On the evening of November 6, 2019, police responded to a call at a residence on Washington Street in Easton, Massachusetts. Inside, they discovered the body of 49-year-old Tamra Davidson, a White female from Plymouth. She had sustained an apparent gunshot wound and her death was immediately considered suspicious by investigators from the Bristol County District Attorney's Office.
For approximately 13 hours, law enforcement officials processed the scene, collecting evidence from the home where the fatal incident occurred.
The investigation into Davidson's death led to the arrest of her employer, 51-year-old Francis Averill, an electrical contractor who owned the two-family home where her body was found. Davidson was an employee of Averill's. Initially, Averill claimed to investigators that he had been asleep when Davidson accidentally shot herself. However, the evidence gathered by prosecutors began to tell a different story.
Prosecutors presented evidence that contradicted Averill's account of the events. They argued that the angle of the gunshot wound was not consistent with a self-inflicted injury. Further evidence suggested both Averill and Davidson were intoxicated at the time of the shooting. Gunshot powder residue was reportedly found on Averill's shirt and pajama bottoms. Prosecutors believe that Averill's reckless possession of the firearm led to its discharge. In December 2020, Francis Averill was arraigned on charges of manslaughter and two counts of improper storage of a firearm, to which he pleaded not guilty. He was subsequently released on $5,000 bail.
