Fort Worth oilman T. Cullen Davis died at 93 on November 6, his son Trey Davis confirmed to WFAA. Juries acquitted Davis of capital murder in his stepdaughter’s death and, in a separate case, of soliciting a judge’s murder.
The gunman in a black wig
A gunman dressed in black and wearing a black wig opened fire at Stonegate Mansion on the night of August 2, 1976. Police found Davis’ 12-year-old stepdaughter, Andrea Wilborn, dead in a basement utility room.
The gunman killed Stan Farr, a former TCU basketball player and the boyfriend of Davis’ estranged wife, Priscilla. She survived a shot to the chest. Gus Gavrel arrived with his girlfriend that night and survived a gunshot that left him partially paralyzed.
Priscilla identified Davis as the gunman. He denied involvement. Earlier on August 2, a judge had raised Davis’ temporary support payments to $5,000 a month. A prior court order had given Priscilla exclusive possession of the mansion and told Davis to stay away, according to a 1976 Texas Court of Criminal Appeals opinion.
Prosecutors obtained separate indictments in the deaths of Wilborn and Farr. An Amarillo jury acquitted Davis of capital murder in Wilborn’s death on November 17, 1977.
The FBI sting
A grand jury indicted Davis in 1978 on a separate charge of criminal solicitation of murder. Prosecutors accused him of trying to arrange the killing of state District Judge Joe Eidson, who had presided over the divorce case.
Eidson climbed into a car trunk in a T-shirt smeared with ketchup so FBI agents could photograph him pretending to be dead. During an August 20, 1978, meeting the FBI recorded, informant David McCrory told Davis, “I got Judge Eidson dead for you.” Davis replied, “Good.”
Prosecutors said Davis handed McCrory $25,000 for the alleged hit. Davis testified that he believed he was helping the FBI investigate extortion and that he was returning McCrory’s money.
A Houston jury deadlocked in January 1979. A Fort Worth jury acquitted Davis at his retrial on November 9, 1979. Tarrant County prosecutors then dropped five pending charges tied to both cases, The Washington Post reported at the time.
What happened to Stonegate Mansion
Davis was a partner in Kendavis Industries, a conglomerate with oil holdings, according to the Associated Press. He built the mansion in southwest Fort Worth. The property later housed a Mexican restaurant and served as a wedding venue. The Dallas Express covered its demolition in December 2021. The Fort Worth City Council rezoned the site for townhomes in January 2022.
Provided by Dallas Express
