T. Cullen Davis obit

T Cullen Davis, Texas oilman acquitted in high-profile murder trials, dies at 93

 

He was not on the list.

T. Cullen Davis, a Texas oilman acquitted in the 1976 murder case that captured national attention, has died at 93.

Davis' son said the Fort Worth native died Friday at his home in the suburb of Colleyville, according to the Associated Press.

In 1976, Davis was tried for the murder of his 12-year-old stepdaughter, Andrea Wilborn, after a gunman fatally shot her and the live-in boyfriend of Davis' second wife, Priscilla Davis, inside a mansion. Priscilla Davis, along with two others who were present during the shooting, identified Davis as the gunman.

During the trial, Davis was defended by prominent Houston attorney Richard "Racehorse" Haynes. At the time, Davis was believed to be the richest man ever to stand trial for murder.

Davis' first trial ended in a mistrial because of juror misconduct. A second trial in 1977 ended in an acquittal.

In 1978, Davis was arrested again for allegedly hiring a hitman. An FBI informant claimed Davis had ordered him to murder 15 people, including Priscilla Davis and the judge overseeing their divorce litigation. Davis hired Haynes to represent him again, and was eventually acquitted.

The infamous mansion shootings inspired multiple books, documentaries and true crime television shows, including the nonfiction book "Final Justice: The True Story of the Richest Man Ever Tried for Murder" and the 1995 television miniseries "Texas Justice."

Thomas Cullen Davis was the middle of three sons born to legendary Fort Worth, Texas oilman Kenneth W. "Stinky" Davis. His father founded KenDavis Industries International, Inc., which manufactured goods used in the petroleum industry. Davis and his brothers received equal shares of their father's estate upon his death in 1968, and all three were described as possessing keen business instincts.

He had a reputation in Fort Worth society circles for displays of bad temper and general "creepiness", according to female associates.

Cullen Davis' first marriage was to Sandra Masters on August 29, 1962. They had two sons, Cullen Jr. and Brian Davis.

His second marriage was to Priscilla Lee Childers. They were married on August 29, 1968, only hours after the death of his father. It was her third marriage. Priscilla had one daughter from her first marriage, and two children from her second marriage, including Andrea Wilborn.

In 1972, Davis spent $6 million ($46 million today) to build Stonegate Mansion, a five-bedroom, 11-bath mansion with an indoor pool and a 2,000-square-foot (190 m2) master bedroom. In its prime, the luxurious, contemporary home of courtyards, tunnels and balconies at 4100 Stonegate Blvd. was decorated with more than 100 oil paintings.

Davis and Childers separated in 1974 and both began dating other people openly. A judge granted Priscilla the right to live in the Stonegate property during the divorce proceedings and further authorized substantial spousal and child support payments from Davis to Childers. Her live-in boyfriend was Stan Farr, a former basketball star at nearby Texas Christian University.

On August 2, 1976, 12-year-old Andrea Wilborn, who was home alone after returning from a Bible study, was murdered. The body of Andrea would later be found in the basement, apparently shot execution-style. When Childers and her then-boyfriend Stan Farr returned home, both were shot. Farr died at the scene. Childers staggered from the house as family friends Beverly Bass and Gus Gavrel Jr. (who later married), drove up to the mansion. Gavrel was shot, paralyzing him for life.

Childers identified Davis to police, saying he had shot her and Farr, wearing no disguise except a wig. Gavrel (who died on December 6, 2018, of pancreatic cancer, aged 64) said he was shot after Bass recognized the gunman as Davis and called him by name. Police arrested Davis that same night, at the home he shared with Karen Master, his then-girlfriend who would become his third wife. At the first trial, Davis's wealth was estimated at over $100 million ($570 million today).

Davis was only tried for the murder of Andrea. He was defended by famous Texas defense attorney Richard "Racehorse" Haynes. The prosecution case relied almost entirely on eyewitness testimony. Earlier in the day of the shooting, a judge had ordered Davis's monthly support to Priscilla increased from $3,500 to $5,000 ($19,800 to $28,290 today) and to pay her legal fees of $25,000 ($141,450 today) and household expenses of $24,000 ($135,790 today). This change was proposed as a motive for the crimes.