In the spring of 2024, the disappearance of 36-year-old Mark Ramon McMillan, a Black/African American male, cast a shadow over the community of Minot, North Dakota. McMillan was reported missing in early April, sparking an investigation into his whereabouts. For three months, his fate remained a mystery, leaving family and friends in a state of uncertainty.
The search came to a grim end on July 2nd, when police, acting on a search warrant related to the missing person case, discovered a body in the basement of a building in the southern part of the city. The remains were later confirmed to be those of Mark McMillan.
The investigation quickly shifted from a missing person case to a homicide. An autopsy revealed that McMillan had died from a gunshot wound to the torso. Investigators uncovered a narrative of conflict between McMillan and another Minot resident, 46-year-old Delon Davis. It was revealed that the two men had a history, with Davis having helped McMillan secure a job at the establishment where both had lived for a time in the basement. However, the relationship soured after McMillan was fired over suspicions of theft and selling narcotics on the premises. This led to an ongoing feud, reportedly over stolen drugs.
Delon Davis was arrested and charged with the murder of Mark McMillan. He also faced charges of tampering with evidence, theft, and providing false information to law enforcement. During the investigation and subsequent trial, Davis claimed he acted in self-defense, alleging that McMillan and another man had threatened him and fired shots first during an altercation on April 1, 2024. Davis stated that McMillan had demanded compensation for missing narcotics he claimed belonged to a cartel. After the shooting, Davis admitted to wrapping McMillan's body in an air mattress and hiding it in the boiler room of the basement. He also cleaned the scene of the crime.
Despite his claims of self-defense and being coerced into hiding the body, a jury found Delon Davis guilty of murder. The court learned of Davis's extensive criminal history during the proceedings. In the end, his self-defense argument was not believed by the jury. He was subsequently sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the murder of Mark McMillan. Davis also received concurrent sentences for the charges of tampering with physical evidence and unlawful possession of a firearm.
