Robyn Little Davis. (Taylor Prejean / American Press)
Carol Noland Saltzman. (Taylor Prejean / American Press)
Davis-Saltzman sentencing reset for Aug. 24
Last Modified: Saturday, June 23, 2012 9:03 PM
By Taylor Prejean / American Press
Robyn Little Davis and Carol Noland Saltzman — convicted of second-degree murder in May — will be sentenced Aug. 24.
Davis and Saltzman were scheduled to be sentenced Friday, but the hearing was continued. They face a mandatory penalty of life in prison without parole. Jurors voted 11-1 to convict after three hours of deliberation.
Judge David Ritchie ordered the defendants, who had been free on bond, to be taken into custody immediately after the verdict was read on May 10. The trial lasted three weeks.
Testimony revealed that Brian Davis’ bullet-riddled body was found July 1, 2009, about 30 yards from his car off Wagon Wheel Lane south of Lake Charles. Detectives said the investigation eventually pointed to Davis and Saltzman as the killers.
Prosecutor Rick Bryant said during trial that the women could have had three motives for murder: Brian Davis’ extramarital affairs, money and insurance policies.
Jurors learned through several witnesses that Brian Davis had relationships with women while he was married to Robyn.
Financial records introduced during trial showed the Davises’ accounts were overdrawn, but that they continued to make withdrawals at video poker establishments.
Bryant said Davis was the beneficiary for nearly $645,000 in life insurance policies on her husband. He said Davis lied to police about some of these policies.
FBI Special Agent William Shute testified that the defendants’ cellphone records revealed inconsistencies in their accounts of what happened the day Brian disappeared.
Defense attorneys Glen Vamvoras and Shane Hinch claimed cellphone records were not specific enough to be used to dispute a person’s exact location.
Their communications expert, John Minor, agreed and said the records analyzed by Shute were not reliable enough to be used for that purpose.
Vamvoras and Hinch also claimed the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office investigation into the homicide was fraught with errors. Vamvoras said such a “shoddy” investigation should never be enough to put someone away for the rest of his or her life.
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