European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - September 12, 1978, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Eyes As the gunman tried to break in the locked breakfast room door first with his hands then banging on the Glass with his head. The gunman fired three shots through the Glass and entered the House through the jagged door. A few moments later the Man in Black emerged glanced at Gavrel and muttered of my  then he disappeared. Four hours later Cullen Davis was arrested at the Home of Karen master. Both Priscilla and Beverly identified him As the gunman. When police combed the mansion they found yet an other victim. Andrea arms raised above her head As if in surrender was dead in the basement a Bullet through her heart. The eyewitness accounts were devastating but none of the physical evidence placed Cullen Davis at the scene. Only identifiable fingerprints belonged to the maid and a homicide detective. The murder pistol was never found. Cullen was charged with capital murder opening the possibility of the death penalty. In Texas capital murder Means a killing committed during commission of another felony. The prosecution argued that Cullen was burglar izing his own Home from which he had been barred during the divorce proceedings by judge Eidson. Confident of its Case the prosecution relied on an Drea s killing and an emotional Appeal that a Beautiful gentle 12-year-old girl had been cold blood edly killed. But eight weeks after the trial began in fort Worth it ended in a mistrial when a juror made unauthorized phone Calls. On april 21, judge Tom Cave presiding himself moved that the trial be held elsewhere and the court travelled to Amarillo. Under the direction of Haynes whose repute Chal Lenges such courtroom stalwarts As f. Lee Bailey and Melvin Belli the defense team made important connections in Amarillo. A local former District attorney was hired to join the defense. A prominent attorney was hired to investigate potential jurors. The defense strategy was to discredit Priscilla Davis Hng new York times 3 Lim t. Cullen Davis with Karen master who pen provided him with Alibi in the killings. Nebr 12, 1978 by showing that she was a Jekyll and Hyde personality who pandered to the Rich and by Day and rubbed elbows with drug addicts and sexual deviates at night. Haynes Cross examined Priscilla for two weeks. Then he brought a Parade of her friends to the stand. They were a Low Grade lot. . Rufner a fort Worth electrician on probation for armed robbery testified that he had been Priscilla s Lover before the Davies separated. He took the fifth amendment when asked about drug parties at the Davis mansion. Mrs. Sandy Myers on probation on a narcotics conviction said Rufner once threatened Priscilla and Farr. The jury was not permitted to hear her testimony Tommy Jourden an sex convict who shared a Hospital room with Gavrel after the shootings testified that Bubba had told his father he did t know who shot him. Jourden testified that he told Gavrel you know if this Rich Man shot you you Are going to be a Rich Man your self. You can file  according to Jourden Gavrel replied you know i guess you re right. I had t thought about  Karen master testified that she woke up at 12 40 . On the night of the shootings and found Cullen Davis lying next to her in bed. Cullen was living very Well. According to Many accounts he had the run of the courtroom several times moving out of sight of his guards. He ordered a catered lunch in the courthouse inviting Karen friends and attorneys. Cullen was mixing so Well with Amarillo courthouse society Priscilla said that you might have thought he was running for Public  the jury acquitted Cullen in 4 hours and 12 minutes ending the longest trial in Texas history. Cullen gave a Victory party and the judge and several jurors attended. Davis outspent the prosecution 10-to-l. For Priscilla and Cullen the murder trial had been a Long ordeal jail Public humiliation nation wide notoriety sensational accounts of a lurid life style a blood lusting killer a sexy blonde on drugs and a Juicy divorce settlement on the line. Little did they know the Story was Only beginning. The just acquired Davis had known David Mccrory for a Long time. It was almost 10 years since Davis had struck up an acquaintance with Mccrory in the Pink elephant club in fort Worth and the pair became drinking buddies. Mccrory a loth Grade dropout who did stints As a karate instructor and a storm window installer became Davis s Playboy pal flying in the latter s Lear Jet to Acapulco and Aspen. Davis even bought the Pink elephant so he and Mccrory could play Pool there after hours. Now after the acquittal the two met to talk about a Job for Mccrory. The spot Davis picked was the parking lot at Coco s famous hamburgers. The Job Davis allegedly wanted done was an investigation of Gavrel and Beverly Bass. Me was also interested in Ronald Aultman and Jerry Loftin Law yers who represented Priscilla in their divorce trial that had dragged on for four years. Mccrory said Davis Laid out $5,000 in $100 Bills. He went through the motions of his assignment periodically meeting Davis sub Rosa and leaving cryptic messages at the millionaire s office under an alias Frank Johnson. Soon according to Mccrory Davis started talking about murdering people. The millionaire threatened his Friend if you Cross me this time Mccrory recalled that Davis said ill have your wife and your whole family killed and Don t think i won  Davis told Mccrory Beverly is the Only one the jury believes. She s got to  the plan allegedly was that Mccrory was to hire a killer. A Bounty of $30,000 was placed on the Heads of Beverly Bass Gavrel judge Eidson who presided at the Davies divorce hearings and others. Heroin or cocaine was to be placed near Beverly s body to make her death appear drug related. Or it was the $6 million mansion in fort Worth tex., where the sayings took place. Suggested her body might be Cut into Small pieces and scattered to make it unidentifiable. Ultimately the list grew to 15 people. Judge Tom Cave who presided at the murder trial joined Eidson on the list. Priscilla s name was entered. So was that of William Davis Cullen s brother who broke bitterly with him Over business matters and called him a Wastrel. Witnesses who testified against Cullen at the murder trial were also put on the list. Mccrory stalled. He invented a murder inc. Outfit supposedly operating out of Kansas City. He told Davis that outfit wanted $75,000 to kill Gavrel and Bass and $100,000 to do away with Eidson. Davis walked. The millionaire again threatened his family Mccrory said and he went to agent Ronald k. Jannings of the fed eral Bureau of investigation. On aug. 18, Mccrory again met Davis this time with a tape recorder strapped to his Back and a microphone concealed in his shirt. Videotapes and photographs were made by police hidden nearby. Mccrory repeated the performance two Days later this time Mccrory gave Davis a ,22-caliber pistol wrap Ped in a Towel which the millionaire allegedly had wanted fitted with a Silencer provided by the Fri. Then in an episode with the Impact of a Holly Wood drama Mccrory showed Davis a photograph of Eidson sprawled in the trunk of a car with an apparent gunshot wound splotch ing blood on the Back of his shirt. Mccrory showed Eidson s Texas bar association membership card to convince Davis the judge was dead. Actually Eidson posed for the picture and provided the additional proof at the request of the authorities. Davis gave Mccrory $25,000 in $100 Bills As payment for a Job apparently Well done. The meeting again in Coco s lot was monitored by five Law enforcement agencies. A transcript included this dialogue Mccrory i got judge Eidson dead for you. Davis Good. Mccrory i la get the rest of them dead for you. You want a Bunch of people dead right Davis All right. Mccrory now you want you want Beverly Bass killed next Quick right Davis away us. Mccrory now i Don t want to make another mistake. You sure Davis yeah. Mccrory cause he s going to operate again tonight. Davis of. Well. Mccrory hey the Man is Good. He s the Best i be Ever seen. Davis just one problem. I Haven t got the Money lined up. Mccrory How Long will it take Davis i la try to get it this week. I can get it in two Days. Mccrory i Don t know whether i can keep him Here two Days or not Cullen. Mccrory left the parking lot and went into Coco s for a Glass of milk with a Texas Ranger. Davis left in a snaking Trail of a turns and backtracking which police said was designed to throw off any would be pursuer. Taking no chances of losing their Quarry the authorities used an air plane to keep track of Davis. When the millionaire pulled up to a phone Booth out Side a Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant two Fri agents a District attorney s investigator a Texas Ranger and a fort Worth policeman closed in. Davis was arrested two years to the Day after he had been charged with the murder of his stepdaughter and  was charged formally with solicitation of capital murder which carries a maximum sentence of 99 years and illegal Possession of a weapon for which he could get 20 years More. In addition he is still charged with capital murder in the death of Farr he was tried Only for his stepdaughter s death and the wounding of Gavrel and Bass. Back in jail on the new charges Davis lacked the amenities afforded him during his trial at Amarillo. In Tarrant county jail authorities restricted his visits to lawyers blood relatives and business associates. Even Karen master who testified at his murder trial that he was in her bed at the time of the fatal shootings was not allowed to see him. His defense is headed again by Haynes who is hopeful of getting Davis off again. Although he has failed to fulfil his Public Promise to reveal in Perry Mason style the killer in the Davis mansion murders he has unflagging optimism. I always have Hopes Racehorse says. On sept. 1, Davis was denied bail and ordered held for the second trial scheduled to Start sept. 18. The ruling was made by state District judge Arthur Tipps after hearing seven Days of sensational testimony. The stars and stripes Page 15