Disappearance and murder of Jessie Davis
Encyclopedia
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
woman first reported missing from her Lake Township, Ohio home on June 15, 2007. The case drew an extraordinary response from the American media. On February 15, 2008, Bobby Lee Cutts, Jr., the father of her 2-year-old son and unborn daughter, was convicted of the aggravated murders of Davis and their unborn child. He was sentenced to life in prison
Life imprisonment
Life imprisonment is a sentence of imprisonment for a serious crime under which the convicted person is to remain in jail for the rest of his or her life...
without parole for 57 years on February 27, 2008. A high-school friend of Cutts, Myisha Lynne Ferrell, was also later charged.
Disappearance, recovery of body, and funeral
Davis was last seen shopping at Acme Fresh MarketAcme Fresh Market
Akron, Ohio grocery chain. For the unrelated Philadelphia-area chain, see Acme Markets.Acme Fresh Market is a grocery store chain with 16 locations in Northeast Ohio serving Portage, Stark, Summit, & Cuyahoga Counties...
, a local grocery store. Her mother reported her missing on June 15, 2007, when she found her 2-year-old grandson Blake home alone, with bleach
Bleach
Bleach refers to a number of chemicals that remove color, whiten, or disinfect, often via oxidation. Common chemical bleaches include household chlorine bleach , lye, oxygen bleach , and bleaching powder...
spilled on the floor and furniture broken and overturned. In televised reports, Davis' mother (who had last spoken with her daughter two days earlier) reported that Blake kept stating, "Mommy broke the table" and "Mommy's in the rug". At the time of her disappearance, Davis was a resident of Lake Township
Lake Township, Stark County, Ohio
Lake Township is one of the seventeen townships of Stark County, Ohio, United States. It is an urban township; the 2000 census found 25,892 people in the township, 23,718 of whom lived in the unincorporated portions of the township.-Geography:...
in Stark County
Stark County, Ohio
Stark County is a county located in the U.S. state of Ohio. As of the 2010 census, the population was 375,586. It is included in the Canton-Massillon, Ohio Metropolitan Statistical Area....
, Ohio.
A search of the area involving "thousands of volunteers" including members of Texas EquuSearch
Texas EquuSearch
Texas EquuSearch is a search and rescue organization dedicated to searching for missing persons. It has increasingly become involved in high-profile abduction cases, including that of Natalee Holloway, working through local law enforcement agencies...
, was launched. On June 23, Davis' body was recovered in a wooded area in neighboring Summit County
Summit County, Ohio
Summit County is an urban county located in the state of Ohio, United States. As of the 2000 census, the population was 542,899. In the 2010 Census the population was 541,781. Its county seat is Akron...
, in Hampton Hills Metro Park
Metro Parks, Serving Summit County
' is a Metroparks system serving the citizens of Summit County, Ohio by managing in 14 developed parks, six conservation areas and more than of trails.The park district is fully supported by a levy, which voters are periodically asked to approve...
—a park surrounded by, but distinct from Cuyahoga Valley National Park
Cuyahoga Valley National Park
Cuyahoga Valley National Park preserves and reclaims the rural landscape along the Cuyahoga River between Akron and Cleveland in Northeast Ohio. The park is the only national park in Ohio.Cuyahoga means "crooked river" in Mohawk....
, in the vicinity of Cuyahoga Falls
Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio
As of the census of 2000, there were 49,374 people, 21,655 households, and 13,317 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,932.9 people per square mile . There were 22,727 housing units at an average density of 889.7 per square mile...
.
The first reliable website to pin down the widely reported rumor that Cutts had assisted in locating the body of Davis was that of America's Most Wanted
America's Most Wanted
America's Most Wanted is an American television program produced by 20th Television, and was the longest-running program of any kind in the history of the Fox Television Network until it was announced on May 16, 2011 that the series was canceled after twenty-three years, with the final episode...
: "AMW sources have confirmed that Bobby Cutts Jr., Jessie's boyfriend and the father of her 2-year-old son Blake, led law enforcement to the body."
The post-mortem was performed by the Summit County authorities, as this is where the body was recovered. Her body was reported to be in an "advanced state of decomposition". The autopsy was performed the following day, confirming her identity. Investigators believe Davis was murdered on June 14, but confirmation of this, as well as the precise means of death, await the results of forensic tests. Bob Budgake, director of the Stark-Summit County crime lab, indicated that the lab was "working overtime and weekends to process evidence from the Jessie Davis case, two other recent murders and other investigations."
Funeral
A single-casket funeral was held June 30 at the House of the Lord, with a subsequent interment at Greenlawn Memorial Park. The arrangements were handled by the Silva-Hostetler Funeral Home, both in the AkronAkron, Ohio
Akron , is the fifth largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Summit County. It is located in the Great Lakes region approximately south of Lake Erie along the Little Cuyahoga River. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 199,110. The Akron Metropolitan...
area. Though members of the Cutts family attended; Davis' son, Blake, did not. The family "felt the toddler had already been through enough." Approximately 750 people attended the service.
The service was also streamed online on local news stations' websites so people who could not attend could still see the service.
Her mother, Patricia Porter, said at the service that her daughter had been a committed God-fearing person after doing overseas missionary work, but at some point "she took a wrong turn somewhere."
Porter said her daughter realized in church a few weeks ago that she needed to reform her life.
Prior to the funeral, hundreds of people paid their final respects for Davis with a candlelight vigil held outside her Lake Township duplex and during calling hours at the House of the Lord Church.
Trust fund for Blake Davis
In July 2007, Jennifer Snyder, a native of Lake Township, OhioLake Township, Stark County, Ohio
Lake Township is one of the seventeen townships of Stark County, Ohio, United States. It is an urban township; the 2000 census found 25,892 people in the township, 23,718 of whom lived in the unincorporated portions of the township.-Geography:...
, established Blake's Bright Tomorrow, a trust fund for Blake Davis' college education. On July 21, Snyder organized the Blake’s Bright Tomorrow festival and auction, which included signed memorabilia from LeBron James
LeBron James
LeBron Raymone James is an American professional basketball player for the Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association . Nicknamed "King James", he was a three-time "Mr. Basketball" of Ohio in high school, and was highly promoted in the national media as a future NBA superstar while a...
, Joe Theismann
Joe Theismann
Joseph Robert "Joe" Theismann is a former quarterback in the National Football League and Canadian Football League . He achieved his most enduring fame in his 12 seasons playing for the Washington Redskins, where he was a two-time Pro Bowler and quarterback of the winning team in Super Bowl XVII...
, Jerome Bettis
Jerome Bettis
Jerome Abram "The Bus" Bettis is a retired American football halfback who played for the NFL's Los Angeles/St. Louis Rams and Pittsburgh Steelers. Bettis is considered one of the best big backs ever because his footwork and power, and is currently fifth on the National Football League's all-time...
, Faith Hill
Faith Hill
Faith Hill is an American country singer. She is known both for her commercial success and her marriage to fellow country star Tim McGraw. Hill has sold more than 40 million records worldwide and accumulated eight number-one singles and three number-one albums on the U.S...
, and Tim McGraw
Tim McGraw
Samuel Timothy "Tim" McGraw is an American country singer and actor. Many of McGraw's albums and singles have topped the country music charts with total album sales in excess of 40 million units in the US, making him the eighth best-selling artist, and the third best-selling country singer, in the...
.
Countrywide Home Loans
Countrywide Financial
Bank of America Home Loans is the mortgage unit of Bank of America. Bank of America Home Loans is composed of:*Mortgage Banking, which originates purchases, securitizes, and services mortgages. In 2008, Bank of America purchased the failing Countrywide Financial for $4.1 billion...
also donated a home to Blake Davis and his grandmother, Patty Porter, who lived in a small apartment.
Bobby Lee Cutts, Jr.
Canton, Ohio
Canton is the county seat of Stark County in northeastern Ohio, approximately south of Akron and south of Cleveland.The City of Caton is the largest incorporated area within the Canton-Massillon Metropolitan Statistical Area...
, Police Department, and the father of Davis' son and unborn daughter. The Canton Police Department, which had not considered Cutts a suspect, did not participate in the arrest, which was done by the FBI and Sheriff.
Cutts (born May 21, 1977, in Canton) is the son of Renee Horne and Bobby Cutts, Sr. He was married to, but separated from, another woman at the time of the murder. According to Cutts, the couple had discussed a divorce. His wife formally filed for divorce four days after his arrest. Other allegations of abuse had previously been leveled against Cutts in Stark county.
For much of the period leading to the discovery of the body, local law enforcement told the news media that Cutts was not a suspect, or even a "person of interest". At the time of his arrest, Cutts was a resident of Plain Township
Plain Township, Stark County, Ohio
Plain Township is one of the seventeen townships of Stark County, Ohio, United States. The 2000 census found 51,997 people in the township, 35,543 of whom lived in the unincorporated portions of the township...
in Stark County.
The only interview Cutts has granted to the press to date was published in The Repository
Canton Repository
The Repository is a daily newspaper serving the greater Canton, Ohio, area. Founded March 30, 1815, by John Saxton, it started as a weekly, and began publishing seven-days-a-week in 1892...
. This was with Todd Porter, a sportswriter with whom Cutts had previous contact. Cutts denied he was involved. Porter writes: "Cutts looked tired, sullen, and depressed. He openly wept during an exclusive interview with The Repository from his home."
Cutts is believed to have been active on a dating site during the time Davis was missing and allegedly logged in just days before his arrest on June 23.
Myisha Lynne Ferrell
Cutts and Myisha Ferrell graduated together in 1995 from GlenOak High SchoolGlenOak High School
GlenOak High School is located in Plain Township, Stark County, Ohio. The school derives its name from the combination of the former Glenwood and Oakwood high schools, which were merged by the district in the fall of 1975...
.
The police raided Ferrell's apartment on June 23, seizing cleaning supplies and duct tape
Duct tape
Duct tape, or duck tape, is cloth- or scrim-backed pressure sensitive tape often sealed with polyethylene. It is very similar to gaffer tape but differs in that gaffer tape was designed to be cleanly removed, while duct tape was not. It has a standard width of and is generally silver or black...
, among other things. The Canton
Canton, Ohio
Canton is the county seat of Stark County in northeastern Ohio, approximately south of Akron and south of Cleveland.The City of Caton is the largest incorporated area within the Canton-Massillon Metropolitan Statistical Area...
Repository
Canton Repository
The Repository is a daily newspaper serving the greater Canton, Ohio, area. Founded March 30, 1815, by John Saxton, it started as a weekly, and began publishing seven-days-a-week in 1892...
reported that:
A source close to Cutts told The Repository Saturday that Cutts said he asked a female friend help him remove Davis' body from her home. Cutts reportedly said Davis’ death was not his doing, but he thought no one would believe him and decided to hide the body.
The impression that Ferrell was involved in moving the body is reinforced by the statements made at the court hearing of July 2.
Ferrell was arrested and charged with obstruction of justice
Obstruction of justice
The crime of obstruction of justice, in United States jurisdictions, refers to the crime of interfering with the work of police, investigators, regulatory agencies, prosecutors, or other officials...
. At the time of her arrest, she was employed part time at a local Denny's
Denny's
Denny's is a full-service coffee shop/family restaurant chain. It operates over 1,500 restaurants in the United States , Canada, Curaçao, Costa Rica, Honduras, Jamaica, Japan , Mexico, New Zealand, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates.Denny's is known for always being...
, and was undergoing eviction proceedings from her apartment.
On December 15, 2008, Ferrell was ordered released after serving one year of her two year sentence. Jessie Davis' mother and father were in attendance at the court proceeding.
Arraignment
Cutts and Ferrell were arraigned on June 25. Judge John Poulos set Cutts' bond at $5,000,000; Ferrell's bail was set at $500,000. That same day, Cutts was suspended without pay from the Canton Police Department. He had been on paid administrative leave.Subsequent court proceedings
Each appeared at separate court hearings on July 2, before Judge Richard J. Kubilus. These preliminary hearings were meant for the prosecution to present sufficient probable cause to hold the accused. The complexity of the case, and the time frame of the arrests made this necessary as insufficient time existed to obtain an indictment. However, both defendants waived the preliminary hearing, and the case went to the grand jury. Cutts is represented by Bradley Iams, while Ferrell is represented John Alexander, Jr. of Akron. A request for bail reduction was made on behalf of Ferrell, but this was refused after the prosecutor said "Myisha Ferrell 'helped deposit the body' and lied to police officers several times throughout the investigation."On November 5, 2007, as her trial was about to begin, Ferrell agreed to plead guilty to charges of obstruction of justice and complicity to gross abuse of a corpse for her role in Davis' disappearance and death. Under the terms of her plea agreement
Plea bargain
A plea bargain is an agreement in a criminal case whereby the prosecutor offers the defendant the opportunity to plead guilty, usually to a lesser charge or to the original criminal charge with a recommendation of a lighter than the maximum sentence.A plea bargain allows criminal defendants to...
, Ferrell was sentenced to two years in prison—a sentence that may be lengthened unless Ferrell testifies honestly at the trial of Cutts. The judge said he would consider releasing Ferrell on probation
Probation
Probation literally means testing of behaviour or abilities. In a legal sense, an offender on probation is ordered to follow certain conditions set forth by the court, often under the supervision of a probation officer...
after one year.
Trial of Bobby Lee Cutts, Jr.
Cutts' trial began on February 4, 2008. On February 11, Cutts took the stand and described Davis' death. He said that he struggled with her in her house and struck her in the throat with his elbow. Cutts testified that he tried to resuscitate Davis after she became unconscious. He also said that he did not call 911 because Davis didn't have a telephone in her house and he didn't know how to turn on her cell phone.On February 15, 2008, Cutts was convicted of the murder of Davis and the aggravated murder
Aggravation (legal concept)
Aggravation, in law, is "any circumstance attending the commission of a crime or tort which increases its guilt or enormity or adds to its injurious consequences, but which is above and beyond the essential constituents of the crime or tort itself."...
of her unborn child. He was also found guilty of associated charges, including aggravated burglary; gross abuse of a corpse; and child endangering. Cutts faced the possibility of life imprisonment
Life imprisonment
Life imprisonment is a sentence of imprisonment for a serious crime under which the convicted person is to remain in jail for the rest of his or her life...
or a death sentence
Capital punishment
Capital punishment, the death penalty, or execution is the sentence of death upon a person by the state as a punishment for an offence. Crimes that can result in a death penalty are known as capital crimes or capital offences. The term capital originates from the Latin capitalis, literally...
. The jury, in its penalty phase, declined to impose the death penalty. The judge sentenced Cutts to life in prison with no eligibility for parole until 54 years of his sentence has been served.
Final verdict and sentencing
Bobby Cutts, Jr. was sentenced on February 27, 2008, to life imprisonmentLife imprisonment
Life imprisonment is a sentence of imprisonment for a serious crime under which the convicted person is to remain in jail for the rest of his or her life...
without the eligibility of parole for 57 years. He must serve time for each of his convicted murders consecutively, with additional minor concurrently with the murder convictions.
News coverage
- Special Report - ClevelandCleveland, OhioCleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
The Plain Dealer - Jessie Marie Davis Coverage and Bobby L. Cutts Jr. Trial - CantonCanton, OhioCanton is the county seat of Stark County in northeastern Ohio, approximately south of Akron and south of Cleveland.The City of Caton is the largest incorporated area within the Canton-Massillon Metropolitan Statistical Area...
RepositoryCanton RepositoryThe Repository is a daily newspaper serving the greater Canton, Ohio, area. Founded March 30, 1815, by John Saxton, it started as a weekly, and began publishing seven-days-a-week in 1892... - Obituary, from AkronAkron, OhioAkron , is the fifth largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Summit County. It is located in the Great Lakes region approximately south of Lake Erie along the Little Cuyahoga River. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 199,110. The Akron Metropolitan...
Beacon JournalAkron Beacon JournalThe Akron Beacon Journal is a four-time Pulitzer Prize-winning morning newspaper in Akron, Ohio, United States, and published by Black Press Ltd.. It is the sole daily newspaper in Akron and is distributed throughout Northeast Ohio. The paper places a strong emphasis on local news and business...
Criminal complaints
- Ohio v. Bobby Lee Cutts, Jr. (pdf at CNNCNNCable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
) - Ohio v. Bobby Lee Cutts, Jr. (at FindLawFindLawFindLaw is a business of Thomson Reuters that provides online legal information and online marketing services for law firms. FindLaw was created by Stacy Stern, Martin Roscheisen and Tim Stanley in 1995, and was acquired by Thomson West in 2001....
) - Ohio v. Myisha Lynne Ferrell (pdf at CNN)
- Ohio v. Myisha Lynne Ferrell (at FindLaw)