Cullen Davis case: Mansion murders crime scene photos
In the summer of 1976, the lavish Fort Worth mansion that oil tycoon Cullen Davis and his second wife, Priscilla, once shared, became the scene of one of Texas' most notorious murder cases.
"48 Hours" investigates the deadly ambush and the search for answers in "Murder in the Mansion"
"Fort Worth has lots of mansions, but there's only one residence that's been referred to as 'the mansion'," says attorney Christy Jack, who grew up not far from the estate.
Priscilla and Cullen Davis
Cullen Davis, who inherited a massive oil fortune, built the mansion while married to his second wife, Priscilla.
"When Cullen and Priscilla got together, it was really like the perfect storm -- it was great until it wasn't. And when it went bad, it went really bad," said attorney Christy Jack.
In 1974, after six years of marriage the couple became embroiled in a contentious divorce.
Priscilla Davis and Stan Farr
In 1976, with their divorce still pending, both parties began dating other people. Priscilla Davis' new boyfriend was former Texas Christian University basketball player Stan Farr.
Cullen Davis "Evicted"
As the divorce proceeding dragged on, a judge banned Cullen Davis from the mansion.
"Cullen gets evicted from his own home basically," said Christy Jack. "And he was displaced from his own castle. He was furious."
Home Alone
On the evening of Aug. 2, 1976, Priscilla Davis and Stan Farr went out to dinner. They left Priscilla's 12-year-old daughter, Andrea Wilborn, home alone. This wasn't unusual, remembers Priscilla's other daughter, Dee Davis.
"We had such an elaborate security system," she said. "So we taught her how to activate and maintain the security system. We were not worried based on the -- security system."
The Ambush
When Priscilla Davis and Stan Farr arrived home, sometime around midnight, Priscilla noticed that the security system was disarmed. She was soon confronted by a man dressed in black and holding a gun.
According to Priscilla, the man said "Hi," and then shot her once in the chest.
The Ambush
The gunman then shot Stan Farr four times; his body would be later be found in the kitchen.
A car pulled up, distracting the gunman, and Priscilla Davis managed to escape -- running through the night for help.
She would identify the gunman as her estranged husband, Cullen Davis.
Second Eyewitness
Beverly Bass and her boyfriend, Bubba Gavrel, drive up to the mansion and are confronted by the gunman. He shot Gavrel -- paralyzing him. Bass took off running, and made it to safety.
Bass would also identify the gunman as Cullen Davis -- the second eyewitness to name him as the assailant.
A Bloody Scene
When authorities arrived at the Davis mansion, they found broken glass and blood throughout the first floor of the home.
Two Dead
Police found Stan Farr's body in the kitchen, but another gruesome discovery was waiting in the basement.
That's where police found 12-year-old Andrea's lifeless body with a single gunshot wound to the chest.
"I think of what the police must have seen when they arrived," said Christy Jack, "And I think of finding and happening upon a child who had been murdered."
Tracking a Suspect
With two eyewitnesses identifying Cullen Davis as the shooter, the police have a clear suspect.
They are able to track Davis down at the house of his then-girlfriend, Karen Master.
Under Arrest
Cullen Davis was taken into custody and charged in the shootings.
"He was allowed not only the luxury of getting dressed…even went so far as putting on a sport jacket," says Christy Jack, "There were no handcuffs. He wasn't treated like the normal suspect."
Defending Davis
Cullen Davis, who has always proclaimed his innocence, retained one of the most talented defense attorneys in Texas at the time, Richard "Racehorse" Haynes.
"You always have something to work with when you have an innocent man," said Haynes, pictured right.
This would only be the beginning of the notorious case.