maintenance worker found Man's body in a back room of the vacant Subway restaurant at the mall. There were no obvious signs of trauma to her body, but police said they considered it a suspicious death and that she'd been dead for about two weeks. Man’s death was officially ruled a homicide in March.
Police finally arrested Davis at a Lawrenceville home June 15 and charged him with Man's death. 11Alive went to the address listed for where Davis was arrested and knocked on the door, but no one answered.
Neighbors told 11Alive Davis lived at the home on and off with family and usually kept to himself. In August of last year, they started to see him with Man. One neighbor even described hearing arguments between the two around Thanksgiving, just a few days after police said Man picked up her last paycheck from her job at Perimeter Mall.
11Alive's Natisha Lance spoke to Man's uncle Savan Yang off camera. He said he had given up hope of the case ever being solved, but now that an arrest has been made, the family has even more questions. Chiefly, how one person could have stashed Man's body in a mall without help. Family believes there's no way Davis could have acted alone.
11Alive tried to ask Gwinnett County Police that question but did not get an immediate response.
On Monday, however, the department sent an email confirming they had no evidence Emmett had help.
11Alive asked whether there was any indication that he may have broken into the business, but police said there was no evidence of a break-in.
