Murder of father of 6 was random, police say

Tue August 05 2008
Posted Aug 5, 2008
4,853

By RACHELLE GINES ragines@dmreg.com A Des Moines father of six who was stabbed to death while on a bike ride was the apparent victim of a random act carried out by four young men who happened across him by chance on a quiet east-side street, police said Friday. Investigators said Dean Jay Davis' death last Saturday represents a rarity in police work: a murder with no apparent motive. "Yes, this case is unusual, because in the majority of murder cases we investigate and that we have solved, we know the cause, or the involved parties know each other," Sgt. Vince Valdez said. "I don't remember the last time there was a random act in the case of a homicide." A neighbor who called police thought Davis, 46, was asleep about 6 a.m. in the 2400 block of Des Moines Street, about a block from his family's home. Investigators found he had been stabbed at least once in the chest. Officers said a trail of blood led them to Davis' red bicycle, hat and glasses. The investigation had run cold until an anonymous tip sometime this week led detectives to Ryan Michael Higgins, 19; Roberto Rodriguez, 19; Brian Lee, 21; and Zachary Kern, 18. All are from Des Moines. All are in the Polk County Jail on $500,000 bond, charged with first-degree murder. One of Davis' daughters said she knew three of the men "by face" from high school, but detectives say there was no prior relationship between Davis and any of men. Peggy Schleuger, an investigative assistant in the Police Department who has worked on hundreds of murder cases, said she could not recall a situation in which the victim had no connection to the accused. Lee was released on parole June 19 after spending nine months in prison for a 2004 felony marijuana possession charge. His five-year sentence had been suspended, but Lee later violated his probation, corrections officials said. County records show that he has been arrested 11 times on 32 charges, most of them minor, since October 2004. None of the other men has a criminal record of note, according to online court records. The men were arrested between 2 and 4:30 a.m. Friday. "I was shocked, and happy," Davis' wife, Serena, said Friday. She shared the news with the couple's six children, who range in age from 15 to 25. All of them wanted answers. "I want to know why," she said. "Why they'd do this to an innocent man." Beverly Wisecup, Higgins' neighbor, said she doesn't think he could be involved in a murder. She described him as "nice, shy and polite." "I believe Ryan has nothing to do with this," said Wisecup, 61. "He waves to me when he comes home. I think he got caught with a bad crowd." Valdez said the four men charged are acquaintances, but he doesn't believe the killing is gang-related. Kimberly Davis, 20, said she attended East High School with three of them. "I knew of each of them, except for Brian Lee. I didn't hang out with them, though," Davis said. "I still think it's random, because they didn't know my dad and they didn't know that I lived here. "Words can't explain how I feel." Her sister, Amanda Smith, 25, said Dean Davis did not deserve such an arbitrary death. "Why my dad? I'm angry, upset, shocked and sad that could happen to my dad," she said. "He's never hurt anyone. He only helped people." Davis worked at Altoona Lawn Care. Relatives said he enjoyed the outdoors and landscaping. On Mother's Day, they said, he managed to turn a candy machine into a water fountain for the yard. The year before he installed a brick walkway near the front porch. He had three grandchildren. His wife and daughters said Friday that Davis will be remembered fondly - but they will never forget those who police say are responsible for his death. "Our whole family plans to be there when each of them are sentenced," Kimberly Davis said.