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Woman besieged even after her death

A 58-year-old woman was found slain in her Gibsonton home Friday. On Sunday, someone broke into her home and set her car on fire.

By KEVIN GRAHAM
Published January 16, 2006

GIBSONTON - Bessie Jane Davies showed up three years ago on the doorsteps of a rural Hillsborough County church, looking for a place to stay.

She told Wayne Kato, pastor at Gibsonton United Methodist Church, that she wanted a new start from her life in Tennessee. And she wanted more than anything to find her two daughters, whom she hadn't seen in years.

Moved by Davies' story, Kato agreed to let her move into the church's empty parsonage next door.

She was found dead there Friday by a sheriff's deputy who went to check on her after her boss got concerned that she had missed days of work. Sheriff's spokeswoman Debbie Carter said that Davies, 58, had been killed days earlier.

Less than 36 hours after deputies found Davies dead, someone stole her car, set it on fire and burglarized the home at 6002 Marilla Ave., Carter said.

"It could be anyone" who robbed the house, sheriff's Sgt. James Mosher said at the scene Sunday. "A crime of opportunity."

Mosher said that sometime after 2 a.m. Sunday, someone broke into Davies' home and a recreational vehicle parked on the property. Deputies got a call around 6 a.m. about a car on fire near railroad tracks at Florence Street and U.S. 41.

The license plate on the white Chrysler LeBaron was registered to Davies. That's when deputies went back to Davies' home and discovered the burglary. Mosher said the car was at Davies' home when deputies left there Saturday night.

Kato said that Davies, who people called "Kitten," had personal problems and mostly kept to herself.

"She seemed to be happy, and at times, she seemed to be troubled," he said. "Kitten was kind of on her own."

Kato said that Davies spoke often of finding her daughters. But she didn't talk much about them or other family. She mentioned once that she had a sister in the area. But Kato said he'd never seen her.

Deputies who found Davies on Friday couldn't immediately tell that they had a homicide on their hands, Carter said. The condition of Davies' body made it difficult to know how she died. A medical examiner listed the cause of death as trauma to the upper body, Carter said. She wouldn't elaborate.

"I've seen her with some people I wouldn't necessarily want to be with by myself," Kato said. "But she seemed to take the Lord at his word that he would be with her."

Deputies have no suspects in Davies' slaying or the burglary, Carter said.

Davies worked as a cashier at a Sunoco gas station on U.S. 41, within walking distance of where she lived. She had told some in her neighborhood that she once had a heart attack and would often walk up and down the streets and chat.

"She was just the neighborhood lady," said Teresa Miller. "She was kind of snoopy."

Miller said she'd often wave to Davies as Davies walked through the neighborhood. She'd seen Davies open her home to people to stay with her, Miller said.

"Maybe she just opened her hospitality to the wrong person," Miller said.

The neighborhood, Miller said, is made up mostly of carnival people - Gibsonton is widely known as the winter home for many carnival workers - and Mexicans, many of whom don't speak English.

Erick Pesina, who lived in front of Davies, said she wasn't always the friendliest person in the neighborhood. But that didn't stop him from giving her a card on New Year's Day with $20 in it.

She'd yell at his children for riding their four-wheelers in her yard. And she'd complain to Pesina when men who worked for his stucco company would show up early in the morning and park their trucks too close to her yard.

"She complained all the time," Pesina said.

Linda Lipe considered Davies a friend. She got to know her through church services at Gibsonton United Methodist Church and called Davies a loving and caring person who often said she felt alone.

"She thought no one cared about her," Lipe said. "I told her she should know that everyone at this church loves her."

Lipe last spoke to Davies around Christmas. She went to visit with her boyfriend and remembered how upbeat Davies had been that day.

As she stood on the steps of the church Sunday after morning service, she looked across an empty field to the house where Davies had lived. And she started to cry.

"Everybody did love her," Lipe said.

--Kevin Graham can be reached at 813 226-3433 or kgraham@sptimes.com

[Last modified January 16, 2006, 00:40:11]