When he was 17 years old, Davis was known in town as trouble. He launched his criminal career early, a series of robberies and thefts interspersed with vicious attacks on women. He was born March 2, 1948, in Salem, son of the late Wilmer Richard and Margaret. Polly Klaas' father, Marc Klaas, was outraged about Newsom's decision, and in an interview with ABC 7 News, he said the governor was "advocating in behalf of pure evil" and noted that those on death row deserve their fate. Polly, a seventh-grader in the Northern California town of Petaluma, was kidnapped at knifepoint from a slumber party in her own bedroom as her mother and younger sister slept down the hall. But it is generally believed that Klaas was killed before police arrived, was dumped under a bush, then Davis later moved her body to another grave site. Anyone can read what you share. Although Davis admitted to strangling Klaas to death, he refused to give investigators a timeline of the events from October 1. On November 28, 1993, the property owner was inspecting her property after loggers had partially cleared the area of trees. A prime example was the attack on notorious Death Row inmate Richard Allen Davis, who murdered little Polly Klaas, said Sgt. Rachel Sharp. The woman who owned the property left with her daughter and passed by Davis while on the Pythian driveway. Davis was arrested earlier on October 19, 1993 in Ukiah for driving under the influence of alcohol. Investigators also found a car in a ditch with torn children's clothing, and were able to match the palm print found on the bed to Richard Davis. Both issues, like others listed in Davis' appeal, were litigated before and during the trial in favor of the prosecution, resulting in decisions that governed how the case unfolded. Most online reference entries and articles do not have page numbers. Davis and his siblings stayed with their father, who was sometimes unwilling or incapable of raising them, causing them to have to shuttle between other relatives. Richard Allen Davis is a murderer convicted in 1996 of first-degree murde r with special circumstances. The jury found him guilty of first-degree murder, burglary, robbery, kidnapping, and attempting to perform a lewd act (via Stanford). [9][10], On October 12, 1973, Davis went to a party at the home of 18-year-old Marlene Voris. While these charges were punished lightly (only six months in prison and four years of probation), the residents of the area began to hate Davis, so much so that authorities began to fear his life was at risk. Within hours of the kidnapping, in a rural area of Santa Rosa, about 20 miles (32km) north of Petaluma, a babysitter on her way home noted a suspicious vehicle stuck in a ditch on her employer's private driveway. Five weeks after his release, on May 13, 1974, he was arrested for another burglary. Davis was finally convicted of her murder and sentenced to death by lethal injection. He has since been moved to a state facility for his own safety. The radio system was upgraded and such bulletins are now broadcast on all police channels through a centralized 911 dispatch system. From then on, Davis was in and out of prison for various offenses. Richard Allen Davis is an American convicted murderer and child molester, whose criminal record fueled support for passage of California's "three-strikes law" for repeat offenders. However, there's also the possibility that Davis acquired them from a prison employee. Richard often had violent outbursts and suffered from frequent hallucinations. He was sentenced to 6 months to 15 years in prison; however, he was released on parole after serving a year of his sentence. He is currently on death row in San Quentin State Prison. David abducted Klaas on October 1, 1993, from her Petaluma, California, home. Davis, this is always a traumatic and emotion decision for a judge. The search effort produced other items of evidence but did not produce any evidence of human remains. They tracked Davis down and shot him in the back in 1975. The longest serving inmate, Lavell Frierson, had his death sentence commuted earlier this month after 28 years on Death Row. Great American Trials. 12 Apr. SALEM - Richard Allen Davis, 73, died Friday, September 17, 2021, Blossom Nursing and Rehabilitation Center. Once the identity of Davis was revealed, his palm print at the scene of the kidnapping was also traced to him. comments sorted by Best Top New Controversial Q&A Add a Comment Disastrous-Lie-816 Additional comment actions. In California, the incident kindled popular support for lengthening the sentences for repeat felony offenders. Before leaving he told her friends to count to 1,000. Richard Allen Davis, charged with the murder of Polly Klaas, has been in trouble since he was 12--a fact prompting calls for new parole and sentencing rules. Richard would later say that taking part in the robberies helped him to relief tensions that were building up inside of him.While in jail Richard was diagnosed with antisocial personality disorder but he was allowed to walk free again after another twelve months before bars. There were seven suicide notes at the scene. David Alan Westerfield is an American man convicted of the kidnapping and murder of Danielle van Dam. Polly's mother was present but retired early for the night due to a migraine. Join Facebook to connect with Allen Davis and others you may know. "Before Being Sentenced to Die, Killer Disrupts a Courtroom." With his own confession and the pieces of evidence stacked against him, it was clear that Davis was guilty. Richard Allen Davis is an American convicted murderer and child molester, whose criminal record fueled support for passage of California's "three-strikes law" for repeat offenders. After being paroled on March 4, 1982, Davis found both a girlfriend and criminal accomplice in Sue Edwards. 14. Cite this article Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography. You made it very easy today by your conduct.''. 2006-07-24 13:51:19 PDT -- Death Row inmate Richard Allen Davis, who kidnapped and murdered 12-year-old Polly Klaas in Petaluma in 1993, was found unconscious in his San Quentin . After only thirteen months, Davis was discharged from the Army. #RichardAllenDavis #RichardDavis #DeathRow #PollyKlaas #CaliforniaTreble 3's Bring's You:The Story of Richard Allen DavisAs of June, the 11th 2020 capital pu. You made it very easy today by your conduct. He later failed to appear in court. After Polly Klaas' murder, her father, Marc Klaas, campaigned for California's Three Strikes Law, which enhances the sentences of convicts who have had prior convictions (via California Courts). The abduction of the 12-year-old girl gained national attention, but despite massive efforts to find the abductor and Polly, it would be two months before detectives would find anything. He then waited for an undetermined period of time after being escorted back to Highway 12, about 1.5 miles from where his car was stuck, and drove back up to retrieve her body. She called the sheriff's department to report her discovery, and deputies and crime scene investigators were dispatched. Therefore, its best to use Encyclopedia.com citations as a starting point before checking the style against your school or publications requirements and the most-recent information available at these sites: http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/tools_citationguide.html. [22][23], On May 9, 2022, Crime Junkie released an episode on Polly Klaas and discussed how the case set a precedent for California's Three Strikes law. 36 and how California's 'Three Strikes' law came to be", "The right three strikes three strikes and out law", "Cracking the Case:I Couldn't Keep Images Of Polly Klaas Out Of My Head | Investigation Discovery", "American Justice | Season 5, Episode 26 Free to Kill: The Polly Klaas Murder", "American Justice: Free to Kill - The Polly Klaas Murder - | Overview All Movie", "FilmRise THE FBI FILES Season 1 Ep 1 "Polly Klaas: Kidnapped", All About Polly Klaas and Richard Allen Davis, by Denise Noe, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Richard_Allen_Davis&oldid=1149263509, This page was last edited on 11 April 2023, at 04:19. The Oct. 1, 1993, abduction prompted a search that garnered international attention. 19. Richard Allen Davis is an American convicted murderer, whose criminal record fueled support for passage of California's "three-strikes law" for repeat offenders. They searched it thoroughly before the arrival of the tow truck and did not find evidence of anyone else in the car. 7. Messick. "I claim that trained writers are just as important to this war astrained fighters. Some believed Davis (19 at the time) had murdered her as he had been at her house when she had a party. The FBI found Davis' palm print on a bunk bed using special light and fluorescent powder. He was convicted in 1996 of first-degree murder and four special . Singer, dancer, actor The police concluded that she committed suicide,[7] although friends of Voris believe Davis murdered her. He is currently on death row in Adjustment Center at San Quentin State Prison, California. Facebook Richard Allen, also known as Ricky Allen. Hes reported to have taken a gun outside the home and shot at mirages. Davis was arrested on the 21st after breaking into the home of a bank employee named Josephine Kreiger. The gravesite area would be directly visible from Highway 101, but not the grave itself. After the verdict was read, a defiant Davis gave two middle fingers to the courtroom. In school, Davis was a quiet kid, but he started exhibiting acts of violence toward animals. In the wake of the murder, politicians in California and other U.S. states supported three strikes laws and California's Three Strikes act was signed into law on March 8, 1994. The Polly Klaas case led to important changes in the criminal justice system. The episode reveals the details of the FBI agents' collection of evidence and their hunt for the criminal, and originally aired October 20, 1998. Richard Allen Davis (84) passed away on February 10, 2022 at his home. Occasionally the digitization process introduces transcription errors or other problems; we are continuing to work to improve these archived versions. Davis was born to Robert Davis and Evelyn Smith in San Francisco, the third of their five children. Bortnick, Barry. "Lawyer Says Client Is Guilty in Klaas Case." TimesMachine is an exclusive benefit for home delivery and digital subscribers. She's hoping to receive responses to letters she sent to three men: Charles Manson, the leader of the Manson Family cult who was found guilty of conspiring to murder; Richard Ramirez (the Night . 54 in the infamous East Block, a crumbling granite edifice on San Francisco Bay where a. Prior to that, he had a long rap sheet dating back to the '70s. On October 12, 1973, Davis went to a party at the home of 17 year old Marlene Voris. [20][21], The Discovery Channel crime series The FBI Files' first episode's topic was the Polly Klaas case. The ultimate timeline of events that transpired are unknown, as Davis refused to give investigators one. 24. Doctors reported that there were substantial amounts of opiates in his system but according to a prison official, there was no evidence that it was an attempt to take his own life; they deemed the incident an accidental overdose. He married Effie Lula Warren on 25 December 1895, in Murfreesboro, Hertford, North Carolina, United States. This case helped create public support for tougher sentencing laws for repeat felons. Richard Allen "Rick" Davis is an American burglar, one-time rapist, abductor, bank robber and murderer. Richard Allen Davis. UPDATED: Please read and follow our commenting policy: This is a family newspaper, please use a kind and respectful tone. Investigators were immediately called to the scene as soon as Polly's friends were able to free themselves. The decision put all California executions on hold indefinitely pending the outcome of a four-day evidentiary hearing in U.S. District Court starting today. However, the date of retrieval is often important. Davis was known in his adult years as one of Americans mass murderers who would ultimately be executed for his role of murdering Nancy Weiler, who happened to be three months pregnant On May 11, 1982, in Jacksonville, Florida. The father, Marc Klaas, rose from his seat and lunged toward the defendant, Richard Allen Davis, before submitting to deputies who hustled him toward the door. Picture taken December 29, 2015. See the article in its original context from. He also goes by the names Ricky Allen and Rick Allen. Davis had not yet been provided an attorney four days later, when he confessed to strangling her to death. Her face appeared in newspapers and on television screens across the country after she was kidnapped from her mother's home in Petaluma, California. In July 2006, Davis was found unconscious in his cell following an opiate overdose, but was resuscitated. During the sentencing, Polly's father became outraged after Davis accused him of molesting Polly, as reported by The New York Times, but his claim was unfounded. that night, Voris was found dead of a gunshot wound. Klaas' father even attempted to attack Davis and had to be restrained by officers in the courtroom. ''If I thought for a moment I could get my hands on him, I might have gone for him,'' Mr. Klaas later told reporters. "That happened while Davis was being escorted. Both of his parents, Bob and Evelyn Davis, were alcoholics. Parallel habeus corpus proceedings concerning legal matters outside the court record - issues that often include such things as effectiveness of counsel and exculpatory evidence never admitted in court - also must be completed before Davis' death sentence can be affirmed. Klaas father, Marc Klaas, reacted by shouting, Oh, burn in hell, Davis! ''I would also like to state for the record that the main reason I know that I did not attempt any lewd act that night was because of a statement the young girl made to me while walking her up the embankment: ''Just don't do me like Dad.' He denied attempting any lewd acts with Polly because, he claimed, the girl had told him her father, Mark Klaas, had sexually abused her. Richard Allen Davis was sent to California's death row at San Quentin Prison for killing Polly after kidnapping her from a slumber party in the bedroom of her Petaluma home Oct. 1, 1993. The Klaas kidnapping also focused attention on preventing child abductions and helped law enforcement officials improve their investigative techniques in such cases. When asked whether he would be present at Davis' execution if it pushes forward, he answered in the affirmative and said he would even bring champagne. The media soon dubbed Polly "America's Child," and the case stirred memories of the kidnapping of Charles Lindbergh's baby in 1932. 8. When he was 12, he was placed on probation for burglary and forgery, and burglary again when he was 15. Before Being Sentenced to Die, Killer Disrupts a Courtroom, https://www.nytimes.com/1996/09/27/us/before-being-sentenced-to-die-killer-disrupts-a-courtroom.html. Real Criminals Referenced in Season Three, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, September 15, 1970: A victimless motorcyle theft, October 24: More than 20 victimless burglaries, May 13, 1974: A victimless burglary at San Francisco High School, August 13: A victimless burglary and grand theft. He had never been accused before of abusing Polly. One of the questions that were raised was whether he should be sentenced to life in prison or given the death penalty. After burglarizing San Francisco High School on May 13, 1974, Davis was arrested and sent to a California Medical Facility for a 90-diagnostic study. After the verdict was read, Davis stood and made an obscene finger gesture at the courtroom camera with both hands. . He is reportedly in protective custody because of both an apparent drug overdose and numerous attempts on his life by other prisoners there. To preserve these articles as they originally appeared, The Times does not alter, edit or update them. Polly, a fun-loving 12-year-old whose bright brown eyes would become forever seared in the memories of Sonoma County residents when she was taken, would be 25 had she survived her encounter with Davis 13 years ago this Sunday. He dropped out of school in his sophomore year of high school. Both Bob and Evelyn were alcoholics, and according to Davis' attorney, Evelyn was a strict disciplinary (allegedly once burning his hand when she caught Davis smoking). But he suddenly turned and attacked Davis." In 2019, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed an executive order suspending the execution of 737 inmates in California, and that included Davis (via Office of the Governor). Richard Allen Davis was charged with murder with special circumstances, and he pleaded not guilty despite his prior confession to the authorities. The victim's body was found approximately 10 miles east of her . On October 1st 1993, multiple time convicted felon Richard Allen Davis broke into the residence of 12 year old Polly Klaas where she was having a slumber par. Davis' case gained national infamy, mostly due to his previously stated "revolting behavior". His defense attorneys during his trial said that his mother was a strict disciplinarian and punished Davis for smoking by burning his hand. March 6, 1967: At age 12, Davis has his first contact with law enforcement when he was arrested for burglary in Chowchilla, where he lived with . SIGNIFICANCE: The 1993 abduction and murder of 12-year-old Polly Klaas stunned the nation. He and his attorneys are making various appeals to the jury's decision. Richard Davis is on death row in San Quentin State Prison for heartlessly taking the live of an innocent twelve-year-old girl named Polly Klaas. The episode exposes the challenges of the penal system to rehabilitate inmates. Davis later claimed that Klass' last words were: "Just don't do me like my dad". In 1984, a second conviction for kidnapping and other charges brought a 16-year sentence; Davis served 8. Polly's body was too badly decomposed to yield physical evidence of an assault. The responsibly of looking after the children changed frequently in the Davis family and babysitters and relatives done their best to try and look after the five children.It was evident by the time Richard had become a teenager that he was going through various mental struggles and showing the early signs of a mental illness. That arrangement was short-lived however as it turned out Richards father was incapable of looking after five children. Related To Shelli Davis, Milton Davis, James Davis, Carl Davis, Linda Davis. No off-topic remarks. He was the South's p, Davis, Angela Yvonne In this Dec. 7, 1993 file photo, Richard Allen Davis appears with his public defender, Bruce Kinnison, in Sonoma County Municipal Court in Santa Rosa, Calif. Richard Allen Davis. Jefferson Davis served as the president of the Confederate States of America during its four years of existence. At about 10:30 p.m., a stranger armed with a knife entered Polly's bedroom and asked which girl lived in the house. Allen was a regular at the Brick & Mortar Pub in Delphi. "I don't consider him, but he is always there," Klaas said of Davis. . By the time Richard was in his mid-teens he had established himself as a low-level figure in crime. Eventually a tow truck was able to get Davis' vehicle free and Davis only got away with a FI card filed because there was a beer can in his car (which he hadn't drank). I am amazed, too, by the expertise in our community and by the commitment to protecting the land, its waterways, its wildlife and its residents. The so-called "three-strikes" law was passed in 1994, requiring that criminals receive 25-years-to-life sentences for a third felony conviction. [6] Robert was mentally unstable and suffered from hallucinations; he was reported to have taken a gun outside the home and shot at mirages. Criminal Minds Wiki is a FANDOM TV Community. Richard Allen Davis is on San Quentin's death row, his home for the last 20 years. Later, at his formal sentencing, he read a statement during which he claimed that Polly had said to him, "Just don't do me like my dad," right before he killed her. Judge Hastings accepted this recommendation. DAVIS, ANGELA YVONNE 6. By the time he entered his teens, Davis was already involved in criminal actions. Richard K. Davis re-elected independent lead director MIDLAND, Mich., April 13, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Dow (NYSE: DOW) is pleased to report the preliminary results of its 2023 Annual Meeting of. But we can't let this guy have a stranglehold on our lives. Richard told police that his mother would often beat him and punished him for smoking cigarettes by burning his hands.Richards parents divorced when he was a 11-years-old and after the divorce took place Richard and his siblings went to live with their father. Soon after Allen was born, to slave parents, the family was sold to a Delaware farmer. A 22-year condemned inmate, Michael Morales, spent a day in the "death watch" cell last February before he received an 11th-hour reprieve over oft-repeated questions of whether lethal injection - the state's default manner of execution - constituted unlawfully cruel and unusual punishment. Marc has been waiting for Davis' execution since his daughter's abduction and murder. Allen's house is also 2.5 miles from the Monon High Bridge Trail, where Abby and Libby disappeared and were later found dead. He was convicted in 1976 for kidnapping and assaulting a woman and served five years in prison for that crime. In his own brief on the case, Deputy State Attorney General Ronald S. Matthias said ample legal precedents support those rulings. He later strangled Klaas and hid her body under a thick bush under a shallow grave just off Highway 101. Richard Allen Davis was born on June 2nd, 1954 in San Francisco into a family with four other siblings, and two alcoholic parents. The home is a half-mile from Delphi Community Middle School where Abby Williams and Libby German attended. While Davis was being interrogated by Petaluma PD and the FBI, a massive search was launched on Friday, December 3. Richard Allen Davis - Final Statement summer swelter 82 subscribers Subscribe 496 160K views 9 years ago Richard Allen Davis takes a pitiful swipe at the father of his victim. The gravesite is about 20 air miles and about 30 road miles from the search site. Davis was mentally unstable and sometimes suffered from hallucinations. Davis and Edwards proceeded to rob a Yogurt Cup shop, two banks, a Value Giants store, and a Red Steer restaurant. Richard Carl Davis, 95. Davis is known to have presented "revolting behavior" in the courtroom, such as taunting Polly's family (sparking national outrage), and even flipping off a camera. Richard dropped out of high-school and started participating in small-time theft offences and robberies to support himself financially. Here is what we know so far: 1) Allen has lived at his . A judge gave him the option to join the Army or attend reform school, and he chose the former. He was convicted in 1996 of first-degree murder with special circumstances (burglary, robbery, kidnapping, and an attempted lewd act upon . They accepted and Davis joined the U.S. Army. Spared by the state. They also tried to have the property owner have a citizen's arrest but she refused. 23. I've been hearing this name as well. The first two days of the search were kept as low-key as possible, since Davis was under surveillance at an Indian rancheria near Ukiah, California. But against the persistent grind of history, of lives lived and loved ones mourned, Davis' countdown to death is far from over. Davis was paroled on June 27, 1993. At the time of Polly's abduction and murder, Richard Allen Davis had just been out of prison on parole for kidnapping. Davis was born the third of five children in San Francisco. [16][17], Investigation Discovery re-enacted the kidnapping and murder in Motives & Murder: Cracking the Case: Who Took Polly Klaas? Judge Thomas C. Hastings proceeded to formally sentence Davis to death, saying, "Mr. Davis, this is always a traumatic and emotional decision for a judge. years on Death Row before being executed. He was transferred to Napa State Hospital for a psychiatric evaluation, where Davis attempted suicide by hanging himself with his bed sheets. 17. News. Law enforcement officials also have better access to the records of convicted criminals. Davis enrolled in a Alcoholic treatment program, yet quit the next day. Richard joins Ofcom from the Lloyds Banking Group, where he has worked for 11 years and most recently as Head of Innovation. To avoid a sentence at 17, he entered . His mother had also held his hands to a hot stove for playing with matches when he was three. As she drove down the long driveway to Pythian Road, the owner passed Davis. (Season 4 Episode 4, 10/22/2014). . Mr. Davis's case automatically will be appealed to the California Supreme Court, but can be appealed to Federal courts as well, a process experts say could take 10 to 15 years. Davis showed signs of being a sociopath at a young age (later being diagnosed with Anti-Social Personality Disorder). Since Polly's abduction, Mr. Klaas had become a strong advocate for improving child safety and increasing penalties for criminals who targeted children. A torn pair of ballet leggings were found that were later matched by the FBI Crime Laboratory to the other part of the leggings which were taken as evidence on the night of the kidnapping. But it was 10 years ago today that he was formally sentenced to death, his punishment for the kidnap and murder of Petaluma seventh-grader Polly Klaas. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Authorities had been unable to match the partial print earlier due to the poor quality of the print left. Richard lives at 546 Branscomb Rd, Green Cove Springs, FL. A jury in San Jose, where the case was moved last year after efforts to seat an impartial jury in Sonoma County failed, convicted Mr. Davis in June on 10 felony counts including the only disputed charge in the case: attempting a lewd act with a child under the age of 14. Davis had argued that his jailhouse confession was inadmissible because it was given without an attorney present. [18][19], The A&E television series American Justice released the episode "Free to Kill: The Polly Klaas Murder". A few weeks later, Davis was arrested for drunken driving. A prisoner was facing away, toward a wall. It also hides a trend toward longer and longer stays of 20 years or more on Death Row, San Quentin State Prison Lt. Eric Messick said. Davis's trial for murder, kidnapping, attempted lewd acts, and other charges began two and a half years later, on April 17, 1996. When nothing was found during the initial search and the surveillance of Davis also produced no results, the decision was made to arrest him for the kidnapping of Klaas. As a child, he was sold to Stokley Sturgis, a plantation owner in Dover, DE where Allen taught himself to read and write. The court rules that this was justified by the public safety exception to the Miranda rule. The Life Summary of Millard. As noted by People, Davis' sordid past was also brought up. "Richard Allen Davis Trial: 1996 The property owner later found evidence of kidnapping from suspicious items left while loggers were removing trees from the property of November 28. Davis began ranking up a lengthy criminal record, starting at the age of only twelve. Manage all your favorite fandoms in one place! Richard Allen Davis is a murderer convicted in 1996 of first-degree murder with special circumstances. Klaas then left the courtroom to avoid causing further commotion. Richard Allen, who is is being held in connection with the high-profile Delphi murders, appeared in a photo just last year with his wife, and there is a sketch of the killer behind him. The property owner refused. Allen Lee Davis (July 20, 1944 - July 8, 1999) was an American murderer who was executed for the May 11, 1982, murder of Nancy Weiler, who was three months pregnant, in Jacksonville, Florida.According to reports, Nancy Weiler was "beaten almost beyond recognition" by Davis with a .357 Magnum, and hit more than 25 times in the face and head.He was additionally convicted of killing Nancy . 11. He was convicted in 1996 of first-degree murder and four special circumstances, robbery, burglary, kidnapping, and a lewd act on a child, of 12 year old Polly Klaas. For other people with the same name, see, California Governor's Office of Emergency Services, "People v. Davis 46 Cal. Still, Jacobs argued that Davis had stalked Polly, and he called witnesses who testified to seeing Davis in the neighborhood days before the kidnapping. Polly's abduction reminded the nation that even a "typical" child was not safe in her own home. 4. All three were speaking of Richard Allen Davis, who remains on death row for the kidnapping and killing of 12-year-old Polly Klaas in 1993. Davis was arrested again on November 30 for violating his parole. The only possible violation was an open container of beer, but Davis was not driving at the time of the deputies' contact and mere possession of an open container was not illegal. Richard Allen, (born February 14, 1760, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania [U.S.]died March 26, 1831, Philadelphia), founder and first bishop of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, a major American denomination. (April 12, 2023). Includes Address (9) Phone (6) Email (3) See Results. Therefore, that information is unavailable for most Encyclopedia.com content. Richard Allen Davis (born June 2, 1954) is an American convicted murderer whose criminal record fueled support for the passage of California's "three-strikes law" for repeat offenders and the involuntary civil commitment act for sex offenders and predators. d. Geneva, Switzerland, 29 May 1829), chemistry. He was married and had two children (including a son named Neal, who was 18 at the time of the murder) who went to college, but was later divorced.