Would there be any updates to the "bizarre" murder of Morris Davis? I say bizarre becoz to me the facts presented on Unsolved Mysteries just doesnt add up. After watching this again just recently I was left scratching my head over this;

The murder weapon was discovered 3 years later 185 miles away. It was only discovered after a traffic stop for a guy driving a stolen car bought it from a porn shop. It was sold to the porn shop by another guy who stolen it from his friend (who is the owner) and it was reported stolen by the owner 3 days earlier. Neither the thief nor the owner have any knowledge of Morris Davis' murder... My question is, the owner knew of the gun being stolen for the 3 days before it was discovered at the traffic stop but didn't know of the gun being stolen 3 years earlier to commit the murder... I find this hard to believe.

A memorable quote from Stack sums it up "obviously guns don't get up walk off on their own" and then why would the thief/murderer return it after committing the murder? All this supposedly done without the owner of the gun's knowledge. I am left to wonder, there are 2 known people who knew where the gun was kept... I really think that one of them has gotten away with murder.

Crystaldawn and I were discussing this same question recently. It seems the original ballistics tests may have been botched.

http://www.sitcomsonline.com/boards/showthread.php?t=137183&highlight=Morris+Davis

Crystaldawn and I were discussing this same question recently. It seems the original ballistics tests may have been botched.

http://www.sitcomsonline.com/boards/showthread.php?t=137183&highlight=Morris+Davis

Thank you for the link, unfortuneately that article is now gone. I'm still not sure exactly where a possible botched ballistics test leaves us on this one, let me sleep on it. For now, I guess it remains... an Unsolved Mystery.

Well I watched this segment the other day. The original ballistics tests botched huh? Wow. That is too bad if that is the case because the Davis family never really has got justice for this. Someone is obviously lying in terms of the three guys involved with the gun. First there was the guy who pawned it off. He was the one pulled over for driving the stolen car right? I am sure he didnt know about the murder because if he did why would he take the gun to Great Falls the same town where the murder occured and pawn it off? As for the owner he lived in Oregon, he claimed to not know anything about the murder and didnt know his gun had been stolen. Either he is lying and he was the one who did it or he lent it to a friend perhaps and the friend went to Montana and did it. Maybe the guy didnt truly know his gun had been stolen? But that would mean that someone would have had to steal the gun go to Montana and have the gun for who knows how long and then go back to Oregon and return it. You are right there are things that arent adding up here. I have also been very curious as to why someone from Oregon would go all the way over to Montana just to committ robbery. I mean we arent talking a bank robbery where you could get several grand we are talking of a robbery where the robber only netted three hundred dollars. Lots of things with this case that dont add up. I have also always wondered how no one saw anything. I know it was at night but Great Falls isnt exactly a huge town although by Montana standards it is one of the bigger ones. I have always wondered how the neighbors didnt see anything unusual. The neighbors had to have known that the house was for sale and that the people who had lived there previously had moved out. I wonder how someone could notice the lights being on over there and think something unusual was going on.

This case is so baffling. I really feel for the family of Morris Davis in this one because there are so few answers to so many questions. I agree that it's awfully coincidental that a gun was stolen from Oregon, taken to Great Falls, and then pawned off there years after the crime. I also find it odd that someone would set up a pizza delivery man and murder him for such a small amount of cash.

I read an article about this case the other day in the Great Falls Tribune. I'll post a link to it if I can find it again, but I want to say that the case is still unsolved.

EDIT: I got into the Great Falls Tribune archives, but I could not access the articles, mainly because I didn't want to buy them. :) However, I can tell you with certainty that the case is still unsolved and that the family is seeking to boost the reward being offered in this case.

There are basically three possibilities here: The guy who owned the gun really was the killer, the guy who stole it and sold it to the pawn shop really was the killer (and had stolen it not three days before he was arrested but three years before), or, if both of those possibilties can be conclusively eliminated, the ballistics test was wrong. If they really did clear the two dudes who were known to have possession of the gun, then the test simply must have been wrong. No other explanation makes sense.

If they really did clear the two dudes who were known to have possession of the gun, then the test simply must have been wrong. No other explanation makes sense.

Unless the killer is deliberately creating confusion---ha!

There are basically three possibilities here: The guy who owned the gun really was the killer, the guy who stole it and sold it to the pawn shop really was the killer (and had stolen it not three days before he was arrested but three years before), or, if both of those possibilties can be conclusively eliminated, the ballistics test was wrong. If they really did clear the two dudes who were known to have possession of the gun, then the test simply must have been wrong. No other explanation makes sense.

I agree with your assessment. On the site that cannot be named, a poster says that the gun was re-tested a year later and there was no match with the slugs from the Davis crime scene.

Robert Stack mentions that the police had a motive in this case. What motive was he referring to? For some reason, I doubt that the $300 was the motive. This homicide didn't seem like a random one to me but what do you all think?

One other thing that I noticed was that the reward being offered for info on this homicide was only $7000. I just thought that that reward seemed a little low as far as rewards on homicide cases go.

As far as the $300 not being a good motive for murder, I'm pretty sure UM covered a similar story of a man murdered at a phone booth (I think) for less than $50.

Part of the reason I think the reward was so low in the Morris Davis case was because his family didn't have much to offer. Last I heard, they were trying to up the reward money...

As far as the $300 not being a good motive for murder, I'm pretty sure UM covered a similar story of a man murdered at a phone booth (I think) for less than $50.

That would be the Dwayne McCorkendale case. He was killed for I believe $25.00 at a phone booth :(

This wasn't a spur-of-the-moment killing though which is why I can't see the $300 being the motive. Too much planning went into all of this for $300 to be the motive IMO.

"porn shop". lol

This case was bizzare. But if the ballistics test was botched, then this case is probably never gonna be solved. I think that is just the saddest part of all.

Well, basically, what I cannot find is, why Morris Davis Jr personally would be targeted for a killing? Personally I find it unusual how many times he was shot for it being a 'simple' robbery. Whoever did this killing broke into a vacant house, obviously they called the pizza parlor from another location. The only item the killer took was the delivery wallet, so I wonder if the killer was a former pizza delivery man that would have a general idea of how much money on average a delivery man would carry? This case is bizarre but I do not think the killing had anything to do with Morris Davis Jr personally in terms of him personally being a target for personal reasons. So that is why I tend to think it was a robbery although I think it was one of the more unusual robberies I have heard of. I mean it just seems an incredible amount of planning went into committing a small time robbery.

"porn shop". lol

I guess we know what was really on Space Invaderz' mind when he typed this. :lol:

Hey Justin, do you know Dan Montecalvo's address?

On a more serious note, I always wondered if this was a "thrill" killing. In other words, the killer was someone who just wanted to know what it would feel like to take a human life. That would explain the seemingly intricate planning. The taking of the delivery wallet could have been an afterthought or an intentional red herring to make the police suspect robbery.

I doubt Morris Davis himself was the target. I'm sure the pizza restaurant had other drivers. How could the killer guarantee that Morris would be the driver on that delivery? I think this was an unfortunate case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

I doubt Morris Davis himself was the target. I'm sure the pizza restaurant had other drivers. How could the killer guarantee that Morris would be the driver on that delivery? I think this was an unfortunate case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

The killer could have been trailing Morris and surveiling the pizza shop waiting for Morris to leave. The pizza joint probably has

I always wondered if this was a "thrill" killing. In other words, the killer was someone who just wanted to know what it would feel like to take a human life.

A pizza man is almost like a taxi driver. Pefect target for a serial killer.

Couple of questions I have

1. Was the person who ordered the pizza cleared?
2. Did Morris's delivery car have the pizza companies logo on it or was it just a plain car with no advertisement?
3. It should also be pointed out tht pizza parlors are good covers for drug running. I wonder if this angle has been looked at. I wonder if someone tried to rob him, expecting drugs, but then shot him when Morris was clean.

The killer could have been trailing Morris and surveiling the pizza shop waiting for Morris to leave.

Possible. For what it's worth, I don't recall the segment mentioning he had any enemies.


1. Was the person who ordered the pizza cleared?


I believe the killer used a pay phone to call in the pizza order. The delivery address given was a model house. If a name was given by the caller, I assume it was fraudulent.


2. Did Morris's delivery car have the pizza companies logo on it or was it just a plain car with no advertisement?


If I remember correctly, the re-enactment showed a truck with logos. Since it was just in the re-enactment and wasn't mentioned elsewhere the "fact" that his truck was marked should probably be taken with a grain of salt.


3. It should also be pointed out tht pizza parlors are good covers for drug running. I wonder if this angle has been looked at. I wonder if someone tried to rob him, expecting drugs, but then shot him when Morris was clean.

I don't believe this was mentioned in the segment, but anything is possible.

Hey Justin, do you know Dan Montecalvo's address?

No, I don't, sorry. I have tried looking before but California doesn't have an online inmate locator. Really makes it a pain to find someone.

You know what really concerns me about this case (aside from the obvious fact that a human being was killed)... The police botched the ballistics testing, and didn't realize it until years later when they did a random re-test.

Think about how many people are in prison (or even died on death row) based on a ballistics finding being the key piece of evidence. DNA evidence is one thing, but I get really scared when "scientific" sounding tests such as autopsy reports or ballistics tests can be used to put some away....

There have been a few cases on UM alone in which autopsy reports were wrong, or ballistic tests were botched. How many others are out there that we don't know about... It's scary to think about!

Think about how many people are in prison (or even died on death row) based on a ballistics finding being the key piece of evidence. DNA evidence is one thing, but I get really scared when "scientific" sounding tests such as autopsy reports or ballistics tests can be used to put some away....

That is why, I believe in giving someone on death row as much chance as possible to appeal.

I believe the killer used a pay phone to call in the pizza order. The delivery address given was a model house. If a name was given by the caller, I assume it was fraudulent.

That's a pretty well thought out plan and execution for a random act.

You know it does occur to me that the person who killed Morris, could have known the schedule of when Morris works. Heck he could have called in before and asked if Morris was there and hung up.

Worse comes to worse, if the person that comes isn;t Morris, then all they have to do is just walk away and try again. All you have to lose is gas and the price of a phone call. You don't even have to pay for the pizza.

Questions:

1. Does anyone know if the pizza was taken or was the pizza left there?
2. Was Morris the only delivery driver?

That's a pretty well thought out plan and execution for a random act.

You know it does occur to me that the person who killed Morris, could have known the schedule of when Morris works. Heck he could have called in before and asked if Morris was there and hung up.

Worse comes to worse, if the person that comes isn;t Morris, then all they have to do is just walk away and try again. All you have to lose is gas and the price of a phone call. You don't even have to pay for the pizza.

Questions:

1. Does anyone know if the pizza was taken or was the pizza left there?
2. Was Morris the only delivery driver?

1) I don't know, but I doubt the Great Falls Police Department would release it because on this link:
http://www.unsolved-crimes.com/davis.html
it states that they have sensitive info about the pizza ordered, number of times he was shot, and number of suspects, so they probably would consider the pizza being left or taken as sensitive information as well.
2) He was the only driver available at the time the pizza was ready to be delivered. The segment said he was the nest available driver, so this indicates he wasn't the only driver working on that night.

As for Morris being the intended target, I doubt the killer could have known Morris would respond. But maybe the killer knew pizza delivery drivers carried big wallets on them for transactions (back in 1985, $300 would be worth something of about $900 today).

As for Morris being the intended target, I doubt the killer could have known Morris would respond. But maybe the killer knew pizza delivery drivers carried big wallets on them for transactions (back in 1985, $300 would be worth something of about $900 today).

I could be wrong, but I thought no money was stolen?

No, his delivery wallet was taken. His personal wallet was not.

How odd? To steal the delivery wallet, but not steal the personal wallet? If you already murdered someone for money, why not get both wallets?

How odd? To steal the delivery wallet, but not steal the personal wallet? If you already murdered someone for money, why not get both wallets?

The delivery wallet was the one that had a lot of money in it. His personal wallet might only have a few bucks in it. Maybe the killer checked his personal wallet and saw very little money in it, and took only the delivery wallet because it was a robbery of opportunity instead of a personal robbery.

"porn shop". lol


I guess we know what was really on Space Invaderz' mind when he typed this. :lol:

For some reason I feel slightly embarassed :D

So after all this time still nothing makes sense on this one? That's a shame :(

The facts as presented allow us to make a few deductions:

1. Morris was a random victim. The narration makes clear that Morris was not the only delivery boy at the parlour, nor was he asked for by the killer. While the killer planned to kill a delivery boy, it was just morris's bad luck that he got the call.

2. The killer was local. This is the only logical explanation for him to know that the house was abandoned (not just for sale), that it was in the parlour's delivery area, and for his apparent ability to not stand out in the area.

If the ballistics match was indeed a false positive, then that renders the entire last half of the segment irrelevant, and the police back where they started. Sadly, given the age of the case, it's likely never to be solved, barring a confession.

Given that the killer would have had to wait in the house for some time, the chance of trace evidence would have been high; likely, however, LE in 1985 would not have collected it, so that's prob. not an option. Presumably, the house was dusted for fingerprints and all were identified. If not, LE might have prints for the killer, but again, prob. not, since the MO of the crime suggests a cold-blooded, career criminal, whose prints would be in the system.

I don't find it especially shocking that neighbors didn't see or hear anything. We don't know the distance between houses. Even if the lights were on in the house (were they? we don't really know), people passing by could have thought it was being shown, or a myriad of other innoncent explanations. If someone saw a vehicle parked at the house, that presumably would have been told to us.

You know what really concerns me about this case (aside from the obvious fact that a human being was killed)... The police botched the ballistics testing, and didn't realize it until years later when they did a random re-test.

Think about how many people are in prison (or even died on death row) based on a ballistics finding being the key piece of evidence. DNA evidence is one thing, but I get really scared when "scientific" sounding tests such as autopsy reports or ballistics tests can be used to put some away....

There have been a few cases on UM alone in which autopsy reports were wrong, or ballistic tests were botched. How many others are out there that we don't know about... It's scary to think about!

While I agree it's disturbing, it's difficult to think of a case where ballistic evidence alone convicted anyone. At best, it tells you what specific gun was used (at best, mind you). It doesn't tell you anything about who shot that gun.

While not perfect, scientific evidence is much better than eyewitness testimony, especially if properly used to build a cumulative circumstantial case.

That's a pretty well thought out plan and execution for a random act.

You know it does occur to me that the person who killed Morris, could have known the schedule of when Morris works. Heck he could have called in before and asked if Morris was there and hung up.

Worse comes to worse, if the person that comes isn;t Morris, then all they have to do is just walk away and try again. All you have to lose is gas and the price of a phone call. You don't even have to pay for the pizza.

Questions:

1. Does anyone know if the pizza was taken or was the pizza left there?
2. Was Morris the only delivery driver?

Barring complete LE incompetance, If morris wasn't a random victim, the case would have likely been solved years ago. It's the randomness that makes this a UM.

If investigation had shown that Morris had an enemy who hated him so much as to kill him (from the brief info presented on him, highly unlikely), that person would have been an immediate prime suspect. Even if cops couldn't find enough evidence to charge him, the tone of the segment would have been clear.

Barring complete LE incompetance, If morris wasn't a random victim, the case would have likely been solved years ago. It's the randomness that makes this a UM.

If investigation had shown that Morris had an enemy who hated him so much as to kill him (from the brief info presented on him, highly unlikely), that person would have been an immediate prime suspect. Even if cops couldn't find enough evidence to charge him, the tone of the segment would have been clear.

1. There are plenty of non-random murders that have been unsolved. Several have been profiled on UM.

2. If Morris was involved in something illegal, his enemies would not be visible to his friends. That life would be hidden from the world.

Looking at this case more in detail a couple of things come to me:
1. Usually in robberies, like a taxi cab mugging, the robber takes only the work money. They usually are not interested in the victims personal wallet, except maybe for the purposes of finding the victims identity. This whole thing may be a simple robbery that turned into murder whn Morris retaliated.

2. How many people know that there is a separate wallet used by pizza deliveries? I guess if you thought about you would realize it, but would your average person know that? This makes me think that the perpetrator might be someone who used to work in a pizza delivery. Or even that this might be an ex-delivery person of the pizzeria.

3. This person's plan is actually a pretty good way to make money and get away with it. Providing you don't murder anyone. While it's possible this was the killers first robbery, I tend to think he's done this type of thing before. I wonder if there are some cab robberies in the area?

4. There is a connection between the killer and the fake address. He would have to have driven or lived near that address to know that he could use it for the ambush. Heck he may lived one house from the address.

While I agree it's disturbing, it's difficult to think of a case where ballistic evidence alone convicted anyone. At best, it tells you what specific gun was used (at best, mind you). It doesn't tell you anything about who shot that gun.

While not perfect, scientific evidence is much better than eyewitness testimony, especially if properly used to build a cumulative circumstantial case.

I know this was posted a while ago, but I just wanted to quickly respond. I agree with you that usually ballistic tests alone do not convict someone, but they can do more than tell the LE which gun was used. If a ballistic's test is botched, then the gun in question obviously is tied to the owner of the gun, who immediately becomes the suspect. Then, the LE can take circumstantial, seemingly innocent evidence (such as life insurance policies taken out years before, etc) and tie it into making the "suspect" look even more incriminating.

The one case I can think of is Francis Newton (this is not to say she wasn't guilty), but she was executed for shooting her family, and the key evidence at trial was the ballistic's test that showed her gun was the one used in the shooting. Then, the cops looked into her background, and found that she had taken out life insurance policies on her family several months prior.

As I said, I'm not saying she didn't do it, but let's face it, the average citizen, juror, etc, is banking on ballistic's tests to be accurate. If a cop gets on the stand and says that the tests came from this person's gun, that is incredibly damning evidence.

I just wonder how many times this type of botching happens, and how, in many cases, defendants simply can't afford to get the ballistics re-tested. :(

I know this was posted a while ago, but I just wanted to quickly respond. I agree with you that usually ballistic tests alone do not convict someone, but they can do more than tell the LE which gun was used. If a ballistic's test is botched, then the gun in question obviously is tied to the owner of the gun, who immediately becomes the suspect. Then, the LE can take circumstantial, seemingly innocent evidence (such as life insurance policies taken out years before, etc) and tie it into making the "suspect" look even more incriminating.

The one case I can think of is Francis Newton (this is not to say she wasn't guilty), but she was executed for shooting her family, and the key evidence at trial was the ballistic's test that showed her gun was the one used in the shooting. Then, the cops looked into her background, and found that she had taken out life insurance policies on her family several months prior.

As I said, I'm not saying she didn't do it, but let's face it, the average citizen, juror, etc, is banking on ballistic's tests to be accurate. If a cop gets on the stand and says that the tests came from this person's gun, that is incredibly damning evidence.

I just wonder how many times this type of botching happens, and how, in many cases, defendants simply can't afford to get the ballistics re-tested. :(

Or DNA testing botched, or fingerprint analysis botched, or other forensic test botched. Scientific testings is not fool-proof and most, if not all, defendants, do lack the funds to re-test and re-examine. Who knows how common it is, but almost certainly more common then we would like; we should all keep this in mind when we are so positive someone is guilty and bad-mouth defense attorneys for defending their clients.

I think egswanso has been superb in this thread.

I agree that the only sensible explanation is that the entire 2nd half is irrelevant and that the guns are not the same

EDITED TO SAY: Speaking of guns, does anyone have a loaded one right now because this craptastic School Gyrls song popping up every time I hit the bottom of the page is driving me bat**** crazy.

Or DNA testing botched, or fingerprint analysis botched, or other forensic test botched. Scientific testings is not fool-proof and most, if not all, defendants, do lack the funds to re-test and re-examine. Who knows how common it is, but almost certainly more common then we would like; we should all keep this in mind when we are so positive someone is guilty and bad-mouth defense attorneys for defending their clients.

Keep in mind though, that the police testing is simply done to find a suspect. In most cases this (and hopefully should be) unbiased. The police most of the time could care less who the suspect is as long as they have a suspect.

The defense is ultimately trying to find evidence that exonnerates his client. He is biased. If he has a DNA is done that shows his client is innocent...he may be less inclined to be skeptical of the way the test was done as long as he has some DNA evidence that he can present to the trial.

Keep in mind though, that the police testing is simply done to find a suspect. In most cases this (and hopefully should be) unbiased. The police most of the time could care less who the suspect is as long as they have a suspect.

The defense is ultimately trying to find evidence that exonnerates his client. He is biased. If he has a DNA is done that shows his client is innocent...he may be less inclined to be skeptical of the way the test was done as long as he has some DNA evidence that he can present to the trial.

It's not really a question or biased or unbiased, but of valid or invalid. If the methodology is faulty, so are the results. All scientists, both state and defense, should be seeking the truth, but obviously, science is not a monolithic unit and you may have two equally competent scientists claim two separate truths.

Mind you, I'm not saying all, or even a substantial number, of scientific tests are invalid, just that we must always know the methodology and context: a 20-point fingerprint match is pretty dead-on; a 6-point match, pretty lousy, etc. Many other tests we think as "scientific" are really just subjective, as well (hair comparison analysis, handwriting analysis, etc.), so we should accordingly give them less weight.

Allow me to address some of your questions. My name is Cliff, and Morris Davis was my brother. Many of you have deduced correctly that there was, in fact, a major screw-up(among many in this case) involving ballistics assessment. The gun in this story was not the murder weapon. No, my brother was not involved in anything illegal. He was, as several of you have stated, in the wrong place at the wrong time. No, the pizza was not taken, and yes there was another driver working. Additionally, Morris was filling in for another driver who had a death in the family. The case has never been solved, and likely never will. I am heartened that you all have paid attention and also to hear the concern voiced for our family and the effects of this crime. Any questions? Just ask. Blessings.

Allow me to address some of your questions. My name is Cliff, and Morris Davis was my brother. Many of you have deduced correctly that there was, in fact, a major screw-up(among many in this case) involving ballistics assessment. The gun in this story was not the murder weapon. No, my brother was not involved in anything illegal. He was, as several of you have stated, in the wrong place at the wrong time. No, the pizza was not taken, and yes there was another driver working. Additionally, Morris was filling in for another driver who had a death in the family. The case has never been solved, and likely never will. I am heartened that you all have paid attention and also to hear the concern voiced for our family and the effects of this crime. Any questions? Just ask. Blessings.

Wow, thanks for coming to the board to clear up some of the things that were confusing in the Unsolved Mysteries segment ran about your brother. First, I'd like to extend condolences to you and your family for the loss of Morris. The one question I have for you is has there ever even been a suspect or person of interest in your brother's murder? Because the murderer would have had to have been a local in the area (to know about the house for sale and know that it was not occupied) and may have also been an ex-pizza delivery driver (for knowing that the drivers carried two wallets). Did the police ever come up with someone in the community or nearby area?

Yes, thank you for posting, Cliff, and my sincere condolences to what happened to your brother. This has always been one of the most haunting and baffling "Unsolved Mysteries" cases for me since there doesn't seem to be any known motive for anyone would want to murder Morris.

Since you said Morris was filling in for another employee that night, my question to you is: did police check to see if this other employee had any known enemies that might have wanted them dead? I always wondered if the killer placed the pizza order expecting someone else to show up at the house and Morris was simply a victim of mistaken identity.

Allow me to address some of your questions. My name is Cliff, and Morris Davis was my brother. Many of you have deduced correctly that there was, in fact, a major screw-up(among many in this case) involving ballistics assessment. The gun in this story was not the murder weapon. No, my brother was not involved in anything illegal. He was, as several of you have stated, in the wrong place at the wrong time. No, the pizza was not taken, and yes there was another driver working. Additionally, Morris was filling in for another driver who had a death in the family. The case has never been solved, and likely never will. I am heartened that you all have paid attention and also to hear the concern voiced for our family and the effects of this crime. Any questions? Just ask. Blessings.

Thank you so much for coming here, Cliff. First, I'd like to offer my most sincere condolences for you and your family's loss.

Most of us already know that the ballistics test shown in the segment turned out to be a false positive. Ballistics are not nearly as accurate as DNA or fingerprints because they can be alternated by simple wear and tear, plus tools and guns are often made on assembly lines, giving them plenty of similar but minute features. Did the police ever come up with any other viable suspects? It seemed like Great Falls is a fairly small community and the murderer had to have been someone familiar with the area. Perhaps your brother's case had similarities to other cases in the area or even other parts in the country.

The case may never be solved, but I have always considered the possibility that the perpetrator may either be dead, or already in prison for other crimes. However, even if either of those turned out to be the case, it is still heartbreaking to go on living without any closure. Again, thank you so much for joining our community online!

I don't think the killer was targeting Morris, another employee or anyone in particular. It sounded like the motive was robbery and Morris was in the wrong place at the wrong time. I believe this was back in the day when it was more common for delivery drivers to carry more $ on them than nowadays. And sadly, Morris wasn't the first or last pizza delivery driver to have something bad happen to him.

I don't think the killer was targeting Morris, another employee or anyone in particular. It sounded like the motive was robbery and Morris was in the wrong place at the wrong time. I believe this was back in the day when it was more common for delivery drivers to carry more $ on them than nowadays. And sadly, Morris wasn't the first or last pizza delivery driver to have something bad happen to him.


Pizza delivery drivers still get robbed. I read about it multiple times a year, usually teenagers, twentysomethings. They rob the pizza delivery guy of all he has, even if it's nothing much, including the pizza.

Anyway, this incident reminded me of something I had forgotten about. Someone I knew, he used to deliver pizzas 15-20 years ago. He was sent to a not so nice neighborhood to make a delivery at an apartment complex. he told me when he knocked on the door, and it opened, and he saw there wasn't any furniture inside, he told me the first thought that came to his mind after he saw the dim and bare interior of the apartment was, "Oh Sh....".

Anyway, he didn't get shot, but was robbed at gunpoint. I don't think he worked in pizza delivery, at least in that county, for much longer.

.

Thank you so much for coming here, Cliff. First, I'd like to offer my most sincere condolences for you and your family's loss.

Most of us already know that the ballistics test shown in the segment turned out to be a false positive. Ballistics are not nearly as accurate as DNA or fingerprints because they can be alternated by simple wear and tear, plus tools and guns are often made on assembly lines, giving them plenty of similar but minute features. Did the police ever come up with any other viable suspects? It seemed like Great Falls is a fairly small community and the murderer had to have been someone familiar with the area. Perhaps your brother's case had similarities to other cases in the area or even other parts in the country.

The case may never be solved, but I have always considered the possibility that the perpetrator may either be dead, or already in prison for other crimes. However, even if either of those turned out to be the case, it is still heartbreaking to go on living without any closure. Again, thank you so much for joining our community online!

Thank you all for the kind words.
The driver that was originally scheduled, and had a death in the family, was not of concern. However, the other driver working that night has been a cause of concern. He was reported to be in involved in drug dealing and to owe money to others at that time.
As for suspects.... there is a guy in a federal penitentiary for revocation of parole for prior sentence. He got there by killing a convenience store clerk in a robbery in 1986. He has long been a suspect in Morris' murder. I have contacted him several times by mail, and he has some very specific knowledge of the house, where shots were fired from, where Morris' body was found, etc. He even claimed to have been present, but not the shooter. Needless to say, despite detectives interviewing him extensively, no further progress has occurred.
This case remains at a stand-still, and unfortunately, likely always will. That is, unless someone develops a conscience, and steps forward with information.
Thanks again.
Cliff

Thank you all for the kind words.
The driver that was originally scheduled, and had a death in the family, was not of concern. However, the other driver working that night has been a cause of concern. He was reported to be in involved in drug dealing and to owe money to others at that time.
As for suspects.... there is a guy in a federal penitentiary for revocation of parole for prior sentence. He got there by killing a convenience store clerk in a robbery in 1986. He has long been a suspect in Morris' murder. I have contacted him several times by mail, and he has some very specific knowledge of the house, where shots were fired from, where Morris' body was found, etc. He even claimed to have been present, but not the shooter. Needless to say, despite detectives interviewing him extensively, no further progress has occurred.
This case remains at a stand-still, and unfortunately, likely always will. That is, unless someone develops a conscience, and steps forward with information.
Thanks again.
Cliff

Did the guy in prison ever say who shot Morris, since he claims he was present but not the shooter?

Thank you all for the kind words.
The driver that was originally scheduled, and had a death in the family, was not of concern. However, the other driver working that night has been a cause of concern. He was reported to be in involved in drug dealing and to owe money to others at that time.
As for suspects.... there is a guy in a federal penitentiary for revocation of parole for prior sentence. He got there by killing a convenience store clerk in a robbery in 1986. He has long been a suspect in Morris' murder. I have contacted him several times by mail, and he has some very specific knowledge of the house, where shots were fired from, where Morris' body was found, etc. He even claimed to have been present, but not the shooter. Needless to say, despite detectives interviewing him extensively, no further progress has occurred.
This case remains at a stand-still, and unfortunately, likely always will. That is, unless someone develops a conscience, and steps forward with information.
Thanks again.
Cliff

Thanks for posting, Cliff. I recently got information that the Great Falls Police Department has started a cold case unit which has successfully solved at least one unsolved homicide in Great Falls. I don't live far from Great Falls and think of your brother's case often. I pray your family will get the answers you seek.

As for suspects.... there is a guy in a federal penitentiary for revocation of parole for prior sentence. He got there by killing a convenience store clerk in a robbery in 1986. He has long been a suspect in Morris' murder. I have contacted him several times by mail, and he has some very specific knowledge of the house, where shots were fired from, where Morris' body was found, etc. He even claimed to have been present, but not the shooter. Needless to say, despite detectives interviewing him extensively, no further progress has occurred.

I know it's been years since Cliff posted, but I discovered this article about the suspect he was referring to here. It's a man named Donald DuBray who received a life sentence for murdering a convenience store clerk in 1986. It says that he was considered a possible suspect in Morris' murder:
http://www.greatfallstribune.com/story/news/local/2016/05/06/sister-slain-teen-forgave-killer-death-prison/84047018/

However, DuBray died in prison last year, so if he did kill Morris, we'll probably never know.

[QUOTE=RobinW]I know it's been years since Cliff posted, but I discovered this article about the suspect he was referring to here. It's a man named Donald DuBray who received a life sentence for murdering a convenience store clerk in 1986. It says that he was considered a possible suspect in Morris' murder:
http://www.greatfallstribune.com/story/news/local/2016/05/06/sister-slain-teen-forgave-killer-death-prison/84047018/

However, DuBray died in prison last year, so if he did kill Morris, we'll probably never know.[/QUOTE

Great find. I wonder if there is a way to locate any guns DuBray had to see if they match up to the one used to kill Morris.

Is this case on one of the seasons they released so far? I haven't seen it in so long but am signing up next week so I can stream

Is this case on one of the seasons they released so far? I haven't seen it in so long but am signing up next week so I can stream

It was aired during UM's third season, so it should be available on Amazon Prime now.

This segment didn't make it to the stream. I realized this when I was watching credits roll by at the end of one of the season 3 episodes and saw an actor's credit for the part of 'Morris Davis', although the segment wasn't on the episode at all.

This segment didn't make it to the stream. I realized this when I was watching credits roll by at the end of one of the season 3 episodes and saw an actor's credit for the part of 'Morris Davis', although the segment wasn't on the episode at all.

Oh, that's too bad. I noticed the same thing on a Season 2 episode where the end credits listed the actor who played Elmer Locker even though his segment wasn't included.

I can only hope we'll get the updated segment in Season 4....

You guys know how much I love my Montana cases. I had heard the potential perp had died in prison, but I never had the cahones to ask the lead prosecutor on the case who the perp actually was....

ETA: So I just read the link you posted, Robin. What's crazy is that there is a really compelling episode of true crime TV (I can't remember the show off hand) ABOUT the Pritchett killing and the eventual capture of DuBray. It's one where the eyewitness testimony was just freaking uncanny. I know it's off an insane chunk of the time, but this particular woman who identified DuBray remembered almost everything about him, some 10+ years later. If I can remember the name of the show, I'll post it. It was fascinating.

ETA v.2: It was Motives and Murders. Definitely worth the watch!

I think this was a gang initiation and nothing more. The victim didn't have any enemies and the amount of money stolen was negligible and likely taken after the fact to make it look like a robbery.

A very similar incident happened a couple of years ago in the city I currently reside in. A pizza delivery order was called in to a local shop on a burner cell phone (the modern day pay phone, if you will) to a vacant house. The driver pulled up in the driveway and before he even got out of the car, somebody just unloaded on him like the Zodiac killer on Lover's Lane. Killed him instantly. This driver had no known enemies, scorned lovers, insurance policies, nothing. Plus, it was only his second or third week on the job and wasn't even scheduled to work that evening. Two years later and this case is not solved either and there are zero leads as far as I know.

As a UM fan, I immediately thought about Morris Davis upon hearing the news of this shooting in my area. Neither incident makes sense as a robbery to me. These were both gang initiations all the way as far as I'm concerned. Granted, it's more likely to be a biker type gang in Great Falls, MT and more likely to be a bloods/crips type gang where I live but when you think about it, both types of gangs sometimes require murder as the final test in an initiation. It doesn't matter who you kill, just kill somebody, anybody, and you're in. Besides, what better way is there to get a perfect stranger to show up to a location of your choosing with no questions asked than to pick up a phone and order a pizza?

I think this was a gang initiation and nothing more. The victim didn't have any enemies and the amount of money stolen was negligible and likely taken after the fact to make it look like a robbery.

A very similar incident happened a couple of years ago in the city I currently reside in. A pizza delivery order was called in to a local shop on a burner cell phone (the modern day pay phone, if you will) to a vacant house. The driver pulled up in the driveway and before he even got out of the car, somebody just unloaded on him like the Zodiac killer on Lover's Lane. Killed him instantly. This driver had no known enemies, scorned lovers, insurance policies, nothing. Plus, it was only his second or third week on the job and wasn't even scheduled to work that evening. Two years later and this case is not solved either and there are zero leads as far as I know.

As a UM fan, I immediately thought about Morris Davis upon hearing the news of this shooting in my area. Neither incident makes sense as a robbery to me. These were both gang initiations all the way as far as I'm concerned. Granted, it's more likely to be a biker type gang in Great Falls, MT and more likely to be a bloods/crips type gang where I live but when you think about it, both types of gangs sometimes require murder as the final test in an initiation. It doesn't matter who you kill, just kill somebody, anybody, and you're in. Besides, what better way is there to get a perfect stranger to show up to a location of your choosing with no questions asked than to pick up a phone and order a pizza?

I hear what you're saying. I am in no way an expert on this case, but I have to disagree with the gang theory, only because I am certain it had been previously explored. The statements of Cliff Davis (Morris's brother) also make me believe that it was not gang related, either.

Taking some of what Cliff had to offer-- here's a theory: Whoever the 2nd driver was that evening was the intended target and they got Morris by accident. Additionally, Cliff mentioned that in written conversations with DuBray, he had knowledge of the crime scene that was not published, yet claimed he "was only there" and not the trigger man.

I don't think DuBray was just there. I suspect he was the killer, but that Morris wasn't the intended target.

ETA: So I just read the link you posted, Robin. What's crazy is that there is a really compelling episode of true crime TV (I can't remember the show off hand) ABOUT the Pritchett killing and the eventual capture of DuBray. It's one where the eyewitness testimony was just freaking uncanny. I know it's off an insane chunk of the time, but this particular woman who identified DuBray remembered almost everything about him, some 10+ years later. If I can remember the name of the show, I'll post it. It was fascinating.

ETA v.2: It was Motives and Murders. Definitely worth the watch!

Interesting. I looked it up and it looks like it's on Youtube (under "Motives and Murders" Season 4 Episode 13). That would be crazy if they made an entire episode about another crime committed by Morris' killer without anyone even knowing it.

Now that I think about it, I wonder if the reason the Morris Davis segment isn't on Amazon Prime is because a large chunk of it focuses on the false lead involving the stolen .22 from Oregon, as the botched ballistics tests nearly implicated an innocent man.

Now that I think about it, I wonder if the reason the Morris Davis segment isn't on Amazon Prime is because a large chunk of it focuses on the false lead involving the stolen .22 from Oregon, as the botched ballistics tests nearly implicated an innocent man.

I'd say that's a pretty reasonable assumption. I haven't seen this segment in many years, but clearly remember the reenactment of the ballistics test on the pistol. The fact that they thought they had the murder weapon was a big reason as to why this case stood out. Pizza delivery drivers unfortunately get robbed and/or killed more than most folks would think. Without the murder weapon angle, I don't think this case would have ever made it to UM.

I know it sounds a little out there to some, but I'm sticking with the gang initiation angle. The Great Falls, MT area was absolutely overrun with 1% biker gangs during the 80s.

After looking into this case, it seems quite clear IMO that Donald DuBray was Morris's killer (or at the very least was involved in the murder). Other than the weapon used, Morris's murder is quite similar to the murder DuBray was convicted of:
- Both victims were working alone and were vulnerable
- Both victims were killed late in the evening
- The motives in both crimes were believed to be robbery
- Overkill appeared to have occurred in both crimes (Morris was shot eight times, Suzette was stabbed multiple times)
- Both crimes took place in Great Falls, just one year apart

Furthermore, according to Cliff (in the posts above), DuBray had specific knowledge about certain details of the crime, including the layout of the house, where the shots were fired, and where Morris was found. He even admitted being there! Even though he claimed he wasn't the shooter, I don't think it's much of a stretch to believe that he said this so he could deflect the blame from himself.

Finally, it was confirmed from the article RobinW posted that police considered him a suspect in the case and tried (unsuccessfully) to get a confession from him before he died.