T. Cullen Davis
Encyclopedia
Thomas Cullen Davis is an American
oil heir. He was arrested for, and later acquitted of, the murders of his stepdaughter and his estranged wife's boyfriend, then hiring a hitman
to kill his estranged wife and a judge.
on 2 August 1976. In November 1977, after what has been called "one of the most expensive murder investigations and trials in Texas history," a jury found Davis not guilty. The children of Stan Farr later sued Davis for wrongful death and were awarded $250,000 in a settlement.
In 2004, Billy Vickers, a man sentenced to death in an unrelated case, claimed that he had been the one who murdered Farr and Wilborn.
In 1978, Davis was arrested again, this time for allegedly hiring a hitman to murder his wife Priscilla, as well as the judge overseeing their ongoing divorce litigation. The case hinged around a tape-recorded conversation between Davis and an undercover
employee posing as a hitman, during which Davis was alleged to have asked the undercover employee to murder his wife; this trial, Texas v. Davis, has been called one of the first uses of forensic discourse analysis
of tape-recorded evidence in a legal setting. A discourse analyst testified that Davis' words in the tape did not constitute solicitation of murder; and Davis was ultimately acquitted.
in 2001.
According to the profile on Power, Privilege and Justice and on A&E's American Justice, Cullen Davis became a born-again Christian and is now a Christian missionary.
A book on Cullen Davis, entitled Texas vs. Davis (ISBN 0-451-17054-7), was written by Mike Cochran. Davis was also the subject of the book Texas Justice by Gary Cartwright, which was made into a TV movie starring Peter Strauss
as Cullen and Heather Locklear
as Priscilla.
The case was covered in a chapter of Creating Language Crimes (ISBN 978-0195181661) by Roger W. Shuy, a linguistics professor who was a witness in the case.
A 1995 made for TV movie starring Peter Strauss and Heather Locklear titled "Texas Justice."
The case has been profiled on TruTV's Power, Privilege and Justice, A&E
's American Justice
as well as on Investigation Discovery's Behind Mansion Walls.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
oil heir. He was arrested for, and later acquitted of, the murders of his stepdaughter and his estranged wife's boyfriend, then hiring a hitman
Hitman
A hitman is a person hired to kill another person.- Hitmen in organized crime :Hitmen are largely linked to the world of organized crime. Hitmen are hired people who kill people for money. Notable examples include Murder, Inc., Mafia hitmen and Richard Kuklinski.- Other cases involving hitmen...
to kill his estranged wife and a judge.
Criminal trials
In August 1976, Davis was charged with the murder of his estranged wife's boyfriend, Stan Farr, and her daughter, Andrea Wilborn. Davis' wife, Priscilla Davis, had filed for divorce in 1974, but in 1976 the divorce proceedings were still ongoing and the divorce had not been made official. Farr and Wilborn had been shot dead, and Davis' wife Priscilla injured, by a gunman who entered their home in Fort WorthFort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth is the 16th-largest city in the United States of America and the fifth-largest city in the state of Texas. Located in North Central Texas, just southeast of the Texas Panhandle, the city is a cultural gateway into the American West and covers nearly in Tarrant, Parker, Denton, and...
on 2 August 1976. In November 1977, after what has been called "one of the most expensive murder investigations and trials in Texas history," a jury found Davis not guilty. The children of Stan Farr later sued Davis for wrongful death and were awarded $250,000 in a settlement.
In 2004, Billy Vickers, a man sentenced to death in an unrelated case, claimed that he had been the one who murdered Farr and Wilborn.
In 1978, Davis was arrested again, this time for allegedly hiring a hitman to murder his wife Priscilla, as well as the judge overseeing their ongoing divorce litigation. The case hinged around a tape-recorded conversation between Davis and an undercover
Undercover
Being undercover is disguising one's own identity or using an assumed identity for the purposes of gaining the trust of an individual or organization to learn secret information or to gain the trust of targeted individuals in order to gain information or evidence...
employee posing as a hitman, during which Davis was alleged to have asked the undercover employee to murder his wife; this trial, Texas v. Davis, has been called one of the first uses of forensic discourse analysis
Forensic linguistics
Forensic linguistics is the application of linguistic knowledge, methods and insights to the forensic context of law, language, crime investigation, trial, and judicial procedure. It is a branch of applied linguistics...
of tape-recorded evidence in a legal setting. A discourse analyst testified that Davis' words in the tape did not constitute solicitation of murder; and Davis was ultimately acquitted.
Later life
According to truTV, Davis lost most of his oil fortune in the recession of the 1980s, and was eventually forced to sell his mansion and declare bankruptcy. Priscilla died of breast cancerBreast cancer
Breast cancer is cancer originating from breast tissue, most commonly from the inner lining of milk ducts or the lobules that supply the ducts with milk. Cancers originating from ducts are known as ductal carcinomas; those originating from lobules are known as lobular carcinomas...
in 2001.
According to the profile on Power, Privilege and Justice and on A&E's American Justice, Cullen Davis became a born-again Christian and is now a Christian missionary.
In books and television
A book on the murder trials entitled Blood Will Tell: The murder trials of T. Cullen Davis (ISBN 0-15-169961-5) was written by Gary Cartwright and published by Harcourt in 1979.A book on Cullen Davis, entitled Texas vs. Davis (ISBN 0-451-17054-7), was written by Mike Cochran. Davis was also the subject of the book Texas Justice by Gary Cartwright, which was made into a TV movie starring Peter Strauss
Peter Strauss
Peter Strauss is an American television and movie actor, known for his roles in several television miniseries in the 1970s and 1980s.-Personal life:...
as Cullen and Heather Locklear
Heather Locklear
Heather Deen Locklear is an American actress best known for her television roles as Sammy Jo Carrington on Dynasty, Officer Stacy Sheridan on T.J...
as Priscilla.
The case was covered in a chapter of Creating Language Crimes (ISBN 978-0195181661) by Roger W. Shuy, a linguistics professor who was a witness in the case.
A 1995 made for TV movie starring Peter Strauss and Heather Locklear titled "Texas Justice."
The case has been profiled on TruTV's Power, Privilege and Justice, A&E
A&E Network
The A&E Network is a United States-based cable and satellite television network with headquarters in New York City and offices in Atlanta, Chicago, Detroit, London, Los Angeles and Stamford. A&E also airs in Canada and Latin America. Initially named the Arts & Entertainment Network, A&E launched...
's American Justice
American Justice
American Justice is an American criminal justice television program on the A&E Network, hosted by Bill Kurtis. The show features interesting or notable cases, such as the Selena Murder of a Star, Scarsdale Diet doctor murder, the Hillside Stranglers, Matthew Shepard, or the Wells Fargo heist, with...
as well as on Investigation Discovery's Behind Mansion Walls.