CLEVELAND, Ohio - Attorneys for one of the men accused of killing a Warren mail carrier filed motions this week seeking to block evidence seized during the investigation.

Thomas Sledge, 44, and Kaprise Sledge, 24, are charged in the March 2024 shooting death of U.S. Postal Service carrier Jonte Davis. Kaprise Sledge’s attorneys asked a federal judge to suppress items taken from a home and to release secret grand jury testimony.

Kaprise Sledge’s defense team filed a motion to suppress all evidence seized during a March 2, 2024, search of a residence on Maryland Street N.E. in Warren. During the raid, investigators confiscated cell phones and clothing, including shoes, that prosecutors intend to use as evidence.

The defense argues the search warrant was invalid because the affidavit used to secure it relied on a confidential informant whose reliability was never verified. The motion states the affidavit contained "no statement that the [informant] has provided reliable information in the past".

Attorneys further contend that the police failed to conduct independent surveillance to corroborate the tip or confirm that Sledge lived at the address before executing the search. They argue that because the warrant was based on "bare bones" assertions, the evidence collected should be inadmissible.

In a separate filing, Kaprise Sledge’s attorneys requested access to transcripts of grand jury testimony, which are typically kept sealed. The legal team argues this step is necessary because a key government witness provided inconsistent stories to investigators.

According to the motion, the witness was interviewed by law enforcement on three separate occasions in March 2024 and gave a different version of events each time. The defense seeks the transcripts to determine if the witness changed their story a fourth time under oath, which would allow attorneys to challenge the witness's credibility at trial.

Kaprise Sledge's team also requested permission to file additional motions in the future, citing the "voluminous" amount of digital evidence—including terabytes of cell phone and tower data—that they are still reviewing.

While federal prosecutors have not yet announced a final decision on whether to seek the death penalty for Thomas Sledge, his attorneys earlier moved to preclude the option entirely.

The defense argues that the death penalty violates the Fifth, Sixth, and Eighth Amendments to the U.S. Constitution. The filing cites concerns regarding the risk of wrongful convictions, racial discrimination in the application of capital punishment, and studies suggesting that the death penalty does not deter crime.

Thomas Sledge's lawyers also argue that federal law does not explicitly list the murder of a postal worker as a "statutory aggravating factor"—a specific circumstance required to justify a death sentence. While the law lists the murder of judges and law enforcement officers as aggravating factors, the defense contends the government cannot rely solely on "non-statutory" factors to elevate the case to a capital offense.

The trial for both men is scheduled for Feb. 17, 2026, before U.S. District Judge Donald Nugent.