Up for auction the "Wife of Thomas Cullen" Priscilla Davis Signed U.S. $1.00 Bill.
ES-9093
Thomas
Cullen Davis (born September 22, 1933, Fort Worth,
Texas) is an American oil heir and member of a prominent
family. Davis is best known for being acquitted of murder and attempted murder
in two high-profile trials during the 1970s. At the time of his first trial,
Davis was believed to be the wealthiest man to have stood trial for murder in
the United States. First he was accused of murdering his stepdaughter on August
2, 1976, during a contentious divorce from his second wife, Priscilla Davis. He
was found not guilty. The second trial, two years later, involved allegations
that Davis attempted to hire a hitman to kill both Priscilla and the judge
overseeing his divorce from Priscilla. Again, Davis was acquitted. Thomas Cullen
Davis was one of three siblings, all male. His father founded Ken Davis
Industries International, Inc., which manufactured goods used in the petroleum
industry. Davis and his brothers received equal shares of their father's estate
upon his death, and all three were described as possessing keen business
instincts. At the first trial, Davis's wealth was estimated at over $100
million ($440 million today). Davis had a reputation in Fort Worth society
circles for displays of bad temper and general "creepiness",
according to female associates.Davis' second marriage was to Priscilla Lee Childers. They
were married on August 29, 1968, only hours after the death of his father. It
was her third marriage. Priscilla had one daughter from her first marriage, and
two children from her second marriage, including Andrea Wilborn. In 1972, Davis
spent $6 million ($36 million today) to build Stonegate
Mansion, a five-bedroom, 11-bath mansion with an indoor pool and a
2,000-square-foot master bedroom. In its prime, the luxurious, contemporary
home of courtyards, tunnels and balconies at 4100 Mockingbird Lane was
decorated with more than 100 oil paintings. The mansion was designed by Albert
S. Komatsu and Associates. Davis and Childers separated in 1974 and both began
dating other people openly. A judge granted Priscilla the right to live in the
Stonegate property during the divorce proceedings and further authorized
substantial spousal and child support payments from Davis to Childers. Her
live-in boyfriend was Stan Farr, a former basketball star at nearby Texas Christian University In August 2,
1976, an intruder entered Stonegate Mansion and killed 12-year-old Andrea, who
was home alone after returning from a Bible study. The body of Andrea would
later be found in the basement, apparently shot execution-style.When Childers and her
then-boyfriend Stan Farr returned home, both were shot. Farr died at the scene.
Childers staggered from the house being pursued by the killer as two family
friends, Beverly Bass and Gus Gavrel, Jr., drove up to the mansion. The killer
shot Gavrel, paralyzing him for life.Childers identified Davis to police,
saying he had shot her and Farr, wearing no disguise except a wig. Gavrel said
he was shot after his companion recognized the gunman as Davis and called him
by name. Police arrested Davis that same night, at the home he shared with
Karen Master, his then-girlfriend who would become his third wife. Davis was
only tried for the murder of Andrea. He was defended by famous Texas defense
attorney Richard "Racehorse" Haynes.
The prosecution case relied almost entirely on eyewitness testimony. Earlier
the day of the shooting, a judge had ordered Davis's monthly support to
Priscilla increased from $3500 to $5000 ($15,410 to $22,010 today) and to pay
her legal fees of $25,000 ($110,070 today) and household expenses of $24,000
($105,670 today).This change was proposed as a motive for the crimes. Davis did
not testify in his own defense. Haynes's defense concentrated on two main
points. First, the complete lack of physical evidence linking Davis to the
crime (no fingerprints, no firearm linked to the murder, etc.).Second, Haynes
focused on the eyewitness testimony, particularly Priscilla. Haynes depicted
her as living in two worlds: Fort Worth high society, and a milieu of drug
dealers, criminals and sleazy sex. Haynes proposed that Priscilla's admitted
heavy use of prescription painkillers made her an unreliable witness who might
have been confused about the identity of her attacker.