Jesse Davis, Husband Of Missing Maryland Teacher Alice Davis, Found Dead In Apparent Suicide

The search for missing Maryland school teacher Alice Davis took an unexpected turn last night, when authorities found her husband dead inside their home.

The body of Jesse Davis, a 58-year-old taxidermist, was found in the living room of the couple's home in Allen at 8:30 p.m. last night, according to the Wicomico County Sheriff Mike Lewis.

"We had his home under surveillance because he was a suspect in this investigation," Lewis told The Huffington Post. "A vehicle pulled up into the yard [and] two occupants entered the rear of the home. Moments later they ran out of the home and hollered there was blood all over the house."

A cause of death has not yet been released but Davis' death does appear to be a suicide, according to the sheriff.

"He died from what appears to be self-inflicted razor wounds to his left arm -- he severed his artery," Lewis said.

The discovery was made not long after authorities had executed a search warrant on the Davis home in regard to the unsolved disappearance of Alice Davis.

A 55-year-old English teacher at Parkside High School in Salisbury, Alice Davis was last seen at about 6:30 p.m. on Sunday. According to her husband, she left their Allen home to go shopping at a Walmart in nearby Fruitland, Md.

ALICE DAVIS CASE PHOTOS (ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW)

When Davis failed to return home by 8 p.m. Monday, her husband contacted police and reported her missing. During a search of the shopping center property, investigators spotted Davis's blue Honda hatchback parked across the street in a Big Lots parking lot.

According to Lewis, evidence taken from the family's home and their vehicle is being analyzed by the Maryland State Police crime lab in Reisterstown.

For now, Lewis said Jesse Davis is the only suspect in his wife's disappearance. In regard to a possible motive, Lewis said, "We do [know what it is] but we are not going to release it at this time."

Lewis added: "We are conducting extensive ground searches again today [for Alice Davis]. We are hopeful that we will locate her -- hopefully in the next 24 to 48 hours."

Alice Davis is described as a white female, 5' 9" tall, 175 pounds, with brown hair and blue eyes. She was last seen wearing a yellow shirt with images of cats on the front, blue shorts and sandals. Anyone with information is asked to call the Wicomico County Sheriff's Office at 410-548-4891.

Need help? In the U.S., call 1-800-273-8255 for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.

Related Article:
Alice Davis Missing, Maryland School Teacher's Car Found Abandoned

Comments

[Stacy Mirkovich]

06:12 PM on 09/25/2011

JUST TERRIBLE!

[emscrs]

04:11 AM on 09/12/2011

If anyone is still reading, it appears that her body has been found.

[barb582]

07:36 PM on 09/11/2011

a taxidermist? You don't think....

[Icecube]

05:06 PM on 09/10/2011

Some men don't take financial ruin well.

[wildhorses4ey]

06:04 AM on 09/10/2011

Its so sad to read that a lot of people are already pointing the finger at him. Instead of waiting for more evidence to show proof. Sounds like our Justice System. Guilty! Till proven innocent.

[Esther21072011]

09:33 AM on 09/10/2011

It's just common sense - if he didn't do it - and there's not even proof she's dead - why would he kill himself? If she was found dead you *might* be able to argue that he was that distraught.

[almchrl13]

12:15 AM on 09/10/2011

As they say in France, cherchez le Formaldehyde.

[Denisehh3]

04:09 AM on 09/10/2011

This case is by no means amusing.........show some respect.......

[CherMoe]

04:07 PM on 09/09/2011

The husband was a TAXIDERMIST??? And he committed suicide AFTER his wife was reported missing? Why do I have this horrible feeling they're going to find her stuffed and mounted somewhere? Oh my gosh, this poor, poor woman!

[almchrl13]

12:11 AM on 09/10/2011

I guess she a real TROPHY WIFE now.

[candyazzbb]

02:30 AM on 09/10/2011

i was thinking the same thing. wow we have some sickos in this country we are losing it.

[Teresa Linton]

03:32 PM on 09/09/2011

well i guess we can assume that he killed her

[almchrl13]

12:11 AM on 09/10/2011

Maybe he just misses her a bunch.

[sherblakely]

03:12 PM on 09/09/2011

Poor Alice....maybe no justice for her. It is possible that her husband killed her and later he killed himself. Did they have children?

[therightzwrong]

08:02 PM on 09/09/2011

No children.

[PhloxJeana]

08:55 PM on 09/09/2011

If he had been tried, found guilty, sentenced to death, and executed, would she then have had justice? There is no justice for the death, period. Nothing will lessen the fact that they're dead.

I don't agree with the death penalty, but it's likely the guy saved the tax payers a lot of money. If he killed her, good riddance.

[Esther21072011]

09:35 AM on 09/10/2011

I agree with the death penalty - though we rarely use it here in Maryland. As a MD taxpayer I'm glad he saved us the time/trouble/money.

[MelO86]

02:58 PM on 09/09/2011

I live in Maryland and it doesn't say much for my local news stations that I had to go on Huff Post to even know about this story. Haven't heard a word from the local news. They seem too busy talking about the flooding...

[gremlin1]

06:55 PM on 09/09/2011

I was just going to post the same thing. I haven't seen this story in the Baltimore Sun or on any of the local channels.

[SevenUPtheUNCOOLA]

09:19 PM on 09/09/2011

TV news: http://www.wboc.com/category/174346/main-wboc-video-player?clipId=6236710&topVideoCatNo=undefined&autoStart=true

Local newspaper: http://www.delmarvanow.com/article/20110909/NEWS01/109090301/Questions-linger-after-husband-s-suicide?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|frontpage

[Esther21072011]

02:50 PM on 09/09/2011

As a Maryland taxpayer - Maryland being a hug-a-thug state - thank you for offing yourself and saving us a lot of money and the chance you'd get out on parole in a few years.

[BooTay]

04:01 PM on 09/09/2011

Umm, this Maryland taxpayer takes issue with your characterization of the state as being 'soft' on crime. Nonetheless, it is my perception that the category of violent crimes that would fetch a death sentence in Baltimore County, would most like warrant a penalty of 25 years-to-life in the City.

[Esther21072011]

09:39 AM on 09/10/2011

You can take issue with it all you like - it's a fact. Baltimore County is the death penalty center of the state. Do you know why? When Sandy O'Connor was Baltimore County States Attorney she was tired of racial profiling accusations in application of the death penalty so she ordered her ASA's to go for the death penalty anytime it was possible - no prosecutorial discretion. I know because my sister was a ASA under her and I went and watched my sis prosecute her first death penalty case - and her husband was a Baltimore City cop for 30+ years - most of it in Homicide.

[Esther21072011]

02:49 PM on 09/09/2011

What silly ranting. This post has nothing to do with the story. And you can't 'make those corporations hire".

[GraniteSkyline]

03:39 PM on 09/09/2011

Granny's panties are perpetually bunched.

[Allison Vassallo]

03:52 PM on 09/09/2011

Save your rants for the Democratic\Republican debates. Why do you choose to put this here in a discussion about a missing woman and her husband who possibly killed him self? This is not the place..

[Siara]

11:55 AM on 09/09/2011

QUOTE:
"We had his home under surveillance because he was a suspect in this investigation," Lewis told The Huffington Post. "A vehicle pulled up into the yard [and] two occupants entered the rear of the home. Moments later they ran out of the home and hollered there was blood all over the house."

Yeah, that sounds like a suicide.

[Esther21072011]

02:45 PM on 09/09/2011

Sounds like they discovered the body and ran out

[Interpolated]

11:28 AM on 09/09/2011

What a terrible tragedy for this poor woman's family, friends and students.
She looks like a wonderful person with such a beautiful smile and kind eyes.
Rest in peace.

[Moonspirit48]

04:46 PM on 09/09/2011

fanned and faved -- compassionate comment

[Interpolated]

11:50 PM on 09/09/2011

Thank you.
Reading the terrible insults directed at this lovely murdered woman brought tears to my eyes.
The soulless and inhumane depths that some in this society have sunk to is incredible and despicable.
The thought that anyone in her family who loved and cherished her would see these horrific comments is deplorable and heart wrenching.

[Sam1275]

10:19 AM on 09/09/2011

When Scott Peterson killed Laci Peterson, I thought to myself this is only the beginning of cases such as this. They are horrible crimes but if you read the news, like anyone who is reading this now does, you'll notice the rise in spousal murders.

I think it goes without saying that the perpetrators of these crimes are either mentally unbalanced or highly disturbed in some way, but the element of desperation is coming into play. Due to the economic times we live in, people stuck in unhappy marriages are less able to extricate themselves from them due to financial penalty or inability to live separately from their spouse. Throw in a wife, a few children and mounting bills to a man who is desperate, and it's a dangerous mix. Women tend to murder their spouses for financial gain (insurance policies, etc.) while men tend to murder their spouses as a way out of a trap.

It's a difficult and disturbing trend.

[emscrs]

02:51 PM on 09/09/2011

Scott and Laci were hardly the first case of this nature.

[sgvette]

03:35 PM on 09/09/2011

It's not a trend. The Petersons' case was way before the economic downturn, and spouses have been killing spouses for jealousy, revenge, money, cheating, middle east "honor" and all sorts of reasons since the beginning of time.

Take a criminology class and join us in 2011.

[YakittyGirl]

12:34 AM on 09/10/2011

You are right but your last comment shows a mean spirit.