Judge rules death not a suicide

By Donna Hales
Phoenix Staff Writer

Mon, May 12 2008

— Wendy Dawn Davis was 21 when she died of a gunshot wound to her right temple on Nov. 3, 2002, one week before her scheduled wedding.
Local investigators said it was suicide.
Wendy’s parents said and continue to say it was not suicide.
Oklahoma County District Judge Vicki Robertson ruled Wednesday that Farmers Insurance failed to prove in a three-day trial in Oklahoma City that suicide was the cause of Wendy’s death.
Robertson ordered Farmer’s Insurance to pay $150,000 in death benefits.
“It wasn’t about the money,” said Robert Haupt of Oklahoma City, the attorney for Wendy’s parents, Larry and Barbara Davis.
“This is about clearing a daughter’s name of the stigma of having committed suicide.”
Haupt said the parents’ response to the judge’s ruling: “We are relieved that after 4 1/2 years someone finally listened to us.”
The parents filed a civil suit against Jeff McCoy, Wendy’s fiance, on Nov. 3, 2004, in Muskogee County District Court. McCoy told investigators that he had argued with Wendy Davis before her death, but called it suicide.
McCoy does not have a phone listing and could not be reached for comment.
The parents said then Muskogee County District Attorney John David Luton’s office refused to reopen the investigation after Muskogee County Sheriff’s Deputy Tim Brown said the death was a suicide.
The Davis’ later tried to take evidence before a Muskogee County Grand Jury impaneled to hear evidence regarding a stabbing death, but were denied an appearance before the panel.
They allege McCoy intentionally shot, or accidentally shot, Wendy Davis in their home in Muskogee. They also allege McCoy failed to timely seek emergency medical services for their daughter.
The suit alleges after McCoy shot and killed Wendy, that he stole money and other personal items from the deceased.
In addition to medical and burial expenses, wedding expenses in excess of $3,000 payoff of the debt owned on their daughter’s car, $3,800, the parents seek in excess of $1 million for extreme suffering, pain, grief, loss of companionship and loss of the love of their daughter.
Brown said at the time of Wendy’s death that “everything was somewhat tense over wedding details.”
Wendy graduated with the Hilldale High School class of 1999 and attended Connors State College.
She loved children and planned to be a school teacher.
Active in sports, she enjoyed softball and received several awards. She was a pitcher and won state in 1998 and was an All-State player in 1999. A fitness teacher, she worked out daily.