David Davis Dead at 70 - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

Zoneboy · 11-18-2014, 10:06 PM

Man infamous for killing wife with horse tranquilizer in 1980 dies in Jackson prison hospital

Link

JACKSON, MI – A man infamous for drugging his wife to death in 1980 and masking it as a horse-riding accident has died at the Michigan Department of Corrections' Duane L. Waters Health Center in Jackson.

An autopsy was to be completed, but authorities believe David Davis, 70, died Nov. 9 of congenital neuromuscular disease, corrections Spokesman Chris Gautz said Tuesday, Nov. 18.

Davis, whose widely publicized crime was the subject of a TV movie and a 1992 book, killed Shannon Mohr, 25, in 1980 near Pittsford in Hillsdale County. He fled the country, evading authorities for nearly a decade until a woman in Hawaii saw his case featured on "Unsolved Mysteries" and tipped investigators.

He was arrested in January 1989 in Pago Pago in the South Pacific for a murder that almost went unexposed.

He used what was thought-to-be undetectable horse tranquilizer to kill Mohr, allegedly to collect on insurance policies totaling more than $300,000. He bashed her head with a rock and blamed a horse. Officials initially bought his story, calling Mohr's death an accident caused by a fall
from a horse.

Mohr's family, however, persisted, unwilling to accept the finding. They pressed for further investigation, Mohr's body was eventually exhumed and toxicologist Dr. Robert Forney discovered a large quantity of the tranquilizer.

A warrant for Davis' arrest was issued in 1981, police narrowly missed nabbing him in Haiti the same year, and it took years to locate and bring him to trial.

"Unsolved Mysteries" featured the story. The show inspired no useable leads until the episode re-aired about a year later, alerting the Hawaii woman about Davis, who was using a fake name.

A jury convicted him in 1990 of first-degree murder and he was sentenced to life in prison.

As early as 2001, Davis denied killing his wife, a nurse from Toledo he had met in 1979.

"I could never have hurt her," Davis told The Toledo Blade in 2001, maintaining that Mohr fell from the horse and hit her head. Mohr's father, who has since died, called Davis a liar. "He disgusts me," he said in response.

Even in recent years, the case fascinated. Investigation Discovery aired a TV program in 2013 titled "Gallop to the Grave" about Davis and Mohr.

It was also the topic of a two-hour TV movie, "From the Files of 'Unsolved Mysteries': Victim of Love," which premiered in 1993, and a 1992 book, "Murderous Intent."

"It's one of those classic cases that you don't get out of your mind," former Jackson County Chief Assistant Prosecutor Mark Blumer said last year. He prosecuted the case while he worked for the state attorney general's office.

DanCart · 11-18-2014, 10:32 PM

I guess very few people will be shedding tears for him.........anyway its a sad story overall and this must probably draw a line under everything .

wiseguy182 · 11-19-2014, 06:27 AM

Good riddance. I had no idea he was being imprisoned in Jackson, it's about a 30 minute drive from my house. I've drove past the prison numerous times.

ScaryFog · 11-19-2014, 05:59 PM

One less scumbag sucking up the oxygen.

everprincess · 11-19-2014, 06:48 PM

He should have been gived a death sentence for what he did to Shannon. I'm sorry to say that but in the matter of the way killed her he deserved it.

MegtheEgg86 · 11-19-2014, 09:26 PM

It seems ironic that Davis may have died from a neuromuscular disease after having committed murder with a neuromuscular blocking agent.

TracyLynnS · 11-19-2014, 09:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wiseguy182

Good riddance. I had no idea he was being imprisoned in Jackson, it's about a 30 minute drive from my house. I've drove past the prison numerous times.

I live a short drive from there, too, and used to live only 12 miles away. I didn't know they were still housing long term prisoners at Jackson. I thought it was currently being used as a processing point before assigning prisoners to other locations.

It does say that he died at the health center at the Jackson location. Maybe he was transferred back there after becoming ill? In the comments, the author of the article says he'd spent time at the prison in Muskegon.

wiseguy182 · 11-20-2014, 03:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TracyLynnS

I live a short drive from there, too, and used to live only 12 miles away. I didn't know they were still housing long term prisoners at Jackson. I thought it was currently being used as a processing point before assigning prisoners to other locations.

It does say that he died at the health center at the Jackson location. Maybe he was transferred back there after becoming ill? In the comments, the author of the article says he'd spent time at the prison in Muskegon.

I don't know if they still do, but they used to have a sign that said "Prison area -- don't pick up hitchhikers". That's enough to a freak a person out. I always half-expected to drive by and see some loony on the side of the road with his thumb out.

My grandmother was born in Jackson. We used to go to the Cascade Waterfalls about once a year when I was a kid. That was always a blast. We would get there early enough to rent one of the paddleboats. There are also some hills there that we would always climb up, then have fun running/ tumbling down. And then the colored waterfalls at night, with the old foagie music blaring. Too bad the city is sort of a dump nowadays.

RobinW · 11-21-2014, 02:08 PM

The Dave Davis/Shannon Mohr case was one of the first UM segments I ever watched and the earliest memory I have of an UM case being solved. I had the episode on tape and watched it several times until I tuned in to UM one night and saw an update announcing that Davis had been captured. Back in the pre-Internet age, the only way to find out any news about most of these UM cases was on the show. So it was pretty damn exciting to see a mystery I was familiar with get solved and made me realize: "Holy cow, this show really works".

The fact that Dave Davis died in prison is a testament to UM's legacy.

justins5256 · 11-22-2014, 10:27 PM

Unfortunately, I'll probably draw some heat for saying this, but I have wondered about Davis' claims of innocence for some time now. At this point, it doesn't matter since Mr. Davis has passed away, but there were some serious doubts raised on appeal about the accuracy of the tests used to detect the drugs in Shannon's system. Without those tests, the evidence against Davis is circumstantial. Of course, the Supreme Court has held that circumstantial evidence is strong enough to support a conviction lacking a reasonable hypothesis of innocence.

I'm not saying I believe that Davis was innocent here, but there are some doubts that are difficult to ignore.

11-18-2014, 10:06 PM	#1
Zoneboy RIP, I'LL NEVER FORGET YOU :( Moderator Forum Superstar Join Date: Jul 13, 2003 Location: AT HOME WISHING ALL THIS WAS JUST A DREAM AND THAT I'LL WAKE UP FROM THIS NIGHTMARE. Posts: 34,386	David Davis Dead at 70 Man infamous for killing wife with horse tranquilizer in 1980 dies in Jackson prison hospital Link JACKSON, MI – A man infamous for drugging his wife to death in 1980 and masking it as a horse-riding accident has died at the Michigan Department of Corrections' Duane L. Waters Health Center in Jackson. An autopsy was to be completed, but authorities believe David Davis, 70, died Nov. 9 of congenital neuromuscular disease, corrections Spokesman Chris Gautz said Tuesday, Nov. 18. Davis, whose widely publicized crime was the subject of a TV movie and a 1992 book, killed Shannon Mohr, 25, in 1980 near Pittsford in Hillsdale County. He fled the country, evading authorities for nearly a decade until a woman in Hawaii saw his case featured on "Unsolved Mysteries" and tipped investigators. He was arrested in January 1989 in Pago Pago in the South Pacific for a murder that almost went unexposed. He used what was thought-to-be undetectable horse tranquilizer to kill Mohr, allegedly to collect on insurance policies totaling more than $300,000. He bashed her head with a rock and blamed a horse. Officials initially bought his story, calling Mohr's death an accident caused by a fall from a horse. Mohr's family, however, persisted, unwilling to accept the finding. They pressed for further investigation, Mohr's body was eventually exhumed and toxicologist Dr. Robert Forney discovered a large quantity of the tranquilizer. A warrant for Davis' arrest was issued in 1981, police narrowly missed nabbing him in Haiti the same year, and it took years to locate and bring him to trial. "Unsolved Mysteries" featured the story. The show inspired no useable leads until the episode re-aired about a year later, alerting the Hawaii woman about Davis, who was using a fake name. A jury convicted him in 1990 of first-degree murder and he was sentenced to life in prison. As early as 2001, Davis denied killing his wife, a nurse from Toledo he had met in 1979. "I could never have hurt her," Davis told The Toledo Blade in 2001, maintaining that Mohr fell from the horse and hit her head. Mohr's father, who has since died, called Davis a liar. "He disgusts me," he said in response. Even in recent years, the case fascinated. Investigation Discovery aired a TV program in 2013 titled "Gallop to the Grave" about Davis and Mohr. It was also the topic of a two-hour TV movie, "From the Files of 'Unsolved Mysteries': Victim of Love," which premiered in 1993, and a 1992 book, "Murderous Intent." "It's one of those classic cases that you don't get out of your mind," former Jackson County Chief Assistant Prosecutor Mark Blumer said last year. He prosecuted the case while he worked for the state attorney general's office.
	__________________ 'Twas The Night Before Christmas And All Through The Full House Not A Creature Was Stirring, Not Even Mighty Mouse. All My Children We're Nestled All Snug In Their Beds While Visions Of Sugarbakers Danced In Their Heads.

11-19-2014, 06:27 AM	#3
wiseguy182 Member Forum Veteran Join Date: Apr 11, 2006 Location: Wendy's salad bar Posts: 7,030	Good riddance. I had no idea he was being imprisoned in Jackson, it's about a 30 minute drive from my house. I've drove past the prison numerous times.
	__________________ "Dottie had said, in the event I got transferred that she was not interested in going with me. I wasn't expecting her to go with me. And wouldn't have even wanted her to I guess."

11-19-2014, 09:26 PM	#6
MegtheEgg86 Member Forum Veteran Join Date: Jun 19, 2008 Location: The Volunteer State Posts: 5,156	It seems ironic that Davis may have died from a neuromuscular disease after having committed murder with a neuromuscular blocking agent.
	__________________ "Why is she lying?, it makes me wonder. What is she hiding?, it makes me wonder." Go Vols!

11-18-2014, 10:32 PM	#2
DanCart Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Jun 03, 2013 Posts: 353	I guess very few people will be shedding tears for him.........anyway its a sad story overall and this must probably draw a line under everything .

11-19-2014, 05:59 PM	#4
ScaryFog Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Nov 25, 2009 Posts: 222	One less scumbag sucking up the oxygen.

11-19-2014, 06:48 PM	#5
everprincess Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Sep 05, 2011 Location: North Carolina Posts: 163	He should have been gived a death sentence for what he did to Shannon. I'm sorry to say that but in the matter of the way killed her he deserved it.

11-21-2014, 02:08 PM	#9
RobinW Member Senior Member Join Date: Jul 14, 2010 Posts: 1,874	The Dave Davis/Shannon Mohr case was one of the first UM segments I ever watched and the earliest memory I have of an UM case being solved. I had the episode on tape and watched it several times until I tuned in to UM one night and saw an update announcing that Davis had been captured. Back in the pre-Internet age, the only way to find out any news about most of these UM cases was on the show. So it was pretty damn exciting to see a mystery I was familiar with get solved and made me realize: "Holy cow, this show really works". The fact that Dave Davis died in prison is a testament to UM's legacy.

11-22-2014, 10:27 PM	#10
justins5256 Member Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Aug 08, 2002 Posts: 3,866	Unfortunately, I'll probably draw some heat for saying this, but I have wondered about Davis' claims of innocence for some time now. At this point, it doesn't matter since Mr. Davis has passed away, but there were some serious doubts raised on appeal about the accuracy of the tests used to detect the drugs in Shannon's system. Without those tests, the evidence against Davis is circumstantial. Of course, the Supreme Court has held that circumstantial evidence is strong enough to support a conviction lacking a reasonable hypothesis of innocence. I'm not saying I believe that Davis was innocent here, but there are some doubts that are difficult to ignore.