On the evening of October 12, 1990, a husband's return from a business trip to his home in Rogers, Arkansas, marked the beginning of a grim discovery. The unusual sight of an open door between the garage and the kitchen prompted him to investigate further. His search led him to the basement storage room, where he found his 62-year-old wife, Jane Martha Daniel, lying lifeless in a pool of blood.
The female victim had been shot in the back of the head in what was described as an execution-style killing.
Investigators at the scene discovered a clue that would become pivotal in solving the case: a Kool cigarette butt left in a rice bowl in the kitchen. This was significant because neither Jane nor her husband smoked. The investigation soon connected the homicide to a burglary that had occurred at a neighbor's home earlier the same day. The perpetrator had stolen several items from the neighbor, including a. 44 caliber magnum revolver, the same type of weapon used in the murder.
The evidence led investigators to Don Davis, who had first burglarized the neighboring home before entering the Daniel residence. It is believed that he encountered Jane and led her through the house, gathering valuables before taking her to the basement and ending her life. Following the murder, Davis fled to Bentonville, where he was living with roommates. He later pawned several of the stolen items in Las Vegas.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation apprehended Don Davis in Albuquerque, New Mexico. A telling piece of evidence emerged upon his arrest when he requested his Kool filter king cigarettes, the same brand found at the crime scene. In 1992, Davis was convicted of the capital murder of Jane Daniel and was subsequently sentenced to death. Despite his conviction and sentence, he remained on death row for many years due to numerous legal challenges and stays of execution.
