Arlie Ray Davis

Serial Killer

Arlie Ray Davis: Convicted Murderer and Suspected Serial Killer

Arlie Ray Davis was an Illinois murderer whose known crimes and suspected connections to other cases created fears that his violence extended far beyond the single homicide for which he was convicted. Davis was sentenced to death for the 1995 murder of Laurie Gwinn, but investigators and prosecutors also examined a disturbing series of earlier assaults and disappearances involving women in and around Peoria, Illinois. Four surviving women described attacks with striking similarities, and several missing women were investigated as possible victims. Because only the murder of Gwinn resulted in a homicide conviction, Davis is most accurately described as a convicted murderer and suspected serial killer rather than a legally confirmed multiple murderer.

A Pattern of Violence in Peoria

Long before the murder that placed Davis on death row, women in Peoria described encounters with a man who used isolation and strangulation as methods of control. During a later sentencing hearing, four women testified that Davis had attacked them between January 1993 and the summer of 1994. All four had been involved in prostitution and said they were picked up in the Madison Square area of north Peoria before being driven to isolated locations. The women did not initially report the assaults. Their reluctance became an important part of the case because several said they feared arrest, believed police would not take them seriously, or were struggling with drug addiction at the time. Between November 1994 and January 1995, however, they separately gave statements to investigators and identified Davis as the man who had attacked them. Their accounts shared important details. Several described being taken to remote roads, wooded areas or rural locations. Strangulation appeared repeatedly. Some also described a vehicle from which the passenger-side interior door handle or window crank had been removed, making escape difficult. When police searched Davis's older blue Dodge in February 1995, officers found an orange extension cord and handcuffs inside. They also discovered that hardware on the passenger-side door was missing, providing physical details that resembled portions of the women's accounts.

The Surviving Assault Victims

One of the earliest reported attacks involved a woman identified in court records as Maria N. She testified that in January 1993 she entered a man's vehicle in Peoria during the early morning hours. He drove her along a back road to a wooded area behind a furniture warehouse. According to Maria, the man moved behind her and tightened a belt around her neck until she lost consciousness. When she awakened, it was daylight. She escaped and eventually found transportation back to safety. She later identified Davis from a photographic lineup. Kari B. described another attack during the summer of 1993. She said Davis drove her into the country near what she remembered as an abandoned farmhouse. She noticed that equipment on the passenger door had been removed. The encounter suddenly became violent when the driver threatened to kill her and grabbed her throat. Kari fought back, climbed through an open car window and ran. Davis allegedly chased her before another motorist stopped and gave her a ride. Denise T. described one of the most serious surviving attacks. In late April 1994, she entered a vehicle in Peoria and was driven to a remote wooded area. She recalled becoming dazed after apparently being struck. When she regained consciousness, her hands were restrained behind her and an orange extension cord was being used to strangle her. She testified that the attack continued for hours and caused a severe eye injury that left permanent damage. Davis eventually abandoned her at a Peoria hotel. Hospital records showed that she sought emergency treatment on May 1, 1994. She later identified Davis as her attacker. Michelle U. testified about another encounter during the summer of 1994. She said she was picked up in a blue automobile and driven to a secluded area at the end of a dead-end street. She noticed that the passenger door handle and window crank were missing. The encounter became violent, and she testified that Davis grabbed her by the throat and sexually assaulted her before throwing her from the vehicle. She later identified him to police. These incidents did not produce separate convictions against Davis, and the court emphasized that he was being sentenced for the murder of Laurie Gwinn rather than crimes for which he had not been convicted. Nevertheless, the sentencing judge found the women's testimony believable and considered the repeated use of isolated locations, restraints and strangulation significant evidence of a continuing pattern of violent behavior. ...

Confirmed Victims: (1)

Laurie Gwinn Age: (42), Date of Death: 1995-08

Suspected Victims:

Ginny Miles Age: (26), Date of Death: 1993-12

Stephanie Gibson Age: (48), Date of Death: 1995-07-08

Loretta Tinkham Age: (30), Date of Death: 1994-11-03

Sheryl Murwin Age: (35), Date of Death: 1994

Cheryl Murray Age: (43), Date of Death: 1994-04-01

Inmate Arlie Ray Davis died 5 days before clemency hearing