William Maurice Davis

William Maurice Davis, also known as Willie Mo D, was a small time drug dealer and bookie in the Oakland, California area who was shot and killed in his backyard swimming pool in what has become an infamous gangland murder. Police responding to the scene of the murder found little evidence in the case, recovering only two shell casings and partial footprints.

It is believed he was killed in retribution for a drug debt, though suspects have been identified and questioned, all those suspects were all subsequently released. What made this case noteworthy was that all suspects in the case were athletes attending Santa Rosa Junior College and reputed drug dealers. This case made headlines because of public opinion that somehow these football players "got away with murder."

District attorney Tom Delano said,"There is no statute of limitations in a homicide case, so just because [justice] has been delayed to this point, new information can always lead to an arrest." The family of Mr. Davis was at one time suspected of withholding information, but claims to have done everything in their power to assist police in finding their son's killer. "Willie was no saint', his father, Alvin said following the news of his son's killing, 'but no one deserves to die the way he did."

While the case is not closed, Oakland Police spokeswoman Tina Hockley said there are no officers currently pursuing leads in the case, making the possibility not very good the case will ever be solved. The murder of William Davis is currently the 1063rd unsolved murder in the city Oakland in the last decade and was the 26th unsolved murder of 2004. Mr. Davis was survived by his girlfriend Juelle, 24, and their 2 year old son. He was 26.