On a fall day in 1981, four-year-old Danny Davis, a White male, was at a supermarket in Salt Lake City, Utah, with his grandmother. The young boy was reportedly near the gumball machine when a man named Arthur Gary Bishop approached him. Bishop, who would later be described as a smiling young man, offered Danny candy, which the boy initially refused. After Bishop started to leave the store, he noticed Danny was following him.
He then led the child out of the supermarket and into the parking lot.
When Danny's grandmother finished her shopping, she realized with alarm that he was gone. She quickly notified the store manager, and a search of the immediate area began with the help of employees and customers. Several people remembered seeing a boy matching Danny's description at the gumball machine with a man, but their descriptions of the man were vague. The search for Danny Davis quickly grew into one of the largest in the history of Salt Lake County. Fliers with his picture were distributed, and a significant reward was offered for any information that would lead to his safe return. Law enforcement agencies, including the FBI, were involved in the extensive search efforts, which included scouring neighborhoods, fields, and mountains, and having divers search ponds and creeks. Despite these exhaustive efforts, there was no sign of the little boy.
A man living under the alias "Roger Downs," just half a block from the supermarket, was questioned by police as part of their routine investigation. This man was Arthur Gary Bishop. He provided no useful information to the authorities at the time. It was later revealed that by the time police spoke with him, Danny was already dead. Bishop had taken the boy, and after molesting him, he silenced the child's cries. The following day, he buried Danny's body in a remote location. Bishop was eventually apprehended and confessed to the murders of five young boys, including Danny Davis. His confession led authorities to the graves of his victims. Bishop was ultimately tried, convicted, and executed for his crimes in 1988.
