Conviction In Slaying of Popular Sandwich Shop Owner

Defendant Rey Davis-Bell has been convicted of First Degree Murder, three counts of Attempted First Degree Murder, and Unlawful Possession of a Firearm for a violent shooting spree that killed Degene "Safie" Dashasa, the popular and well-known owner of The Philadelphia Cheese-Steak Sandwich shop, located near 23rd and East Union in the Central District.
 
The victim, Dashasa, immigrated to the United States from Ethiopia approximately 10 years ago.  He had just purchased a home, was newly married, and preparing to bring his new wife from Ethiopia to the United States when he was murdered in a violent rampage, during which the defendant shot several times at his ex-girlfriend's house, drove to the sandwich shop, shot Dashasa when he approached the counter, shot and seriously wounded a customer in the store, and then shot at, but missed another employee at the store.  The defendant fled the scene of the crime, but was quickly apprehended.

At trial, Senior DPAs John Castleton and Jessica Berliner presented to the jury a combination of eye-witness testimony, surveillance camera footage of the crime scene, and forensic evidence relating to the firearm and ammunition used in the shootings.   The DPAs also relied on cell phone tracking data to map the defendant's movements on the day of the crime.  After several weeks of trial, the jury convicted the defendant on all counts, and he now faces 102-109 years in prison.

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