The story of a 10-year-old girl who survived a brutal execution-style massacre of her family by pretending to be dead is not only harrowing—it’s heroic.
On what should have been an ordinary night in a quiet Southwest Houston apartment, 29-year-old Donyavia Lagway, her husband, Gregory Carhee; and their children were relaxing at home. But in a horrifying turn, that peace was shattered when a masked man forced his way inside and unleashed terror that would leave three family members dead and a 10-year-old girl critically wounded but miraculously alive.
That little girl, now hailed for her bravery, witnessed her pregnant mother, father, and younger sister murdered. Despite being shot herself, she lay still—playing dead—while the gunman carried out the unthinkable. When the apartment finally fell silent, she got up, locked the door behind the killer, grabbed her baby brother, and began calling family members for help. Her courage and clear-mindedness saved her brother’s life and is the reason the truth of the crime was fully uncovered.
The Night of the Massacre
It began with a knock on the door. Gregory, holding the couple’s one-year-old son, opened it to find a stranger dressed in black, wearing a medical mask. He told the man he had the wrong apartment. But instead of leaving, the man—later identified as 26-year-old Xavier Davis—forced his way inside.
According to investigators, Davis violently grabbed the baby by the hair and tossed him onto the couch before drawing a gun. Two of the couple’s daughters—six-year-old Harmony Carhee and the 10-year-old—stood with their hands in the air, pleading. But Davis opened fire. Harmony was killed instantly. The 10-year-old was hit but survived.
As her parents were gunned down next to her, the girl stayed motionless. The killer believed everyone inside, except the infant, was dead. That grave miscalculation would ultimately lead to his arrest—and to the unraveling of a much darker conspiracy.
A Plot Born from Obsession
The horror didn’t end with the shooting. Police say Alexis Williams, a woman who once had a romantic relationship with Donyavia Lagway, orchestrated the murders.
The motive? Allegedly, jealousy and revenge.
Williams and Lagway had dated between 2017 and 2018, but after Donyavia reconciled with her husband, Williams could not let go. According to authorities, she recruited Davis—a former high school friend—and promised him money in exchange for murdering her ex and her ex’s entire family. She claimed there were thousands of dollars hidden in the apartment.
But perhaps most chilling is that Williams allegedly watched the murders in real time via FaceTime, offering directions, encouragement, and even speaking to the victims. She later attended their funerals, weeping alongside grieving relatives, knowing full well she had allegedly masterminded their deaths.
The Digital Trail of a Murder Plot
It took months of investigative work and the bravery of one survivor to bring the truth to light. A key anonymous tip led police to Davis. He had carjacked a vehicle earlier that day and torched it with gas and matches purchased using stolen money. His mistake? Leaving a phone at the scene—registered to his mother—which contained selfies and location data that put him at the crime scene.
From there, detectives traced communications back to Williams. Cell phone data, messages, and call logs confirmed what investigators had begun to suspect: she wasn’t just involved—she was calling the shots.
Justice Begins, But Isn’t Over
In March 2025, Davis shocked the courtroom by changing his plea to guilty just as his capital murder trial was beginning. A jury was still required to determine sentencing. After deliberations, they unanimously decided on the death penalty, citing that Davis posed an ongoing threat to society and that no mitigating circumstances warranted leniency.
Now, attention turns to Alexis Williams, who was arrested in March 2022 and is facing three counts of capital murder and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Her trial is expected to begin later this year.
A Child’s Courage Amid Unthinkable Loss
Today, the 10-year-old survivor is living with her grandmothers, along with her baby brother and her older brother—who by chance wasn’t home the night of the murders.
Though her body was wounded and her heart broken, she acted with a level of bravery few adults could summon.
By pretending to be dead, locking the door after the killer fled, and calling relatives for help—all while bleeding—this child became the key witness and protector of her family’s legacy.
This story demonstrates the cruelty people are capable of—but also the strength and spirit one small child can embody in the face of unimaginable evil.
