Shivangi Sinha
In June 2018, a 911 call was placed from Jim Rosenlieb’s house in Tulsa, Oklahoma. His wife, Bettye Evans, told the responders that she believed there was someone inside the house and that she had heard loud bangs followed by screams from her husband. By the time officers arrived, Jim had died from a gunshot wound and could not be revived. While several clues at the house initially pointed toward a burglary, identifying the perpetrator proved to be far more challenging than the police had imagined. The episode titled ‘Down a Dark Hallway’ from A&E’s ‘The First 48’ follows the case and explores the various stages of the investigation in detail.
Jim Rosenlieb Told His Wife to Call the Police Before He Passed Away
On July 29, 1937, Floyd James Rosenlieb and Marjorie Cline Rosenlieb welcomed their son, James “Jim” Byron Rosenlieb, in Sistersville, West Virginia. During his childhood, the family moved several times, and Jim spent part of his early years in Centralia, Illinois, before eventually settling in Elmore City, Oklahoma. He graduated from Elmore City High School in 1955 and later attended the University of Oklahoma, East Central University, and Central State University in Oklahoma. In 1959, he graduated with a degree in Business Administration. Not long afterward, love found its way into his life, and in 1961, he married Bettye Evans. Together, they welcomed two sons, Mark and David Rosenlieb, and Jim always made sure that his family remained his greatest priority.
Jim built a long career in the oil supply business and eventually retired from McJunkin Red Man in the late 2000s. By then, he and Betty had settled in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where their home was soon filled with their grandchildren and, later, even a great-grandchild. Retirement gave Jim the opportunity to devote more of his time to community service. Through Harvard Avenue Christian Church, he became involved with the Tuesday Morning Miracle Workers at Habitat for Humanity and actively worked to build homes and assist underserved families in every way he could. His dedication to helping others became an important part of his life after leaving the workforce.
On the night of June 11, 2018, Betty called 911 in a panicked voice and told the dispatcher that there was someone inside her house. She said she could hear her husband screaming, that he had asked her to call the police, and then she heard a loud bang. Betty remained hidden in the bathroom until officers arrived. By the time they entered the home, Jim was found in the living room with a fatal gunshot wound and could not be saved. Investigators also recovered two other spent shell casings from inside the house as they began processing the crime scene.
Jim Rosenlieb’s Killer Had Hinted at His Involvement in a Crime to His Family
As soon as the police officers arrived at Jim Rosenlieb’s house, they noticed that a bedroom window had been broken. Blood marks in front of a closet and a flashlight lying on the living room floor, helped them piece together an initial theory. Investigators believed that someone had broken into the house with the intention of committing a burglary and had hidden inside the closet when Jim woke up. When the 80-year-old had supposedly used a flashlight to see what was going on, detectives suspected that the burglar had fired several shots before fleeing the scene. After speaking with the neighbors and Jim’s family, they learned that just a week earlier, Jim had hired a tree-trimming service, and a man named Ricky “Rick” Davison had been part of the crew.
Soon afterward, an anonymous tip came in claiming that Davison had suggested that he had killed an old man to members of his family. Detectives also found his Instagram account, which he used under the name Ricci Davis. Most of his posts revolved around his music, except for one that was captioned, “Tulsa’s 18th homicide. I don’t give a blank.” Court documents further revealed that, in March 2018, Rick had allegedly stabbed his brother during an argument over eating candy and there was an outstanding warrant for his arrest. Detectives used that warrant to take him into custody and also executed a search warrant at his home.
During the search, they recovered a .32-caliber pistol that matched the weapon used in Jim’s homicide, along with a pair of shoes that matched the footprint left on a broken piece of glass at the crime scene. Detectives brought Rick in for questioning, but he denied having any involvement in the crime. The officers who worked the case later described him as a difficult and frustrating person to deal with during the interrogation. He insisted that he had never been inside Jim’s house and had nothing to do with the homicide. However, investigators believed that the evidence against him was overwhelming. Rick was ultimately charged with first-degree murder and first-degree burglary, along with an additional charge of assault with a dangerous weapon stemming from the former alleged incident.
Rick Davison is Being Held in a Prison in Oklahoma Today
Rick Davison’s trial began in October 2019, during which he made false claims that his father was the real perpetrator instead. He alleged that his family had set him up and refused to accept any responsibility for the crime. The jury ultimately found him guilty of first-degree murder and first-degree burglary. He was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the murder conviction, along with an additional 20-year sentence for the burglary charge. An Oklahoma appellate court later rejected Davison’s appeal. He is now incarcerated at the Allen Gamble Correctional Center in Holdenville, Oklahoma, where he will never be eligible for parole.
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