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One of Virginia's wrongfully convicted, Robert Davis spent 13 years behind bars before all charges against him in connection with a 2003 Crozet double homicide were dropped and he was set free. Davis reported that he falsely confessed to the murders of Nola "Ann" Charles, who was found with a knife in the back and throat slit, in a house fire in February. Her three-year-old son died of smoke inhalation.
Davis, who was 18 at the time, was implicated in the crime by two of his schoolmates Rocky and Jessica Fugett. The siblings not only confessed to the murders but falsely accused Davis of being involved. He was then interrogated for many hours when authorities threatened him with the death penalty, coercing a false confession out of him.
According to People, Robert Davis was released from prison in December 2015, and in February 2020, he was engaged and living in Virginia and doing electrical work.
Oxygen's Dateline: Secrets Uncovered will revisit the case against high school student Robert Davis and his wrongful conviction in an episode titled The Interrogation. The synopsis of the episode states:
"Robert Davis, who was convicted of murdering a woman and her son, claims his confession was coerced and tries to prove he is innocent."
The episode will air on the channel this Wednesday, April 26, at 8:00 pm ET.
Robert Davis was threatened with death penalty and asked to confess for a reduced sentence by authorities
Robert Davis, 18, a high school senior from Crozet, Virginia, lived in the same neighborhood where a fire broke out on the night of February 19, 2003. Nola "Ann" Charles' body was discovered, with a knife in the back and neck slashed. Next to her, was the body of her three-year-old son William, who died from smoke inhalation on the second floor of their Cling Lane home.
For the next two days, Davis' life seemed normal--he went to school as usual and then even went bowling with a friend--until 1:00 am the next morning when he was taken to a police station and interrogated by authorities about the deaths for over five hours. Throughout the process, he repeatedly asserted his innocence and even requested lie detector tests.
David was, however, unaware that his schoolmates Rocky and Jessica Fugett had already confessed to the killings and alleged his involvement in the crime. Charles' home was located right across the street from the Fugetts' residence. Reports state that Rocky, 19, admitted to the crime and implicated his sister Jessica, 15, who also confessed and then implicated Davis.
During the interrogation, Davis asked what could get him out of the predicament, and the authorities promised him that the judge would give him a lenient sentence and spare life in prison in exchange for a confession. Thus, the teenager complied and confessed.
According to People, the once-wrongfully convicted recently expressed how he "felt helpless and hopeless at the time." He was allegedly threatened with the death penalty. Authorities even told him that they were going to lock up his mom and "put [his] little brother in foster care" if he didn't confess. He further stated how he was "scared, cold, in a corner, being bullied" by them.
Robert Davis was released after serving 13 years once the original perpetrators recanted their statements that implicated him
Robert Davis was arrested and charged with murder and arson after his false confession. He later entered an Alford plea to the charges and was given a 23-year prison sentence, but his lawyers continued pursuing his release.
The fight finally came to an end in 2011 after Rocky Fugett, who was serving a 75-year sentence for the murders, revealed that Davis was not involved in the killings. His sister Jessica, who is serving a 100-year sentence, backed the claim. Davis was released from prison in December 2015, after serving 13 years, and was thereafter granted a full pardon.
In 2020, as per the same People report, Davis was engaged and was residing in Virginia where he did electrical work.
Learn more about the case on Dateline: Secrets Uncovered this Wednesday at 8 pm ET.
