On July 5, 1991, William Fred Davis, a 68-year-old white male, and his 67-year-old wife, Margaret Davis, were brutally murdered in their rural Rutherford County, North Carolina home. The assailant, Phillip Lee Ingle, entered their unlocked residence armed with an axe handle. He first encountered Margaret in the kitchen and fatally beat her. Subsequently, he proceeded to the den where William was watching television and, unaware of the prior assault due to the volume of the TV, was also beaten
to death by Ingle.
Initially, suspicion fell upon the Davises' 29-year-old son-in-law, Joey James Melton, due to familial tensions and his troubled history, including past drug use and psychiatric treatment. Despite being a primary suspect, Melton was never arrested. The investigation later shifted focus when, in August 1991, Ingle committed a similar double homicide in the same area, leading to his arrest. During interrogation, Ingle confessed to both sets of murders, claiming he perceived his victims as demons and believed he was executing divine justice.
Ingle was indicted on October 14, 1991, for the first-degree murders of William Fred Davis and Margaret Davis. His trial commenced in February 1993, and he was found guilty on all counts. The jury recommended the death penalty, and Ingle was sentenced accordingly. He waived all appeals, expressing a desire to bring closure to the victims' families, and was executed by lethal injection on September 22, 1995.
