HATTIESBURG, Miss. (WHLT) – The 19-year-old who was convicted of killing a Southern Miss football player filed a motion for a judgment of acquittal or a new trial.
On June 19, the jury found Orlando May guilty of capital murder, conspiracy to commit armed robbery and vehicle theft. He was sentenced to life without parole for capital murder, 20 years for conspiracy to commit armed robbery and 10 years for the vehicle theft.
During the trial, Samir Green and Nytavion Shaw testified that they helped steal a white Acura the night of the shooting in 2024.
Green and Shaw said they spotted MJ Daniels sleeping inside his black Dodge Challenger at Ivy Row Apartments and planned to steal the vehicle. According to Shaw, May said he would shoot if Daniels moved. Green said Allen Gardner fired first, and May fired through the back window, killing Daniels.
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Orlando May (Courtesy: MDOC) -
FILE – This photo provided by the University of Southern Mississippi Department of Athletics shows Southern Mississippi defensive back Marcus “MJ” Daniels Jr. on the Mississippi State University campus in Starkville, Miss., Nov. 18, 2023. (The University of Southern Mississippi Department of Athletics via AP, File)
Gardner and Green pled guilty to first-degree murder in February 2025, and Shaw pled guilty to second-degree murder in October 2024.
According to court documents filed in July 2025, May and his attorneys said the guilty verdicts were not supported by sufficient evidence. They requested a hearing on the motion.