LAWRENCE, Kan. – A baseball bat attack injured a public defender in Lawrence. Police said the suspect was not a stranger. Detectives said the woman’s 15-year-old son conspired with his 12-year-old sister and father to kill the victim.
“I’m anxious to hear more of the details and hopefully I can understand it,” said Betsy Evans, a neighbor of the victim. “You can accept things you can understand a little bit better. But this is way out there. This is bizarre.”
Michelle Davis, 45, is a divorced public defender who neighbors describe as a loving mother.
However, Tuesday morning, Davis called for help. Lawrence police found her running down the street away from a teenager armed with a baseball bat.
Davis told investigators the boy broke into her home and attacked. She identified the boy as her 15-year-old son. Police arrested him and his father, Arthur Davis, 60, who is Michelle’s ex-husband.
They are charged with attempted first-degree murder, aggravated burglary, aggravated kidnapping, conspiracy to commit a felony and aggravated intimidation of a victim. Police also arrested the couple’s 14-year-old daughter who was also at the scene. She was charged with conspiracy to commit a felony.
“It’s one of those things that is just so hard to understand,” Evans said.
Neighbors, like Evans, cannot believe the allegations, especially those against the children.
“I had just never seen any evidence of the children not having any ordinary relationship with their mom, ever,” Evans said.
The couple divorced several years ago, neighbors said. However, the couple seemed cordial in public. Their son lived with his father in a nearby apartment. Their daughter lived with Michelle Davis. Both parents shared custody, neighbors said.
They noticed Michelle recently buy a new front door and upgraded security on at least one other entrance.
However, until police showed up Tuesday, neighbors had no idea family conflict was brewing. They are stunned.
“I can’t believe that something like this could happen to a family that everyone thought was so ordinary,” Evans said.
Arthur Davis and his son will be arraigned Wednesday afternoon.
