Richard Allen Davis
Encyclopedia
Richard Allen Davis is a convicted murderer, whose criminal record fueled support for passage of California
's "Three strikes law
" for repeat offenders. He is currently on death row
in East Block at San Quentin State Prison
, California
.
He was convicted in 1996 of first-degree murder and four special circumstances (robbery, burglary, kidnapping, and a lewd act on a child) of 12-year-old Polly Klaas
. Klaas was abducted October 1, 1993, from her Petaluma, California
, home.
A San Jose, California
, Superior Court jury recommended the death sentence
for Davis on August 5, 1996. After the verdict was read, Davis stood and flipped the bird at the courtroom with both hands. Later, at his formal sentencing, Davis read a statement claiming that Klaas had said to Davis, "Just don’t do me like my dad," just before Davis killed her, implying that Klaas' father was a child molester
. Klaas' father, Marc Klaas, reacted angrily and left the courtroom to avoid causing further commotion. Judge Thomas C. Hastings proceeded with the formality of the death sentence, saying "Mr. Davis, this is always a traumatic
and emotional decision for a judge. You made it very easy today by your conduct."
The couple divorced when Davis was 11. After the divorce, Bob, a longshoreman, won custody of all five children "because of the mother's alleged immoral conduct in the presence of the children," according to a probation
report on Davis. He moved around a lot, living variously in Chowchilla
, Fremont
, and San Francisco. The bulk of his childhood was spent in the small town of La Honda.
Davis' father would remarry three times; Davis resented all of his stepmothers. Although he had wanted custody when their marriage dissolved, the elder Davis was sometimes either unable or unwilling to care for his children, so they shuttled between their parents, as well as between paternal and maternal grandparents. Bob Davis was evidently mentally unstable and sometimes suffered from hallucinations; he is reported to have taken a gun outside the home and shot at mirages.
At an early age, Davis tortured and killed animals
. According to Ruth Baron, a mother of one of Davis' childhood friends, "He would douse cats with gasoline and set them on fire. He made a point of letting people know he carried a knife, and he used to find stray dogs and cut them."
However, a few people in Davis' life have happier memories of him; his younger sister, Darlene, remembered him as a responsible substitute for their often absent parents. "Rick brought me up," she said. "He cooked and cleaned. He was my father and my mother."
By the time he entered his teens, Davis was already deeply into a life of crime. He told a psychiatrist that stealing was a surefire way to relieve whatever "tensions" were building up inside of him. He dropped out of high school in his sophomore year.
At 17, Davis found himself in front of a judge, who told him that he could either go to the California Youth Authority or join the United States Army
. He chose the latter. Stationed in West Germany
, he worked as a military truck driver. He resumed committing petty crimes. He was given a less than honorable discharge after 13 months of service.
On October 12, 1973, he went to a party at the home of 18-year-old Marlene Voris, whom he claimed was his girlfriend. That night, Voris was found dead of a gunshot wound; there were seven suicide notes at the scene, and the police concluded that the young lady had indeed done away with herself. Others, such as Ruth Baron, believe Davis murdered her.
Davis would later claim that Voris shot herself "almost in his presence" and that he had been traumatized by it.
A few weeks after Voris' death, Davis was arrested for attempting to pawn various items he had stolen. He confessed to a string of burglaries in La Honda but claimed he had been motivated, at least sometimes, by hunger. Davis served six months in the county jail. Five weeks after his release, on May 13, 1974, he was arrested for another burglary. He was sentenced to six months to fifteen years in prison. He served a little more than two years.
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
's "Three strikes law
Three strikes law
Three strikes laws)"are statutes enacted by state governments in the United States which require the state courts to hand down a mandatory and extended period of incarceration to persons who have been convicted of a serious criminal offense on three or more separate occasions. These statutes became...
" for repeat offenders. He is currently on death row
Death row
Death row signifies the place, often a section of a prison, that houses individuals awaiting execution. The term is also used figuratively to describe the state of awaiting execution , even in places where no special facility or separate unit for condemned inmates exists.After individuals are found...
in East Block at San Quentin State Prison
San Quentin State Prison
San Quentin State Prison is a California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation state prison for men in unincorporated San Quentin, Marin County, California, United States. Opened in July 1852, it is the oldest prison in the state. California's only death row for male inmates, the largest...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
.
He was convicted in 1996 of first-degree murder and four special circumstances (robbery, burglary, kidnapping, and a lewd act on a child) of 12-year-old Polly Klaas
Polly Klaas
Polly Hannah Klaas was an American murder victim whose case gained national attention. At the age of twelve, she was kidnapped at knife point from her mother's home during a slumber party in Petaluma, California, on October 1, 1993. She was later strangled...
. Klaas was abducted October 1, 1993, from her Petaluma, California
Petaluma, California
Petaluma is a city in Sonoma County, California, in the United States. In the 2010 Census the population was 57,941.Located in Petaluma is the Rancho Petaluma Adobe, a National Historic Landmark. It was built beginning in 1836 by General Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo, then Commandant of the San...
, home.
A San Jose, California
San Jose, California
San Jose is the third-largest city in California, the tenth-largest in the U.S., and the county seat of Santa Clara County which is located at the southern end of San Francisco Bay...
, Superior Court jury recommended the death sentence
Death Sentence
Death Sentence is a short story by the American science-fiction writer Isaac Asimov. It was first published in the November 1943 issue of Astounding Science Fiction and reprinted in the 1972 collection The Early Asimov.-Plot summary:...
for Davis on August 5, 1996. After the verdict was read, Davis stood and flipped the bird at the courtroom with both hands. Later, at his formal sentencing, Davis read a statement claiming that Klaas had said to Davis, "Just don’t do me like my dad," just before Davis killed her, implying that Klaas' father was a child molester
Child sexual abuse
Child sexual abuse is a form of child abuse in which an adult or older adolescent uses a child for sexual stimulation. Forms of child sexual abuse include asking or pressuring a child to engage in sexual activities , indecent exposure with intent to gratify their own sexual desires or to...
. Klaas' father, Marc Klaas, reacted angrily and left the courtroom to avoid causing further commotion. Judge Thomas C. Hastings proceeded with the formality of the death sentence, saying "Mr. Davis, this is always a traumatic
Psychological trauma
Psychological trauma is a type of damage to the psyche that occurs as a result of a traumatic event...
and emotional decision for a judge. You made it very easy today by your conduct."
Early life
Richard "Rick" Allen Davis was born, the third of five children, in San Francisco. Both of his parents, Bob and Evelyn Davis, were alcoholics. His mother was a strict disciplinarian and is believed to have punished Davis for smoking by burning his hand.The couple divorced when Davis was 11. After the divorce, Bob, a longshoreman, won custody of all five children "because of the mother's alleged immoral conduct in the presence of the children," according to a 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...
report on Davis. He moved around a lot, living variously in Chowchilla
Chowchilla
Chowchilla may refer to:* Chowchilla, a bird * Chowchilla, California, city in Madera County, California, USA** Chowchilla Airport** The kidnapping of a bus of children which took place in, and was named for, Chowchilla...
, Fremont
Fremont
- Places :- Other uses :*The Fremont Bridge , in Portland, Oregon*The Fremont Bridge , in Seattle, Washington*Fremont River , a tributary of the Colorado River*Mount Fremont, Washington, in maximum elevation...
, and San Francisco. The bulk of his childhood was spent in the small town of La Honda.
Davis' father would remarry three times; Davis resented all of his stepmothers. Although he had wanted custody when their marriage dissolved, the elder Davis was sometimes either unable or unwilling to care for his children, so they shuttled between their parents, as well as between paternal and maternal grandparents. Bob Davis was evidently mentally unstable and sometimes suffered from hallucinations; he is reported to have taken a gun outside the home and shot at mirages.
At an early age, Davis tortured and killed animals
Zoosadism
Zoosadism is a term coined by Ernest Borneman referring to pleasure derived from cruelty to animals. Zoosadism is part of the Macdonald triad, a set of three behaviors that are a precursor to sociopathic behavior.-Research:...
. According to Ruth Baron, a mother of one of Davis' childhood friends, "He would douse cats with gasoline and set them on fire. He made a point of letting people know he carried a knife, and he used to find stray dogs and cut them."
However, a few people in Davis' life have happier memories of him; his younger sister, Darlene, remembered him as a responsible substitute for their often absent parents. "Rick brought me up," she said. "He cooked and cleaned. He was my father and my mother."
By the time he entered his teens, Davis was already deeply into a life of crime. He told a psychiatrist that stealing was a surefire way to relieve whatever "tensions" were building up inside of him. He dropped out of high school in his sophomore year.
At 17, Davis found himself in front of a judge, who told him that he could either go to the California Youth Authority or join the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
. He chose the latter. Stationed in West Germany
West Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
, he worked as a military truck driver. He resumed committing petty crimes. He was given a less than honorable discharge after 13 months of service.
On October 12, 1973, he went to a party at the home of 18-year-old Marlene Voris, whom he claimed was his girlfriend. That night, Voris was found dead of a gunshot wound; there were seven suicide notes at the scene, and the police concluded that the young lady had indeed done away with herself. Others, such as Ruth Baron, believe Davis murdered her.
Davis would later claim that Voris shot herself "almost in his presence" and that he had been traumatized by it.
A few weeks after Voris' death, Davis was arrested for attempting to pawn various items he had stolen. He confessed to a string of burglaries in La Honda but claimed he had been motivated, at least sometimes, by hunger. Davis served six months in the county jail. Five weeks after his release, on May 13, 1974, he was arrested for another burglary. He was sentenced to six months to fifteen years in prison. He served a little more than two years.
1960s
- March 6, 1967: At age 12, Davis has his first contact with law enforcement when he was arrested for burglaryBurglaryBurglary is a crime, the essence of which is illicit entry into a building for the purposes of committing an offense. Usually that offense will be theft, but most jurisdictions specify others which fall within the ambit of burglary...
in ChowchillaChowchilla, CaliforniaChowchilla is a city in Madera County, California, United States. Chowchilla is located northwest of Madera, at an elevation of 240 feet . It is a principal city of the Madera–Chowchilla Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 18,720 at the 2010 census, up from 11,127 at the 2000...
, where he lived with his grandmother. - May 24, 1967: Arrested again for forging a $United States dollarThe United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
10 money orderMoney orderA money order is a payment order for a pre-specified amount of money. Because it is required that the funds be prepaid for the amount shown on it, it is a more trusted method of payment than a cheque.-History of money orders:...
. He stayed briefly in juvenile hallYouth detention centerA youth detention center, also known as a juvenile detention center , juvenile hall or, more colloquially as juvie, is a secure residential facility for young people, often termed juvenile delinquents, awaiting court hearings and/or placement in long-term care facilities and programs...
before his father moved him and his siblings to La HondaLa Honda, CaliforniaLa Honda is a census-designated place in southern San Mateo County, California, United States. The population was 928 at the 2010 census. It is located in the Santa Cruz Mountains between Silicon Valley and the Pacific coast of California...
. - November 15, 1969: Arrested for the burglary of a La Honda home.
- November 16, 1969: The first of several occasions when Davis' father turns Davis and his older brother over to juvenile authorities for incorrigibility.
1970s
- September 15, 1970: Arrested for participating in a motorcycle theft. A probation officerProbation officerParole officers and probation officers play a role in criminal justice systems by supervising offenders released from incarceration or sentenced to non-custodial sanctions such as community service...
and judgeJudgeA judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as part of a panel of judges. The powers, functions, method of appointment, discipline, and training of judges vary widely across different jurisdictions. The judge is supposed to conduct the trial impartially and in an open...
accept his father's suggestion that he enlist in the United States ArmyUnited States ArmyThe United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
to avoid being sent to the California Youth Authority. - July 1971: Entered the Army. His military record reflects several infractions for AWOL, fighting, failure to report, and morphineMorphineMorphine is a potent opiate analgesic medication and is considered to be the prototypical opioid. It was first isolated in 1804 by Friedrich Sertürner, first distributed by same in 1817, and first commercially sold by Merck in 1827, which at the time was a single small chemists' shop. It was more...
use. - August 1972: General discharge from the military.
- February 12, 1973: Arrested in Redwood CityRedwood City, CaliforniaRedwood City is a California charter city located on the San Francisco Peninsula in Northern California, approximately 27 miles south of San Francisco, and 24 miles north of San Jose. Redwood City's history spans from its earliest inhabitation by the Ohlone people, to its tradition as a port for...
for public drunkenness and resisting arrest. Placed on one-year summary probation. - April 21, 1973: Arrested in Redwood City for being a minor in possession of liquor, burglary and contributing to the delinquency of a minor. Charged with trespassing, later dismissed.
- August 13, 1973: Arrested in Redwood City, leaning against hedges, extremely intoxicated. Released upon sobriety.
- October 24, 1973: Arrested in Redwood City on traffic warrants. Between April and October, he was implicated in more than 20 La Honda burglaries, leading a probation officer to report that residents were so angry at him he might be in danger if he returned to La Honda. He pleaded guilty to burglary and was sentenced to six months in county jail and placed on three years' probationProbationProbation 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...
. - May 13, 1974: Arrested for burglarizing South San FranciscoSan Francisco, CaliforniaSan Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
High School. He was sent to the California Medical Facility, VacavilleVacaville, CaliforniaVacaville, California is a city located in the northeastern portion of the San Francisco Bay Area in Solano County. The city is nearly half way between Sacramento and San Francisco on I-80. It sits approximately from Sacramento, and from San Francisco...
, for a 90-diagnostic study. A county probation officer recommended prison, but proceedings were suspended when Davis enrolled in a Veterans AdministrationUnited States Department of Veterans AffairsThe United States Department of Veterans Affairs is a government-run military veteran benefit system with Cabinet-level status. It is the United States government’s second largest department, after the United States Department of Defense...
alcohol treatment program. He quit on the second day. - September 16, 1974: Sentenced to one year in county jail for the school burglary. He was allowed to leave jail to attend a Native AmericanNative Americans in the United StatesNative Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
drug and alcohol treatment program. He failed to return, leaving behind two angry fellow inmates who had given Davis money to buy drugs and bring the contraband back to jail. - March 2, 1975: After being released, the two inmates tracked Davis down and shot him in the back. He was rearrested on a probation violation for failing to return to jail. Later, he testified against the inmates, earning him the epithet of "snitch" from fellow inmates. He was placed in protective custody.
- April 11, 1975: Arrested for paroleParoleParole may have different meanings depending on the field and judiciary system. All of the meanings originated from the French parole . Following its use in late-resurrected Anglo-French chivalric practice, the term became associated with the release of prisoners based on prisoners giving their...
violation. - July 11, 1975: Arrested for auto theft and possession of marijuanaCannabis (drug)Cannabis, also known as marijuana among many other names, refers to any number of preparations of the Cannabis plant intended for use as a psychoactive drug or for medicinal purposes. The English term marijuana comes from the Mexican Spanish word marihuana...
. Received 10-day jail sentence. - August 13, 1975: Probation revoked after arrest for San Francisco burglary and grand theftGrand theftGrand theft or grand larceny is a category used to rank the severity of crime associated with theft.Generally, in the United States it is defined as intentional taking property of others in an amount exceeding the state statutory amount....
. He was sentenced to a term of from six months to 15 years in prison. - August 2, 1976: Paroled from Vacaville.
- September 24, 1976: Abducted Frances Mays, a 26-year-old legal secretary, from the South Hayward BARTBay Area Rapid TransitBay Area Rapid Transit is a rapid transit system serving the San Francisco Bay Area. The heavy-rail public transit and subway system connects San Francisco with cities in the East Bay and suburbs in northern San Mateo County. BART operates five lines on of track with 44 stations in four counties...
station and attempted to sexually assaultSexual assaultSexual assault is an assault of a sexual nature on another person, or any sexual act committed without consent. Although sexual assaults most frequently are by a man on a woman, it may involve any combination of two or more men, women and children....
her. She escaped and hailed a passing car in which California Highway PatrolCalifornia Highway PatrolThe California Highway Patrol is a law enforcement agency of the U.S. state of California. The CHP has patrol jurisdiction over all California highways and also acts as the state police....
Officer Jim Wentz was riding. Wentz arrested Davis. - December 8, 1976: Transferred to Napa State Hospital for psychiatric evaluation after he tried to hangHangingHanging is the lethal suspension of a person by a ligature. The Oxford English Dictionary states that hanging in this sense is "specifically to put to death by suspension by the neck", though it formerly also referred to crucifixion and death by impalement in which the body would remain...
himself in a cell at Alameda County Jail. He later admitted he faked the suicideSuicideSuicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
attempt in order to be sent to a state hospital, where he could more easily escape. He was mistakenly admitted as a voluntary patient rather than a prisoner. - December 16, 1976: Escaped from Napa State Hospital and went on a four-day crime spree in NapaNapa, California-History:The name Napa was probably derived from the name given to a southern Nappan village whose people shared the area with elk, deer, grizzlies and cougars for many centuries, according to Napa historian Kami Santiago. At the time of the first recorded exploration into Napa Valley in 1823, the...
. He broke into the home of Marjorie Mitchell, a nurse at the state hospital, and beat her on the head with a fire poker while she slept. He broke into a car to kidnap Hazel Frost, a bartender, as she climbed into her Cadillac outside a bar. When she saw he had bindings, she rolled out of the car, grabbed a gun from beneath the seat and fired six shots at the fleeing Davis. - December 21, 1976: Broke into the home of Josephine Kreiger, a bank employee, in La Honda. He was hiding in brush behind the home with a shotgun when arrested by a San Mateo County Sheriff's deputy.
- June 1, 1977: Sentenced to a term of one to 25 years in prison for the Mays kidnapping. A sexual assault charge was dropped as part of a plea bargainPlea bargainA 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...
. He was later sentenced to concurrent terms for the Napa crime spree and the La Honda break-in.
1980s
- March 4, 1982: Paroled from the Deuel Vocational Institute in TracyTracy, CaliforniaTracy is the second most populated city in San Joaquin County, California, United States and an exurb of the San Francisco Bay Area. The population was 82,922 at the 2010 census.-History:...
. - November 30, 1984: With new girlfriend-accomplice Sue Edwards, he pistol-whipped Selina Varich, a friend of Edwards' sister, in her Redwood City apartment and forced her to withdraw $United States dollarThe United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
6,000 from her bank account. Davis and Edwards make a successful escape. - March 22, 1985: Arrested in ModestoModesto, CaliforniaModesto is a city in, and is the county seat of, Stanislaus County, California. With a population of approximately 201,165 at the 2010 census, Modesto ranks as the 18th largest city in the state of California....
when a police officer noticed a defective taillight. He and Edwards were charged with robbing a Yogurt Cup shop and the Delta National Bank in Modesto. Authorities in Kennewick, WashingtonKennewick, WashingtonKennewick is a city in Benton County in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Washington, near the Hanford nuclear site. It is the most populous of the three cities collectively referred to as the Tri-Cities...
, were unaware for several years that the pair had robbed a bank, a Value Giant store and the Red Steer restaurant during the winter of 1984–1985. Davis later confessed to the crimes in an attempt to implicate Edwards, whom he believed to have broken a promise to help him while he was in prison.
1990s
- June 27, 1993: Paroled from the California Men's Colony, San Luis ObispoSan Luis Obispo, CaliforniaSan Luis Obispo is a city in California, located roughly midway between San Francisco and Los Angeles on the Central Coast. Founded in 1772 by Spanish Fr. Junipero Serra, San Luis Obispo is one of California’s oldest communities...
, after serving half of a 16-year sentence for the Varich kidnapping. - October 1, 1993: Davis kidnapped Polly KlaasPolly KlaasPolly Hannah Klaas was an American murder victim whose case gained national attention. At the age of twelve, she was kidnapped at knife point from her mother's home during a slumber party in Petaluma, California, on October 1, 1993. She was later strangled...
during a slumber party at her PetalumaPetaluma, CaliforniaPetaluma is a city in Sonoma County, California, in the United States. In the 2010 Census the population was 57,941.Located in Petaluma is the Rancho Petaluma Adobe, a National Historic Landmark. It was built beginning in 1836 by General Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo, then Commandant of the San...
home, committed a lewd act on her, then murdered her by strangulation. - October 19, 1993: Arrested in UkiahUkiah, CaliforniaThe average high temperature is 73.5 °F . Average low temperature is 46.1 °F . Temperatures reach 90 °F on an average of 65.6 days annually and 100 °F on an average of 14.4 days annually. Due to frequent low humidity, summer temperatures normally drop into the fifties at night. Freezing...
for drunken driving during the search for Klaas. He failed to appear in court. - November 30, 1993: Arrested for parole violation on the Coyote Valley Indian Reservation north of Ukiah; he is identified as the prime suspect in the kidnapping.
- December 3, 1993: Davis provides investigators with information that leads them to Klaas's body near U.S. Route 101 near CloverdaleCloverdale, CaliforniaCloverdale is a city in Sonoma County, California, United States. The San Francisco and North Pacific Railroad reached Cloverdale in 1872. The Cloverdale Rancheria of Pomo Indians of California is headquartered here...
. - December 7, 1993: Charged with the kidnapping/murder of Klaas.
- June 18, 1996: Convicted of kidnapping/murder of Klaas. Upon conviction, raises his middle fingers to the court, and makes a statement implying his victim's father was her molester.
- August 5, 1996: Superior Court jury in San JoseSan Jose, CaliforniaSan Jose is the third-largest city in California, the tenth-largest in the U.S., and the county seat of Santa Clara County which is located at the southern end of San Francisco Bay...
recommends death sentence.
2000s
- July 2006: Davis was found unconscious in his cell following an opiate overdose.
- June 1, 2009: The California Supreme Court upholds Davis' death sentence. Davis had argued that his jailhouse confession was illegal because it was given without an attorney present, but the Court said that police can ignore a suspect's rights to counsel if they believe someone's life is in jeopardy. Davis can still lodge a habeas corpus appeal with the state, and then federal courts.