FAYETTEVILLE -- A man charged with being an accomplice to the killing of his wife is mentally fit to proceed, according to doctors at the Arkansas State Hospital.
John Christopher Davis, 29, is charged with accomplice to capital murder in the killing of Victoria Annabeth Davis on Aug. 19, 2015. Police said Victoria Davis, 24, of 433 S. Hill Ave., was held captive at her house for hours and beaten by her husband and four other defendants.
Doctors who examined John Davis said he doesn't suffer from a mental disease. Doctors said he has the capacity to understand the proceedings and assist in his defense.
John Davis chose not to participate in an assessment of his mental state at the time of the killing, based on the advice of his attorney, according to the report. He also declined to give doctors an account of the incident.
Doctors said they found no evidence in John Davis' records to substantiate a claim of mental disease or defect should he change his mind about pursuing an insanity defense.
The other defendants are Mark Edward Chumley, 46, and Rebecca Lloyd, 37, of 433 S. Hill Ave., and Christopher Lee Treat, 30, and Desire Treat, 30, both of 315 S. Block St., Apt. 15. All are charged with accomplice to capital murder. All are being held without bond at the Washington County Detention Center.
Accomplice to capital murder is punishable by either life in prison or the death penalty.
Prosecutor Matt Durrett is seeking the death penalty against Chumley. Durrett said he hadn't decided whether to seek the death penalty against the remaining defendants.
Durrett told Circuit Judge Joanna Taylor the killing was done to prevent an arrest and in an especially depraved or cruel manner.
"She was beaten repeatedly. She was hooked up to a battery charger. She essentially bled to death from the beating she took. She was beaten with a baseball bat. She was raped with a baseball bat," Durrett said. "Those are the acts we allege constitute evidence of disregard for human life."
Christopher Treat's attorneys filed a motion in November arguing testing determined he has an IQ of 68 and federal law prohibits a death sentence for offenders who were mentally retarded at the time of committing capital murder.
Chumley called police and gave his phone to John Davis, according to a police call log. Davis told police he killed his wife because she wanted a divorce. Davis told police he "shot her up with dope" and told police his wife was "in the living room on the floor," according to the police log.
NW News on 02/01/2017