L to R: Devan Meeks, Melina Perry, murder victim David Davis
Devan Meeks’ Myspace — Melina Perry’s Myspace
Winnie, TX - David Davis was 43 when he was killed on July 6. Davis was stabbed multiple times in the head, neck and chest. An artery near his heart was severed. To add insult to murder, Davis’ house was set on fire. Who could have done such a thing? Try the teenaged child living in Davis’ own home, sixteen-year-old Melina Perry – and her boyfriend Devan Meeks, 19. Ain’t that gratitude for ya?
David Davis took Melina Perry into his home after her father, Davis’ best friend, died in a car wreck three years ago. Melina had become rebellious, and had been arrested on drug charges. She’d gone to teen boot camp and been placed on a strict set of rules and a curfew – but nothing was working. Her mother and grandmother, at their wit’s end, had gone to Davis for help. He took the girl in without question.
Enter Devan Meeks. At nineteen, he too had a drug history. He also had recently broken up with a long-term girlfriend (her Myspace) and picked up Melina on the rebound. Davis didn’t like Meeks and didn’t think he was a good influence on Melina. But Meeks kept coming around, and eventually Davis decided that if he couldn’t keep Melina from seeing Meeks, the boy could at least get a job.
Davis helped Meeks get several jobs, in fact – but Devan Meeks wouldn’t show up for work, and would get fired. This led to yet more turmoil in the Davis home. Davis suspected drug use. Melina insisted on seeing Meeks anyway. Finally, in late June, Davis had had enough. He told Devan Meeks to stay out of his house and away from Melina and not to come back.
On July 6, an argument erupted. Meeks says it started outside, when he and Melina Perry were trying to “borrow” a car. Davis’ family says the car wouldn’t run, but that Meeks and Perry probably didn’t know that. In fact, Devan and Melina had showed up at Davis’ house in a truck stolen from one of Devan Meeks’ relatives.
When Davis came outside and caught the pair trying to steal his car, he confronted them – first outside, then in the house. And that’s when someone grabbed a pair of steak knives and went to town on David Davis.
Davis was attacked so brutally that one knife was broken off and left embedded in his back. For all his trouble in helping to raise the daughter of his best friend, he died hard, bloody and battered and left to die alone in his burning house. And if that’s not an illustration of “no good deed goes unpunished”, well, I don’t know what is.
Devan Meeks and Melina Perry took off to Oklahoma once Davis was dead. They went to Meeks’ father’s house in Muskogee for a week, until the law caught up with them. Evidence was taken from the Muskogee house and also from the stolen truck the two were driving, and both teens were taken into custody.
Devan Meeks was extradited from Oklahoma to Texas, where he is being held without bond at the Jefferson County Jail without bail. He is charged with murder, auto theft, and has an earlier charge for illegal drug possession. He says Melina Perry did the killing, but he was too scared to stop her or to call for help – but not, apparently, so scared that he couldn’t drive across state lines to Daddy’s house.
Melina Perry was initially taken in as a runaway and sent to Hardin County, Texas, as a juvenile. Texas authorities are planning to file murder charges against her, however. Chambers County Sheriff Joe LaRive says that while Perry says that Meeks was the murderer, she also did nothing to save or help David Davis, and as such will face murder charges as well. LaRive says he will seek to have Perry evaluated to see if she can be tried as an adult.
Who killed David Davis? For my money, they both did.
Unamused Cat brought this topic to our forum – thanks!
Tags: Murder, Texas
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