Don William Davis
Murderer
Brian Kevin Rosenfeld
Murderer · USA · 1985
Brian Kevin Rosenfeld Brian Kevin Rosenfeld was sentenced to three concurrent l…
23 victims
Yahweh ben Yahweh
Murderer · USA · 1980
Yahweh ben Yahweh was born and legally named Hulon Mitchell Jr. (October 27, 19…
23 victims
Russell Ellwood
Murderer · USA · 1991
Russell Ellwood was a former taxi driver. Authorities suspected him of killing…
20 victims
Robert Martines Perez
Murderer · USA · 1994
Name: Robert Martines Perez · Other name used in proceedings: Robert Martinez P…
15 victims
Maurice Lydell Harris
Murderer · USA · 1994
Maurice Lydell Harris was sentenced to death on December 20, 1996. The Californ…
1 victim
Edward Paul Morris
Mass murderer · USA · 2002
Edward Paul Morris killed his wife and three children and dumped their bodies i…
4 victims
Wellington Menezes de Oliveira
Mass murderer · Brazil · 2011
Wellington Menezes de Oliveira (July 13, 1987 - April 7, 2011) carried out a sh…
12 victims
John Floyd Thomas
Serial killer · USA · 1972
John Floyd Thomas, Jr. (born July 26, 1936) was an American criminal who was ar…
7 victims
Ronald Adrin Gray
Serial killer · USA · 1986
Ronald Adrin Gray Ronald Adrin Gray was born in 1966 and was a native of Miami.…
4 victims
- Gender
- male
- Country
- USA
- Location
- Benton County, Arkansas, USA
- Date of birth
- November 23, 1962
- Age at first offence
- 28
- Characteristics
- robbery, to avoid arrest, history of mental illness
- Victim profile
- Jane Martha Daniels, 62
- Method of murder
- Shooting (.44 caliber Magnum revolver)
- Date(s) of murder
- October 12, 1990
- Years active
- 1990
- Date of arrest
- —
- Status
-
Sentenced to death
Sentenced to death on March 6, 1992
Case details
Don William Davis was sentenced to death on March 6, 1992.
Trial
Trial counsel for Don William Davis were Joel Huggins and Charles Duell.
During the penalty phase, a defense psychiatrist testified that he did not have the opportunity to interview Mr. Davis because he invoked his right to remain silent.
Sentencing
Don William Davis received a death sentence on March 6, 1992.
Appeals
The conviction and sentence were affirmed on direct appeal by Davis v. State, 863 S.W.2d 259 (Ark. 1993), and certiorari was denied, 511 U.S. 1026 (1994).
Post-conviction relief was denied, and the denial was affirmed by Davis v. State, 44 S.W.3d 726 (Ark. 2001).
The stay of execution was dissolved by Davis v. State, 53 S.W.3d 46 (Ark. 2001).
The Eighth Circuit affirmed the district court’s denial of habeas on September 14, 2005, Davis v. Norris, Case No. 04-2192, at 423 F.3d 868 (8th Cir. 2005).
Federal habeas and lethal injection litigation
A challenge to lethal injection in the Eastern District of Arkansas was pursued in Dansby v. Norris, Case No. 5:06-Cv-00110-SWW.
A stay of execution was granted based on the lethal injection claim on June 26, 2006, in Dansby v. Norris, Case No. 5:06-Cv-00110-SWW.
Significant legal issues included a lethal injection challenge and an Ake and IAC claim stemming from the trial court’s refusal to appoint an independent psychiatric examiner to assist with the penalty phase defense psychiatrist’s testimony during the penalty phase. The defense psychiatrist testified that he did not have the opportunity to interview Mr.
Timeline
- March 6, 1992 — Don William Davis was sentenced to death.
- 1993 — Davis v. State, 863 S.W.2d 259 (Ark. 1993), affirmed the conviction and sentence.
- 1994 — Certiorari was denied in 511 U.S. 1026.
- 2001 — Davis v. State, 44 S.W.3d 726 (Ark. 2001), affirmed denial of post-conviction relief.
- 2001 — Davis v. State, 53 S.W.3d 46 (Ark. 2001), dissolved the stay of execution.
- September 14, 2005 — The Eighth Circuit affirmed the denial of habeas, Davis v. Norris, Case No. 04-2192, 423 F.3d 868 (8th Cir. 2005).
- June 26, 2006 — A stay of execution was granted based on the lethal injection claim, Dansby v. Norris, Case No. 5:06-Cv-00110-SWW.
Spotted an error, or have more information about this case?