'He bragged about killing my son:' Mother's ex convicted in shooting death of Jerry Davis Jr.

Jerry Davis Jr.

MILWAUKEE -- A mother finally has some closure after the man who murdered her son was convicted in court Monday, June 24. It was essentially a trial of patience, as her son was killed Nov. 2, 2013.

"It's been a long time. It was so hard for me," said Gena Clark-McKnight, mother of Jerry Davis Jr.

Davis Jr., 19, was shot and killed on Nov. 2, 2013 on N. 50th Street. Clark-McKnight paid for 15 billboards in the months after her son's death to try to find the killer.

Gena Clark-McKnight

"He walked the streets for five years. Five-and-a-half years. He bragged about killing my son," said Clark-McKnight.

In fall 2018, an informant came forward and helped Milwaukee police crack the case. Demetrius Pugh, 40, was arrested, and on Monday he was found guilty after an extensive six-day trial.

Pugh was convicted on one count of first degree reckless homicide, as party to a crime, use of a dangerous weapon, and one count of armed robbery, as party to a crime.

"He was heartless, cold, calculating, deliberate -- a psychopath piece of (expletive). That's what he was," said Clark-McKnight.

Demetrius Pugh

He was also Clark-McKnight's ex-boyfriend, who knew Davis Jr. since he was 7.

"Someone that was in the house with us. Someone who stayed in the house with us. Someone who ate at the table with us," said Clark-McKnight.

Clark-McKnight said Pugh even showed up at Davis Jr.'s funeral. She said he was jealous of her son, which led to the killing. Though there's still pain, Clark-McKnight said she olds onto the loving memories of her only son.

"Jerry was loved by everybody. Jerry would give you the shirt off his back," said Clark-McKnight.

Jerry Davis Jr.

Davis Jr. left behind a 5-year-old daughter who was born after he was killed.

Sentencing was scheduled for Aug. 23 for Pugh.