In June 2009, the quiet life of 39-year-old William Brian Davis, a male insurance salesman from Lake Charles, Louisiana, came to a violent and tragic end. His decomposing body was discovered on July 1, 2009, lying next to his Honda Accord on a remote dirt road known as Wagon Wheel Road in Calcasieu Parish. An autopsy later revealed that he had been shot four times, with one fatal wound to the head.
The scene was staged to appear as a robbery gone wrong while changing a tire, but investigators quickly grew suspicious. The tire on the jacked-up car was not damaged, and while some of his belongings were missing, valuable items like his gold watch and wedding ring were left behind.
The investigation into William's death soon focused on two central figures: his wife, Robyn Little Davis, and her close friend, Carol Nolan Saltzman. Detectives uncovered a tumultuous backstory involving infidelity. Robyn had recently discovered her husband was having an affair. Inconsistent statements from both Robyn and Carol about their whereabouts on the day of the murder further raised red flags for law enforcement. Cell phone records played a crucial role in dismantling their alibis, showing their phones had 'pinged' off a cell tower in the opposite direction of where they claimed to be.
Prosecutors pieced together a narrative of a calculated plot. They argued that the two women, motivated by a combination of anger over the affair and the prospect of a significant life insurance payout of over $700,000, conspired to murder William. The prosecution's theory, dubbed the 'Thelma and Louise' case, was that the women lured William to the secluded road under the pretense of his car having a flat tire.
In December 2009, Robyn Little Davis and Carol Nolan Saltzman were arrested and charged with the murder of William Brian Davis. Their trial garnered significant media attention. In May 2012, a jury found both women guilty of second-degree murder. Despite their continued claims of innocence, both Robyn and Carol were sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Their subsequent appeals, including an attempt to have their case heard by the U.S. Supreme Court, have been denied, and they continue to serve their life sentences.
