Victim of Love: The Shannon Mohr Story (1993) - full transcript
When a woman dies in a supposed accident, her parents suspect their son-in-law of foul play. When the police begin to agree, the murder suspect vanishes.
[ominous music]
Our daughter, Shannon,
was on the rebound
from a broken engagement.
Anyway, about a
week later, she was
invited to a friend's wedding.
And she didn't want to go.
I encouraged her to go.
Well, we-- we both did.
We thought that
she should get out.
Might meet somebody nice.
She met Dave.
We know now that he
went to that reception
with just one thing in
mind, to find someone
to marry and then to murder.
[jazz music]
[chatter]
She's a party animal.
Definitely not your type.
Michael!
You did it, man.
You actually showed
up, said the words.
Dave, I was so nervous
standing up there
waiting for Jackie, that I could
actually feel my legs shaking.
But when I saw her
coming down the aisle--
is she beautiful or what?
I just hope I can find
someone as nice as your family.
MICHAEL: Oh.
Um, who's Jackie talking to?
A friend of hers.
All I can tell you is she just
got through with a seriously
disastrous relationship.
She got all teary-eyed
when she saw
Jackie in her wedding dress.
DAVE DAVIS: What's her name?
I'm drawing a blank.
Oh.
But she's a nurse
at Jackie's hospital.
Why don't you go
back to your bride.
Entertain your guests.
I'll mingle.
OK.
Want to get married?
[chuckles] Yeah, right.
Why not?
The minister's already here.
I've been watching him.
He's had a couple of drinks.
We might be able
to get a discount.
Well, don't you
think we should
get to know each other first?
DAVE DAVIS: I think that's
a little old-fashioned,
don't you?
Hm, I'm an old-fashioned
kind of girl.
Then you want some champagne.
Waiter.
Hi, I'm Dave.
Dave Davis.
Well, that's easy to remember.
Well, even when I'm drinking,
I hardly ever forget who I am.
Who are you?
Shannon Mohr.
The Shannon Mohr?
From Toledo?
(CHUCKLING) Oh!
You've been doing your
research, Mr. Dave Davis.
Never underestimate how
far a little information
will get you.
Maybe you've gone as
far as you're going.
Well, uh, I'd like to think
we just getting started.
Oh, I see.
So start by telling
me about you.
[scoffs] My story
is too long a story.
I'd much rather talk about you.
Oh, isn't there
a short version?
Short version.
Well, first thing I remember is
being in an orphanage in Texas
with a bunch of French
nuns, can you believe it?
Not really.
It's the truth, actually.
Then I went to play football
with Bo Schembechler
at the University of Michigan.
I actually went
to the Rose Bowl.
I'll buy that.
A couple of tours.
Vietnam.
What do you do now?
I'm just a rich old farmer.
At least nobody
shot at me, lately.
My god, you were shot?
Not just once.
What happened?
That's the long version.
Come on, let's dance.
[sultry music]
Hi, Mrs. Lovetts.
Hi
That's a new robe, isn't it?
Yeah, my daughter from
Tulsa gave it to me.
She's the legal
secretary, right?
She's she used to
want to be a lawyer.
Now she hates them.
You keep exercising.
That's the key to
getting out of here.
Thank you, dear.
I need a kiss from
a beautiful woman.
And I'm prepared to do
anything to get one.
Anything?
Mm!
That was easy.
[clears throat]
Jackie.
(CHUCKLING) Oh!
I have one more patient to
look in on before we can go.
I'll take care of it.
Are you sure?
I'm a newlywed.
I know about love.
You go on.
It's Mr. Chapman in 107.
He needs his Ibgard 30
minutes before his meal.
Sure.
Thank you.
Ibgard, isopropamide, the
guy's got a colon or a bladder
kicking up that
needs calming down.
What?
Were you a doctor in
a previous life, too?
Thought about it for a while.
I studied psychopharmacology,
University of Michigan.
Yeah, football-playing
pharmacist, that
would have been a good one.
What are you doing?
[gentle music]
Does that answer
your question?
[gentle music]
No, we'll get caught.
You heard what Jackie said.
Now it's your turn.
[kissing sounds]
Hold on.
Dave, I can't do this.
You have to take chances.
Did that the day I met you.
[gentle music]
Shannon, you're just glowing.
I don't think I've seen you
like this since you and Rich.
Actually, I don't think I've
ever seen you like this before.
Mom, that's because
Dave is fantastic.
He's so different.
I'm so happy for you, honey.
You and dad like
him, don't you?
Oh, yes, we think
Dave is just great.
And we think the two of
you are a great couple.
You know, I don't know
what it is about him.
He's-- he's fun and exciting.
And when I'm with him,
everything is more--
more whatever it is
in the first place.
Do you love him?
Yeah.
I think I do, Mom.
I think you do, too.
I mean, he's lived a life.
You know, he's--
he's so much more
mature and together than the
guys I've been going out with.
Can I tell you something else?
Of course.
Well, not that it matters
because I would love
him anyway, but he's rich, too.
[laughs]
Listen, you let this one
get away and you're nuts.
Don't worry, Mom.
I won't.
Oh.
[door bell]
Oh, he's here.
Hey, come on in.
Thanks.
Girls are in the kitchen.
How's the farm?
Well, it's that
time of the year.
It's real busy.
300 acres, 320,
but who's counting.
[laughs]
Oh, carnations.
They are beautiful.
I told him if
he keeps this up,
I'm going to have to start
buying flowers for your mother.
She deserves them.
Hi, Mrs. Moore.
Cille, you know me well
enough now to call me Cille,
just like everybody else does.
Here, let me take these.
I'll put them in a vase.
And you all go in sit down.
All right.
OK.
Here we go.
Oh, honey, this is delicious.
I love this pie.
And here's yours, darling.
Thank you.
Ah, Shannon and I have
something to tell you.
Well, tell away.
I love your daughter.
I guess you already know that.
But the farm has a lot
of work for one man
and with the crops
about to come in,
it's getting harder and
harder to get into Toledo.
It just seems the sensible thing
for us to do is to get married.
You knew.
Daddy, we know
it's the right thing.
Honey, you just met not
more than two months ago.
That's long enough to know
that I love your daughter.
Dave, it's not long enough.
You might be
infatuated with her,
but you haven't known her
long enough to be in love.
It takes time to be in love.
Just calm down, Bob.
You don't have to
tell me to calm down.
Honey, we didn't
know each other very
well before we got married.
And that's lasted a lifetime.
Mr. Moore, if
Shannon and I have
half the marriage that you and
Cille have, we'll have it made.
And I'll do everything
I can to make it happen.
I have never in my life felt
the way I feel about Shannon.
This is forever.
He's right, Daddy.
And you like Dave.
You said so the first
day you met him.
Why are you trying to
make him feel bad now?
I just can't get used to it.
That's all.
I know, you think you're
losing Shannon, but you're not.
We'll see you.
We'll have you out to
the farm all the time.
And I hope I won't embarrass
you telling you this,
but since I lost my
father in World War II,
I'd like you to be the
father that I never had.
[clock ticking]
Well, you do look
happy together.
Never happier.
Daddy, this is what I want.
Honey, you're a big girl.
I guess, I should welcome
Dave to the family.
- Thank you, sir.
- OK.
Thank you, Daddy.
All right.
Well, we're going to have to
get to work on this wedding.
Oh, we're going to save you
the trouble and the expense.
It's no trouble.
Mom, Dave has
always wanted to be
married in one of those
picturesque, little chapels
in Las Vegas.
Las Vegas?
But how would everybody
get to Las Vegas?
Mom, I know we've waited
all my life for this,
but Dave and I are so in love.
And it just feels right.
I don't want to wait another
minute to be Shannon's husband.
I'm sorry.
We'll have a big
celebration when we get back.
[slow music]
Well, if you really
want to do this
and if you've thought
about it, then I guess you
better just go ahead and do it.
[slow music]
Thanks.
[slow music]
Almost there.
How's it feel being
Mrs. Shannon Davis?
I feel like the luckiest
girl in the world.
How do you feel finally
getting married?
I waited for just
the right woman.
That's how I feel.
Tell me about the others.
[laughs] My life
began when I met you.
[slow music]
This is ours, 100 acres of
prime Michigan farmland.
I thought you said 300.
I did, but I'm
just farming 100.
Dick-- Dick Britton,
my neighbor,
I'm letting him farm the rest.
That's what's left of the
trailer burned down last year.
Oh, I'm sorry.
Don't be.
Insurance paid more
than it's worth.
That was lucky.
Luck had nothing
to do with it.
I insure everything.
The house, me, you, even the
car payments are insured.
If something happens
to me, you won't
have anything to worry about.
Except I couldn't live if
something happened to you.
Nothing's going
to happen to me.
Guaranteed.
[slow music]
Be it ever so humble.
I know, it doesn't
look like much.
It's only temporary.
Honey, I don't
care what it looks
like as long as we're together.
As soon as the
economy picks up,
I'm going to sell some property.
And we're going to
fix this place up.
You know, we
could do that right
now without spending anything.
It's all going
to have to wait.
I've got something for you.
Come on.
[slow music]
Wow.
I just had them delivered
before we got here.
They're beautiful, huh?
I don't really ride.
Well, you will now.
You know what they say?
Nothing so good for
the inside of a person
is the outside of a horse.
Just think about it.
Come on now.
[slow music]
That a girl.
Oh, Dave.
It's going to be OK.
Don't worry.
He's real gentle.
We'll take it easy.
What do I do?
You just give him a
little kick, like this.
[slow music]
Well, I was Dave Davis's
neighbor, sold him his farm.
I like Dave.
I wanted to see him do well.
He used to come over and
help me doing harvest time.
Me and my wife Annie
were so happy for him
when he brought Shannon home.
She was a sweetest thing.
And she loved him.
He'd be telling
one of his stories.
And she'd just be
hanging on every word.
So the next thing I
know, I'm walking point
and then, boom, landmine.
Oh, my god, Dave.
I saw men step on
the things, you
couldn't even find the pieces.
No, this is a
Viet Cong sapper.
They had them all over.
They're not very powerful.
I mean they chew you
up enough though.
I'll show you.
Yeah, I was lucky.
Blew me forward on my stomach.
But Billy Gauge, though, it
went straight to his chest.
What happened to him?
Well, he died and right--
right there in my arms.
So we stopped to bury him.
About halfway through the job, I
get pinned down by sniper fire.
The rest of my company
splits off into the jungle.
I ended up spending the
night in that damn grave,
right next to Billy.
Next morning, I'm laying there.
I'm real still.
[intense music]
I hear footsteps.
I look up.
And there's a Cong looking down.
And the last thing he
ever saw was me shooting
him right between the eyes.
Oh, my lord.
How awful.
Well, we're going
to play cards or what?
14 blue.
Hut.
Hut.
Hut.
Hut.
Hey.
[cheerful music]
Let's go.
Go.
I'm going to pull the
stuff off the barbecue now.
OK.
Hey, guys, we're
getting ready to eat.
OK.
Last play.
Last play.
14, 33.
Hut.
Hut.
Hut.
Dave.
Dave!
The great Michigan
quarterback, Dave Davis,
has lost his touch.
Well, I didn't
play quarterback.
I love you anyway.
I'm gonna see if your
dad needs any help, OK?
OK, sweetie.
Shannon, honey,
would you go get
the potato salad out of the
refrigerator for me, please?
Yeah.
Isn't he neat, Mom?
He's neat.
He's neat.
I'll carry the drinks.
Oh, thanks.
It's so good to see
you and Dave so happy.
It never felt that way when
Alana and the kids lived here.
Alana?
Yeah, Dave's first wife.
You knew, didn't you?
Oh, yeah, I knew.
I'd forgotten her name.
That's all.
Oh.
[chatter]
Yeah?
Well, you did pretty well.
Yeah.
- First time?
No.
No.
I haven't played in a while.
I visited Dave and
Shannon on the farm a lot.
I remember, on my last visit,
it was really weird because
Shannon took me up to her room.
And she told me
that before I make
a commitment to someone to be
sure to ask a lot of questions.
She told me not to
be gun shy, to ask
about extramarital affairs,
previous wives, everything.
We were alone five
minutes before Dave
knocked on the door telling
us to get back to the party.
And she never
brought it up again.
Dick and I are going to
take his tractor over to--
what's wrong?
These aren't mine.
Well, they're sure
as hell not mine.
I want an answer, Dave.
Well, I must--
I must have brought them
home from the laundromat,
thinking-- thinking
that they were yours.
Are they Alana's?
You have children,
too, don't you?
Honey--
Don't.
Just don't.
How could you?
I didn't want you to know.
The way I feel is that you're
the only woman in the world.
She didn't exist.
That is not your
decision to make.
Well, I'm not perfect.
I want to know about her.
She got pregnant.
We were only
married a few years.
We were never in love.
But you have children.
And you never see them.
She won't let me.
She told the judge a
bunch of lies about me.
But you never talk about them.
There are no
pictures around here?
It's just too painful.
She already took
my kids from me.
Don't let her take
you from me, too.
I love you.
[slow music]
I want to believe you.
Then just do it
because it's the truth.
And I adore you.
[slow music]
Dave, come here.
[slow music]
We saw a lot of
Shannon and Dave.
Most weekends, we'd
drive out from Toledo
and stay at the farm.
And Dave treated
us like royalty.
We thought he was great.
We were so fond of him.
Never saw them fight
until that last day.
I knew something was wrong.
We must have really
interfered with his plans.
Van going to be
ready for the trip?
Well, that's the plan.
And I thought-- thought maybe
we'd take the horses out later.
I don't think so.
I just saw my folks
at the gas station.
They're right behind me.
Shannon, you know we've got
things to do besides entertain
your mom and dad.
Hamburgers OK for dinner?
You didn't tell
me they were coming.
You didn't tell me I had
to clear everything with you.
Besides, you like my parents.
Well, not every
weekend, not this weekend.
They're only
staying one night.
Mom's got a ceramics class
or something in the morning.
We're trying to
leave for Florida.
Damn!
Exactly, which makes
this our last chance
to see them before we go.
Hello, Dave.
Dave?
I'll go find Shannon.
OK.
Hello?
Shannon.
Oh, I'm so glad you're here.
Oh, honey.
Honey, what's wrong?
Nothing.
Something's wrong, Shannon.
Just don't go, OK?
Oh, honey.
Cille, I think we're
interrupting something.
I was just explaining to Bob,
we have an awful lot of work
to do to get ready for our trip.
Dave, we don't even
have to stay overnight.
Maybe we'll stay for dinner
and then be on our way.
Maybe another weekend,
it'll be better.
Can we take a rain check?
I think we should
stay the night.
It's an awful long
drive in the dark.
Shannon and I, we
were going to take
the horses out before dinner.
I thought we
had so much to do.
Shannon, I think
we need to talk?
Do you mind?
No, you two go ahead.
I'll make dinner.
Look, let's not fight.
You've just been
acting so strange.
Everything's a big
secret with you.
Look, I'm still not
used to getting married.
And I know, I've been
stressed out over this trip.
Well, you don't have
to take it out on me.
I don't mean to.
All I want to do is make
things good for you.
I'm sorry.
I just want it the way
it was supposed to be.
We need some time alone.
This ride's going to be good.
Believe me, it's
just what we need.
[slow music]
Come on, babe.
Let's go.
[slow music]
[intense music]
Dick!
Dick!
Oh, Dick!
What the hell is he doing?
- Dick, you've got to help me.
- Oh, my god, Dave.
What's happened?
- Shannon had an accident.
- Andy, call an ambulance now.
- Your car.
Your car.
- All right.
- No time.
- All right.
No time.
[intense music]
There she is,
between those trees.
Slow down.
Slow down.
She still got a
pulse, but it's weak.
Let's put her in
the back of your car
and take her to Willow Point.
Dave, Willow
Point's too small.
They're not having a
yard doctor on the job.
There's sure to be
one in Hillsboro.
No, Willow Point is closer.
They've got a breathing machine.
That's what she needs now.
Dave!
She's my wife!
[intense music]
[honking]
[honking]
Come on.
Over here.
She's not breathing.
Get a gurney and an ambu bag.
No, she needs a respirator.
Get out of the car.
She's my wife.
You have to help her.
You have to let us do our job.
Please just let
us bring her down.
You've got to help her.
You've got to help her.
I saw them coming in.
What have you got?
25-year-old female.
No pulse.
No respiration.
You're just going
to get in the way.
Give them a chance.
I want some atropine and
some epinephrine on board.
Get the crash cart STAT.
Get the EKG in here quickly now.
Can I call her parents, Dave?
Oh, god, Dick.
They need to know.
Now, I'll call them.
Do you have a phone number?
They're back at the house.
Your house?
All right.
Look, I'll be right here, Dave.
I'm just going to call
Shannon's parents.
Come on.
Come on.
Come on.
Come on.
Come on.
Come on.
It's been 15 minutes.
[somber music]
All right, everybody.
Let's call it.
Let's put down 3:45.
She didn't get in till 4:15.
DOA.
[somber music]
We've done all we can
do, all anyone can do.
I'm sorry.
She can't be dead.
She can't be.
We couldn't save her.
It was too late.
She talked to me.
She told me it was OK.
[cries]
Do you want someone to look
after those scratches, Mr.
Davis?
I'll leave you alone.
I'm here if you
want to talk later.
[sobbing].
Excuse me.
Are you Mr. Davis?
I'm Deputy Glassman
from the Hillsboro
County Sheriff's Department.
This is my partner,
Deputy Alvarez.
I realize this is a very
difficult time for you.
But we're required to take a
statement about what happened.
Can we do this now?
I understand it's a
horseback-riding accident.
Maybe you can just begin by
telling us what happened.
Well, we started down a small
trail, the brush was thick.
I heard Shannon scream.
[screams]
DAVE (VOICEOVER): Somehow,
she fell off of her horse.
I'm first-aid trained.
I examined the wound.
She had a good, strong pulse
I was thinking that I was
going to have to
go get help, but I
didn't want to leave her here.
She was conscious by
the time I dragged
her to the edge of the woods.
But she couldn't get up.
Dave, go get help.
I can't leave
you here, Shannon.
You've got to.
[somber music]
I rode through the
woods just as fast
as I could to get to Dick's.
And that's-- that's how
I got these scratches.
Shannon's folks are here.
Would you?
We're just about
down here anyway.
Did you have insurance on
your wife's life, Mr. Davis?
Insurance?
No.
OK.
Thank you.
[somber music]
Dick, is she
gonna be all right?
Tell me she's alive, Dick.
I can't do that, Bob.
Oh, no.
I have to see her, Dick.
I have to see her.
I know, Cille.
[somber music]
Oh, Dave.
She's gone.
She's gone.
Oh.
[intense music]
(VOICES ECHOING) I'm so sorry.
What happened?
We went on a ride.
And Shannon took a fall.
She fell off the horse?
She hit her head.
Hey, doc.
Can I maybe get the, uh,
stats on Shannon Davis.
Cause of death?
What's the matter?
Something's wrong, Shannon.
Just don't leave, OK?
Oh, honey.
Shannon wants to be cremated.
Cremated?
No.
No, Dave.
You can't cremate my daughter.
I told you that's she wanted.
No.
No, Dave, you can't do that.
She's Catholic.
Shannon and I have talked
about this several times.
She said that when she died,
she wanted to be cremated.
No, Shannon would
never have said that.
She wouldn't want
to be cremated.
I'm her husband.
And I'm going to see that
she gets what she wanted.
- Dave, I won't let you do this.
- What?
You can't stop me.
I'll get a judge if I have to.
Is everything OK?
Dave, give her
back to her parents.
You've only had
her for 10 months.
Let her go.
Dave, is it-- is it
the money for the burial?
What about insurance?
I think there was
a small insurance
policy that the
hospital had given her.
But your-- your name was
on it as the beneficiary.
We'll pay for the funeral.
We'll pay for the plot if
the money's the problem.
But please, please, Dave,
let us take her back
and bury her in Toledo, please.
All right.
All right.
But I want the casket
closed at that funeral.
[somber music]
All right, Bob.
Listen to me, honey.
Something's not right here.
Shannon told me that he took
out a big policy on her right
after the marriage.
Why would he lie about that now?
Why would he lie about that?
[cries]
[somber music]
I didn't think Dave
should be alone that night,
so I made him come home with me.
We sat up for a while.
And then he went to bed.
I was too upset to sleep.
Me and Annie had a
good cry that night.
We just liked Shannon so much.
It's what happened
the next morning
that made me feel like I'd
been run over by a truck.
[music playing]
Morning, Dave.
Morning, Dick.
[music playing]
You know, does Ralph Weston
still want to sell his farm?
My god, Dave, how can you talk
about real estate on the day
after your wife died?
Forget it.
I guess, I'm just trying to
keep my mind off this thing.
Thanks for the coffee, Dick.
[music playing]
What are you doing, Cille?
It won't come out.
I keep washing but it
just won't come out.
Even if it did, it
wouldn't bring her back.
I just keep thinking,
if this will come out,
then I'm going to stop
all those terrible things
I'm thinking about Dave.
But it won't come out.
Put it away, Cille.
This is Shannon's blood, Bob.
This means something.
[music playing]
What is this?
Dave dropped it off for
Shannon to be buried in.
[music playing]
Ugh, Shannon wouldn't want
to be buried in this old thing.
I guess Dave picked it out.
My little girl is going to
spend eternity in something.
It's not going to be this.
Mr. Davis said that he
carried her from the woods.
Where do you think
that would be?
Well, over in this area here.
This must be the place where she
hit her head, don't you think?
Probably.
Now, do you need to
take samples or anything?
What would you like us
to prove, Mr. Britton?
That it's blood?
That it belongs
to Shannon Moore?
I don't think there's
any doubt about that.
Here are her shoes.
Oh, Annie, don't
pick those up.
Hon, they may need
them for evidence.
Now, they're untied.
You can go ahead and
pick them up, ma'am.
I don't think we'll need them
to file an accident report.
You got what you need?
OK.
Well, thank you very much
for your help, folks.
Look at these marks.
Now, doesn't it look like
somebody tied up a horse here?
Mr. Britton, I appreciate
this woman was your friend,
but accidents happen.
I'm sorry.
Thank you for your time, folks.
Annie, you go ahead
and take them back.
[music playing]
Cille, I want you to
know that everything's
going to be taken care of.
We will do everything
that we can.
How's Bob?
Oh, he's not very
well, I'm afraid.
Please sit.
I want Shannon to
be buried in this.
Of course.
Is there anything else I can do?
Yes.
When they bring the
body in, I'd like you
to look under her fingernails.
See if there's any evidence
of Shannon's having
clawed or scratched somebody.
I'm sorry, Cille.
It's too late for that.
Why too late?
The body's already here,
been embalmed, and cleaned.
Well, how could they have
finished the autopsy so soon?
There was no autopsy.
[music playing]
Shannon Moore Davis lived
her life with a sweetness that
left its mark on everyone here.
As we commend her
body to the ground,
realize her spirit dwells
in each and every one of us.
May the Lord welcome
Shannon on her journey
to the table of Gods
children in heaven with faith
and hope in eternal peace.
Let us assist her now
with a silent prayer.
[gentle music]
Aunt Cille.
Hi, Teresa.
Dave.
Dave, we're just so sorry.
I really appreciate
having friends like you.
Shannon and I were very lucky.
Excuse me.
Mrs. Warrick, I'm sorry.
I'm-- I'm curious.
Do you know when the
death certificate
will become available?
Well, that usually happens
within a couple of weeks.
It's a paperwork thing.
But it won't be long.
Would you do me a favor?
Would you please let me
know when you have it?
I'd like to have a copy.
Of course.
Thank you.
Thank you, Mark.
Thank you very much.
Mr. Moore.
Yes.
I'm Jane Thomas,
Dave's mother.
Oh, please.
Sit down.
Thank you.
It's so nice to meet you.
Not under these
circumstances I'm sure.
I'm so sorry.
They've told me what a
wonderful girl Shannon was.
Thank you.
I don't want to
disturb your wife,
but please tell
her how sorry I am.
And-- and sorry that they
never had a wedding where
we all could have met earlier.
Dave worshipped Shannon.
I just don't know how
he's going to handle this.
Yes.
After all the other
things he's been through.
How's that?
Well, you know, the
Vietnam and friends
of his dying in his arms.
Vietnam?
There must be some mistake.
What do you mean?
He was never in Vietnam.
The Marines?
No, not the Marines either.
Just after the
funeral, a group of us
went to dinner to get
our minds off of it.
Dave ordered
Margaritas and nachos.
And when the drinks came,
he made a toast to Shannon.
It was really bad.
It went-- it went
something like to my loving
wife, who is now smiling down on
us, I wouldn't change a thing.
I just wish that she
could have cooked better.
[music playing]
Hey, babe, it's me.
Papers are saying
that girl's dead, Dave.
What's going on?
She's as alive as you and me.
Dave, she fell off
a horse and died.
It's here in black and white.
You ought to know better
than to believe everything
you read in the papers.
What are you telling me, Dave?
What are you telling me?
This woman has a
new name, a new house,
someone new to watch over her.
So your job is over now?
I'm packing for a little
R&R in the Florida sun.
I want to come with you.
Why not?
[intense music]
Cille, I just got off the
phone with the funeral parlor.
Dave's just coming
up the sidewalk.
Listen to me, Cille.
The lady at the
funeral parlor said
that six separate
insurance companies called.
They want to see copies
of the death certificates.
What do we say to him now?
Nothing.
We don't want him to
know that we know.
All right.
[knocking]
What's wrong?
I've had a bad day.
I'm sure you
understand that, Dave?
These are some things I'm sure
Shannon would want you to have.
You can come out to the
house later and look
around after I get back.
Oh, you're going someplace?
I just got to get out of here.
I'm sure you do.
I'll be in the desert.
Don't know where.
I'm just going to keep
driving, trying to heal.
Well, I guess that's it.
Dave, how do we reach
you if we want to--
Well, you can't.
There are no phones
in the desert.
[music playing]
Jerri!
Jerri!
[music playing]
Did you get your errand done?
Oh, fine.
No problem.
Great.
Oh.
I can't wait to get to Florida.
Me neither.
[music playing]
Well, I'd really like
to help you, Mrs. Moore.
But there are no laws against
travel in this country.
But there's laws
against murder.
Yes, there are, Mr. Moore.
Well, he murdered
our daughter.
Now he's trying to run away.
Don't you understand that?
You think so anyway.
What about all the
insurance policies?
I've already
checked into that.
He stands to get over $300,000.
Yes, and he lied about them.
Which makes the man
guilty of lying, Mrs. Moore.
It doesn't make him
guilty of homicide.
Tell me, Detective, what
the hell does it take?
Well, first you have
to prove that a murder
was even committed.
Your daughter's death
was ruled an accident.
But they'd know that
that wasn't the truth
if they did an autopsy.
Maybe, but they didn't.
Detective, I want you
to understand something.
A mother knows.
[phone ringing]
Well, I don't think you're
going to want to do this,
but there is one
way to settle it.
Shannon Davis, that was
her name for eight months.
She was Shannon
Moore for 24 years.
My name is Donald
Voorhees, Prosecutor
for Hillsboro County.
I have reviewed the report
of the autopsy performed
on the body of Shannon Davis.
I can summarize by saying there
was a single wound at the back
of Mrs. Davis's head
and evidence of bleeding
on the right side of the
brain and that there was
no evidence that Mrs.
Davis had been beaten
or of any foul play.
In short, the injuries
were consistent
with the initial
information, that she
was thrown from her
horse and that she
struck her head on a rock.
I am recommending
that the investigation
by the Hillsboro County
Sheriff's Department
be discontinued.
Well, as far as I'm concerned,
that's good enough for me.
The case is closed.
Isn't it true that
Dave Davis stands
to collect $330,000 in
insurance if his wife's
death is ruled an accident?
I don't think I know you.
Billy Bowles,
Detroit Free Press.
Mr. Bowles, what
you refer to is
circumstantial evidence only.
As I've already explained,
the autopsy report
states that a crime
has not been committed.
Now, if there has been no
crime, I don't really have
to look for suspects now, do I?
Have you ever even
questioned Mr. Davis?
You people in the
media want to trial
a case which doesn't exist.
Now, you may not have
thought about this,
but I believe Mr. Davis has
certain rights this department
has an obligation to protect.
What about Shannon?
What about her rights?
Mrs. Moore, I know
how you must feel.
Oh, no, you don't.
Nobody knows how we feel.
Look, Mr. Voorhees,
we read this report too.
Let me tell you something.
I may be a shop steward
for a bunch of painters.
But the way I read it
is that the coroner
can't make a proper
autopsy because Shannon
was already embalmed.
And when that happens, you
can't test for suffocation.
Now what do you have
to say about that?
Well, it's possible that
some mistakes were made.
But we can only go on
what the experts tell us.
What experts?
Mrs. Moore, as I'm
trying to explain,
every citizen has rights,
including Mr. Davis.
You're standing up for him.
What about Shannon?
She was only 25 years old.
And she's lying in the ground.
Who's going to stand
up for Shannon?
[reporters shouting]
[music playing]
Cille, why don't
you come back to bed?
I can't sleep.
[music playing]
Honey, we're doing
everything we possibly can.
But we can't let
this whole thing
poison our lives like this.
Where will it end?
It'll end when that
killer is behind bars.
[music playing]
Are you Alana Henderson?
Who are you?
Billy Bowles with
the Detroit Free Press.
I'm wondering if I
might talk to you
for a minute about your
ex-husband, Dave Davis.
I don't have anything
to say about him.
Please go away.
You're an important
part of this story.
No, I'm not.
Leave my name out of it, please.
Mrs. Henderson.
Look, Mr. Bowles, I've got a
restraining order against Dave.
If I have to, I can
get one against you.
You won't need that.
I mean, I'll leave
right now if you want.
But my editors are going to make
me write this article anyway.
I feel terrible about
that girl and her family.
I can tell you that.
Is that enough?
Did you ever have reason to
believe that Dave was violent?
You mean, other than
when he was hitting me?
I'll try not to take long.
You said he hit you?
I was raised Catholic.
I was determined to
stay in the marriage,
no matter how bad it got.
One day, Dave came up behind
me and hit me blindside.
When I came to, he said you're
lucky you're still alive.
That's when I filed for divorce.
Miss Hobson?
Look, if you're the
man from the paper,
I don't have anything
to say to you.
I just need to
ask a few questions.
Following the death of
Shannon Moore Davis,
did you go to Florida
with David Davis?
You don't know the real story.
Why don't you report that?
Is David Davis in town now?
I have nothing to say to you.
Is that his van?
Look, she doesn't
have anything to say.
Didn't you hear?
Do you have anything
to say, Mr. Davis?
If I have a statement,
I'll call you.
Did you kill your wife?
Why don't you call my
lawyer and get your foot out
of my door, or
I'll do it for you.
I thought this was
Miss Hobson's house.
Davis had been invited
to speak to high school
students about the Vietnam War.
He described what it's like
to watch men die in combat.
And he broke down and cried.
According to the
Defense Department,
Dave Davis was never in the
service and never in Vietnam.
Several of Davis's friends
now say they felt sorry
for him because of
his many tragedies,
orphaned as an infant,
wounded in war,
and blind in a
hospital for a year,
then injured in an
industrial accident.
They had learned
that the stories
Davis told them were untrue.
For Gods sake,
Dave, don't you have
something to say about this?
Everything that I told
you about Vietnam is true.
But if you ask the
government, they'll deny it.
I can't tell you
any more about it.
But I was in the Marines.
Don't lie to me, Dave.
You lied to me enough already.
I've never lied to you.
You can ask me about anything.
The insurance
policies, I heard you
say that you didn't have any.
And now it turns out
you have six of them.
I thought they were talking
about health insurance.
And about the life insurance,
I didn't even know I had any.
I was confused about what
double indemnity meant.
I was in shock.
What about your father?
You said he died in
World War two II.
And it says right here,
he lives in Michigan.
They're right.
The man listed on those papers
as my father lives in Michigan.
But that's not my
biological father.
The man I think of as my father
got my mother pregnant on leave
but never came home.
I'm sorry, Dave.
I'm just not buying
what you're selling.
Don't be so sure.
What do you mean?
Well, I can't live
here anymore, Dick,
not with all this suspicion.
Hell, you're my best friend,
but Shannon's parents
and that reporter have
done such a number on me,
you don't even believe me.
I got work to do.
Dick?
I was thinking of
selling my farm.
I thought maybe
you'd like to buy it.
I'll make you a good deal.
Well, I was a little
skeptical when I read the letter
Dick Britton wrote our office.
My first reaction was,
the girl's parents must
have stirred up the locals.
Another case of
grieving parents who
couldn't accept their
daughter died in an accident.
This happened sometimes
with grieving parents.
But then I met them.
When they bought
the video camera,
I thought it was a
big waste of money.
But now when I see
Shannon and Dave, I--
Maybe it'll help me understand
why you're so suspicious.
Do you have any idea
how hot it can get driving
home to Hillsboro from Toledo in
a car without air-conditioning?
Well, I don't know,
but it's pretty sweaty.
Anyway, we still don't
have air-conditioning,
but it's not a problem anymore.
Look at this.
[giggles]
Hi, Tom.
Hi, Cille.
How do you like the car?
He borrowed $10,000
to buy that car.
And then he takes out more
life insurance on Shannon,
so that if she dies,
the loan gets paid off.
He now owns that
car free and clear.
Honey, bring the camera over.
I want to say hi to
your mom and dad.
Erica!
Oh.
No, I'm sorry.
I just can't stand
to watch this.
What I don't understand
is why would her shoes be
off if she fell from the horse?
Why would the laces be untied?
Something happened in those
woods that was not an accident.
Detective Brooks,
can you help us?
We're running out
of people to ask.
I don't know.
But I'm going to try.
Thank you.
[music playing]
Are you Dr. Roger Fulbright?
That's me.
That must make you
the eager, young
detective with the grand
theory about the Davis case.
I've got a theory, yes.
Well, I'm chained to the
desk for the afternoon,
so let's hear it.
All right.
Davis and his wife were
alone in the woods.
But he knew he couldn't
repeatedly strike her head
again and again if he
wanted us to believe
she died falling off a horse.
Meaning, you think he only
had one chance to connect
her head with that rock.
He had to be sure
she wasn't going
to put up much of a fight.
Therefore, our young
detective theorizes
Davis might have used some
kind of drug to immobilize her.
He took pharmacology classes.
He's a smart guy.
Wouldn't a smart
guy worry that might
turn up in our lab work?
Not if he thought he
could sell the horse story
and get her cremated right away.
Chemical analysis of
Shannon Moore's tissue.
What's this?
Could be your drug.
You knew about this all along?
It also be a fatty acid.
So far, we've eliminated
about 1,000 possibilities out
of, oh, say, a quarter million.
So keep checking.
It doesn't work that way.
I don't have the time, the
money, or the equipment
to track this down.
I'm never going to be able
to tell you what it is.
You have to tell me.
And then I try to verify it.
I have to tell you?
Isn't that why they pay
you the big bucks, Detective?
[music playing]
Look at him, just look
at him, that son of a--
I want you to go in there,
sit across the table from him,
show him you're
not afraid of him.
Yeah, well, I'm afraid
of what I might do to him.
He should be on
trial for murder.
Why should I have to sue
him for wrongful death?
If we win this suit, we
keep the insurance money
out of Dave's hands.
The minute he gets
it, he could run.
Whatever we have to do
to get him, for Shannon.
[sighs]
All right now, let me
just try to summarize
some of these things.
Death of your father, playing
football for Bo Shembechler
in the Rose Bowl,
serving in Vietnam,
growing up in an orphanage.
Now you've admitted lying about
all these things, haven't you?
Apparently so.
Let me ask you something.
Help me out here.
Why tell people something
if it's not true?
I have no answer.
Your answer is
you have no answer.
That's what he said.
Let's get back to Shannon.
Did you love her?
Of course.
Of course.
Now, you've told us, you
traveled to Florida two days
after your wife's funeral.
Who did you go with?
A-- a friend helped
me to drive there.
What was the name
of that friend?
Jerri Hobson.
Jerri Hobson.
That's a woman's name
though, isn't it?
Yes.
The time it took
traveling to Florida
involved overnight
stops, did it not?
Yes.
Yes.
Did you and Jerri Hobson
share a room during that trip?
I don't have to
answer that question.
Oh, Mr. Davis,
I'm afraid you do.
You're sworn as if you were
standing in front of a judge.
Do you want to tell him?
You need to answer it.
The question is, did
you and Jerri Hobson
share a room during
a trip to Florida
immediately after
your wife's funeral?
Yes.
Son of a bitch.
You never loved
anybody but yourself.
Please, Mr. Moore,
any more outbursts,
you'll have to leave the room.
Let's continue, Mr. Davis.
Let's go back to the
day of the accident.
Did you pull your
wife from her horse
and hit her head against a rock?
No.
Why should we believe you
now, when you've acknowledged
that you've lied in the past?
I didn't kill my wife.
That's why you should believe
me, because I didn't do it.
[intense music]
I didn't do it.
[cheerful music]
[chatter]
- You're kidding?
- No
You have a satellite phone?
Yes, I do.
And that's the guy I'm
going to interview.
For your bodyguard company?
Mm-hmm.
He doesn't look that tough.
Well, looks can be deceiving.
I'll just be a few seconds.
[cheerful music]
Congratulations.
You're now fully licensed to
drive in the Sunshine State.
Oh, this is good.
Nothing but the best.
I also paid for
Social Security.
What's this?
It's a library card.
It's a blue-light bonus special,
just a little insurance.
Oh, you can never
have too much insurance.
[cheerful music]
Detective Brooks,
Michigan State Police.
Do I have to talk to you?
Not yet.
Where's Dave?
Florida.
That's where he lives now.
Maybe he told you
about his deposition?
That's nothing to do with me.
I think it does.
You stayed at a motel
with a man whose
wife died three days before.
I'd say that's pretty suspicious
behavior from both of you.
I had nothing to do
with that woman's death.
I believe you.
But you got to admit
it, it sounds--
Dave told me my
name never came up.
Wouldn't be the first time
he lied to you, would it?
Do you know for a
fact that this Shannon
Moore wasn't in the
Witness Protection Program?
Is that what he told you?
Shannon Moore is no witness.
She's the victim.
Well, are you sure
it's really her?
That it's really her body?
It's her.
Whatever he told you, it's her.
They were really married.
And she's dead.
But Dave works for the
government, doesn't he?
I mean, he's an
agent or something?
It's one of his
better stories.
God, I've been so stupid.
If I had married
him, I'd be the--
He talked about marriage?
Almost from the beginning.
Why didn't you marry him?
I wasn't ready.
I mean, he scared me off.
He still had the rings from the
woman before me who backed out.
It was all too planned.
This woman before you,
you remember her name?
Yeah.
He's in trouble, huh?
He's under investigation.
What's his is background?
I don't know what
I can tell you.
It's been a few years.
Dave came and went
a lot from my life.
He's always Tokyo, or
Belize, or something.
You know, he works for the CIA.
Mm-hmm.
I guess, "worked" is
probably the word now
that he's in this trouble.
Did he ever propose?
Cappy?
Oh, yeah.
Cappy?
He gave himself a
nickname, Cappy, for Captain.
He thought he was
a big time sailor.
But you didn't marry him?
Almost did.
We had the tickets.
And I was almost on the
plane when I backed out.
Where were you
going to get married?
Las Vegas.
He wanted to get married in one
of those tacky, little chapels.
I just-- I just
couldn't handle that.
Ever remember Dave talking
about drugs, bring up subject?
I know this is what
you're looking for,
but I remember one time,
this must have been 1978.
He read me an article
about some physician
that F. Lee Bailey defended,
used a drug he said
was the perfect murder
weapon because after it
kills somebody, it can't
be detected in an autopsy.
He actually told you that?
Oh, yeah.
Dave could get excited about
some pretty unusual things.
He used to read a lot
of murder mysteries.
Try this.
Intact and dioxin chloride,
a pretty good guess for rookie.
Where'd you get this?
A lot of farmers like
Davis have access to it.
See if it matches.
Oh, it kills people
dead, all right,
paralyzes every
muscle in the body,
so you can't even breathe.
The problem is after
about 10 minutes
it breaks down in human tissue.
So guys like me can't find it.
Sorry.
Try it anyway.
Well, if it will make you
feel better, we'll rule it out.
And then you can
get back to work.
Great.
[music playing]
It'll only take a couple
of minutes to get a reading.
[music playing]
You know this is the one
with dioxin chloride, right?
Now this is the
unknown compound found
in Shannon Moore's tissues.
Bingo.
Perfect match.
I've got to run more
tests to replicate this.
I've got to be able to prove you
can extract dioxinol chloride
from human tissue.
But if I can, it sure looks
like you've got your man.
This gives me the proof
Shannon Moore was murdered.
I still got to prove Dave
Davis had access to the drug.
Hey, Detective, good call.
[music playing]
Detective Brooks,
this is my niece Tracy.
Hi, Tracy.
Hi, Detective.
Honey, you just tell
him what you told us.
Well, there are about a
dozen needles in the butter
compartment in the fridge.
Hypodermic needles?
Yeah, I guess Dave used
them for the animals.
There were also some
vials in the freezer.
You know the kind where
you put the needle
through and pull the drug out?
Do you remember
the name of the drug?
I don't know.
It sounded like penicillin.
But I guess I'm just not sure.
Take a look.
There are five names here.
Can you remember one of them?
They look like anyway.
That one.
Which one?
I don't know how
you say it, Pentactin.
OK.
Well, thanks.
Sorry I couldn't
be of more help.
Thanks, Tracy.
[music playing]
I'm sorry it
wasn't that dioxin
or whatever it is
you were looking for.
There are seven brand
names for dioxinol chloride.
And one of them is Pentactin.
Oh, my god.
You've both been
through so much.
I don't know how
to ask you this.
We need your permission
to exhume Shannon again.
[music playing]
Dave?
Just checking in.
Dave, where the hell are you?
I'm around.
Hey, listen.
Where are you?
Are you getting any closer
to settling that civil suit?
It's not a civil
matter anymore, Dave.
What do you mean?
I mean, since you
last checked in,
they exhumed Shannon Moore's
body, looking for needle marks.
They found some,
impaneled a grand jury.
There's a federal warrant
out for your arrest.
Are they out of their minds?
Dave, they may be, but your
position now is critical.
So as my attorney,
what's your advice?
My advice is to get your
butt back to Michigan ASAP.
This is no game, Dave.
This is a murder charge.
OK.
OK.
I'll take the first plane back.
Where are you?
I'm on my way.
Never mind.
[music playing]
What is it?
I'm being charged with
negligence in the death of my--
my wife.
I've got to return to Michigan.
How soon?
Well, I've got to get you
on a plane back to Lansing.
And then I'll--
I'll follow in a few days.
Did you hurt your wife, Dave?
Mona, I hurt my
wife about as much
as I've hurt you,
which is not at all.
And I loved her
the way I love you.
[music playing]
[background chatter]
Hi.
Hi.
Can I help you?
I'd like to buy
a ticket to Hawaii.
OK.
Your name, please?
Bell, David Meyer Bell.
[music playing]
Don, you look
like a drowned rat.
Come on in.
Bob?
We lost him.
[sighs]
[music playing]
We tried everything.
We even printed
thousands of flyers,
distributed them in Florida
and the Caribbean area.
We followed leads, nothing.
In 1979, Dave Davis
married Shannon Moore.
In 1980, he killed her.
By 1987, it looked
like he'd gotten
away with the perfect crime.
I hated that.
[knocking]
Yeah.
Hey, Jack.
Hello.
How you doing?
Got an idea on the
Dave Davis case.
You're still the assigned
prosecutor, right?
Yeah, it's somewhere in
the bottom of that pile.
Well, get it out.
I got a plan to find him.
Look, Brooks, Davis is dead.
All right.
He probably tried to con
some Caribbean bad ass.
He's too smart for that.
He's alive.
So what's this
brilliant new plan?
Unsolved Mysteries.
Oh.
Why not?
We've done everything else.
It's the only way
we're going to get
that case from the bottom of the
stack and put it on top again.
Well, we can't.
The grand jury judge said
we can't talk to the media.
Let's call him up
and ask him again.
I mean, Jack, we do nothing,
this guy got away with murder.
You didn't get into this
business to let people do that.
We tried everything else.
What do we got to lose?
[phone ringing]
Well, I suppose it
wouldn't hurt to ask.
If Shannon's death
had been an accident,
I could have accepted it.
But what I couldn't
accept was seeing
a young girl ride
off on horseback
and never come back to me.
What happened out there?
I don't know.
I do know that
she called for me.
And I didn't hear her.
I can't accept that.
I won't.
That's all right.
We're-- we're going to get him.
Wherever he is he, he knows
we're still after him.
We'll get him.
We'll get him.
[intense music]
On July 23, 1980, a small
Michigan farming community,
newlyweds Dave and Shannon
Davis prepared to go
for a sunset horseback ride.
Within an hour,
Shannon was dead.
After Shannon's death,
Bob and Lucille Moore
began to discover
that Dave Davis was
not the man he seemed to be.
Dave Davis has now disappeared.
There's a warrant
out for his arrest.
The Moores are afraid that
their son-in-law may have gotten
away with the perfect crime.
[music playing]
[phone ringing]
My wife thought you looked
like a chipmunk on TV.
I told her the camera puts
about 10 pounds on you.
So, nice color
scheme we got here.
Got a cluster call
from Anchorage,
pretty clear he lived there
for a while, worked as a pilot.
Got some calls from LA?
Santa Monica area, nothing
in the last five years.
Yeah, I even got a
call, someone who
thought Davis was the actor who
played him in the recreation.
Got anything to
bring this bastard in?
No.
Not yet.
And the phone stopped ringing.
Well, I never thought
I'd say this to anyone,
but pray for a rerun.
Good night.
Good night.
[slow music]
He's a cold-blooded murderer.
That's what he is.
I want to see him
locked up, put away
before he can do this to any
other girl because he will.
Believe me, he will.
[phone ringing]
Hello?
This is Detective Don Brooks,
Michigan State Police.
I can help you find the man
that you showed on television.
Well, ma'am, what
makes you think that?
I am looking at his
picture right now.
How do you know it's him?
How do you know it's not?
You tell me what you know first.
Well, there's just one
small problem with that.
If I tell you, the
judge starts to act
like I told you what to say.
I need you to tell
me something first.
Like what?
Like something
that proves we're
talking about the same man.
If he's a killer
and he gets off,
then he could come after me.
We'll keep your
identity a secret.
Is your Mr. Davis
known by a nickname?
Here's where I really
need you to tell me.
Cappy.
Have you ever heard
of him called Cappy?
Could you hold
one moment, please?
We got him.
Yes.
Where?
Ma'am, this is very important.
Could you please tell us
where you last saw him?
Pago Pago, American Samoa.
[intense music]
What do you think?
I'm not getting a
good look at his face.
Last trip to freedom.
Freedom?
Vacation.
Ah.
Where are you going?
I don't know.
May just-- may just get in
my plane and keep on flying.
[intense music]
I see him.
Let's go.
[intense music]
Are you David Richard Davis?
I don't know anybody by--
- David Meyer Bell.
- Who are you?
I have a warrant
for the arrest
of David Richard Davis a.k.a.
David Meyer Bell on charges
of murder and unlawful flight.
You have the right
to remain silent.
You have the right
to an attorney.
If you give up either of
these rights, anything you say
can be used against
you in a court of law.
Do you understand that?
Yes.
I ask you again.
Are you David Richard Davis?
What can I say?
It's me.
[phone ringing]
Hello?
Oh, thank god.
They got him.
Oh.
Oh, sweetie.
[music playing]
I think maybe it's
time for us to talk.
I just don't understand
why all of this
is happening, how anybody could
think that I killed my wife?
That's what you did, isn't it?
No.
I loved her.
And I don't know how
anybody could think that.
You mean, other than the fact
you ran on a federal warrant
and changed your name?
I was scared.
But I never hurt my wife, never.
Why don't we just get started?
Shannon meant
everything to me.
This is all a big
misunderstanding.
Let's get something straight.
I know everything about you.
I know you like
to give everybody
red and white carnations.
I know you never picked up
a football in college, much
less played in a Rose Bowl.
I know every single
job you ever had,
especially during the times
you said you were in Vietnam.
I talked to the wife
you said you never had
and most of your girlfriends.
I can even tell you what they
think of you in the sack.
I even know what size
underwear you wear
because you left your luggage on
your boat when you skipped out.
So you don't want to
answer my questions, don't.
But spare me the bull
because I'm on to you.
I don't want to hear any
more of your lies, OK?
Maybe I should
talk to a lawyer.
Fine.
I'll tell you what.
When it's over,
let's have a beer.
Then I'll answer
all your questions.
I'll tell you what.
When you're in prison,
Dave, I'll come visit you.
And we'll have a cup of coffee.
And you can tell me what it
felt like to snuff the life out
of a girl who adored you, huh?
[intense music]
Now, Mr. Davis
said in your presence
that it was Shannon's
desire to be cremated?
Yes.
David wanted her to be
cremated right away.
Well, based on your
knowledge of your daughter,
did she have any stated
position on cremation?
She was raised Catholic.
She never would
have wanted that.
Thank you, Mrs. Moore.
No further questions.
Mrs. Moore, you're
interested in fairness
in these proceedings against
your son-in-law or are you not?
Yes, I am.
Now, as I understand
your direct testimony,
it's your opinion
that Shannon would
not have wanted to be
cremated because she
was raised Catholic.
Is that correct?
Yes.
Was it not also against the
Catholic religion at that time
to marry a divorced person?
Yes, but--
And yet, even though Shannon
had been raised to Catholic,
and even though David
had been previously
married and divorced,
Shannon still married him.
Isn't that true?
She didn't know.
That David had been
previously married?
She told you that?
Well, she didn't
exactly tell me.
But I know that she didn't know.
But she did not
actually say it to you.
And did she ever tell you of
her wishes not to be cremated?
No.
No.
So you can't be entirely
certain that Shannon did not
want to be cremated, can you?
No.
Thank you, Mrs. Moore.
[crowd talking]
I remember that.
Yes.
I was--
- There.
They're there now.
Mr. And Mrs. Moore, are you
glad the trial is almost over?
I think we'll be glad when
there's some justice done.
Were you surprised
that Dave Davis is
not justifying his own defense?
How could he?
He'd just have to admit
to all his own lies.
And we've
demonstrated that Dave
Davis knew that his
wife would die before he
even met Shannon Moore.
A year earlier, he had
formulated a near perfect
plan, a premeditated murder.
But he wasn't picky.
No, Shannon Moore was
merely the most unfortunate
of a long series of girlfriends.
And she was much
too sweet and too
much in love to say no to his
deadly proposal of marriage.
Now, Dave Davis is the only
person in this courtroom that
knows exactly what happened
almost 10 years ago
on that fatal horseback ride.
But the evidence that
we have presented
paints a pretty clear picture.
Shannon Moore did not
fall off her horse.
She did not accidentally
hit her head
on the only rock in
the entire area that
was big enough to hurt her.
No.
Dave talked Shannon
into stopping
on the pretext of a
romantic interlude
to make up for a fight.
Remember, her shoes
were found untied
and her blouse was unbuttoned.
Sadly, Shannon desperately
wanted her marriage to work.
And Dave Davis took
advantage of that.
[music playing]
This is what I've
been waiting for.
What if anyone sees us?
No, no one's going to see us.
[music playing]
What are you doing?
Now, a direct hit
to the bloodstream
with dioxin chloride will
drop you like a stone
in just a few seconds.
But on his first try, Dave
Davis could only get off
a subcutaneous injection,
which is just beneath the skin,
so he had to inject
her a second time.
[screams]
Ouch.
[dramatic music]
Ladies and gentlemen,
dioxin chloride
does not render you unconscious.
It renders you immobile,
paralyzing all your muscles,
including the ones that
allow you to breathe.
But you can still see.
You can still feel.
Until the moment of her
death, Shannon Moore probably
knew the horror of what
was happening to her,
but she was helpless to stop it.
She couldn't speak.
She couldn't act.
She couldn't even
cry out for help.
But you, the members of this
jury, can both speak and act.
And today you must,
you must cry out
for justice for Shannon Moore.
Thank you.
There's a lot of rage and
a lot of pain in this room.
A young woman in the
prime of her life is dead.
It's terribly unfair.
And we want to reach out
and punish someone for that.
We can't punish God.
But Mr. Mandell will
furnish us a scapegoat.
It's his job to
convince you that you
can purge your anger by
seeking vengeance on my client.
You could go home tonight,
secure in the knowledge
you have helped society
avenge a senseless murder.
It's a satisfying feeling.
There's just one problem.
My client David Davis
did not murder his wife.
Every single piece of evidence
that the state as presented
has been circumstantial.
None of it is direct.
No one saw a murder.
No one testified that they
sold drugs, supposedly used
in a murder to David Davis.
The so-called evidence
about dioxin chloride
is so much scientific
gobbledygook,
it's one man's pet
theory, but it's not fact.
Ladies and gentlemen,
mourn Shannon Davis,
grieve for her parents'
loss, but do justice too.
Set David Davis free.
Thank you.
Hey.
How long have you been out?
Couple of hours.
Oh.
Um, we just wanted to say
that no matter how this turns
out, thanks to the both of you.
We think you both
have done everything
you possibly could to help us.
Listen, Cille, without
your and Bob's determination
none of us would be here.
Especially Dave.
Well, we'll just have
to say a silent prayer.
Amen.
Thanks.
Ladies and
gentlemen of the jury,
I have been advised
that you have arrived
at a verdict which has
just been handed to me
and which I will now read.
Mr. Davis, please rise.
In the case number
90-407b, the people
of the State of Michigan
versus David R. Davis, the jury
finds the defendant guilty of
murder in the first degree.
[applause]
Please, some order.
Please, let's have some
order in this court.
Mr. Davis, do you have a
statement at this time?
Your honor, I would only say
that I have committed no crime.
Mr. Davis, I
will, at this time,
remand you into
custody of the Sheriff.
This court is in recess.
[music playing]
Mr. Moore, Mrs. Moore,
do you feel like you
got your revenge today?
Well, this has never
been about revenge.
It's about Shannon.
That's right.
All we can try to do is
give her some justice.
And I think we did that.
[reporters shouting]
Mr. Davis, you are educated,
articulate, and clever.
The murder of Shannon Moore
took place only after months
or years of planning.
That is the kind
of act perpetrated
on society, and
especially upon your wife,
that prisons are made for it.
And that, Mr. Davis,
is where you will spend
the rest of your life, in
prison, without the possibility
of parole.
[somber music]
Honey, let's go home.
[gentle music]