Missing man's body found wrapped in air mattress, ND cops say. Man found guilty
A North Dakota jury convicted a man accused of shooting a person over a drug feud and wrapping his body in an air mattress to conceal it, officials said.
Delon Evan Davis was found guilty of murder, unlawful possession of a firearm, tampering with physical evidence and false information to law enforcement by a Ward County jury on May 22, according to court documents. Officials identified the victim as Mark Ramon McMillan, the Minot Daily News reported.
The guilty verdict came after Davis rejected multiple plea deals offered by prosecutors, KXNET reported.
McClatchy News reached out to Davis' attorney May 27 but did not immediately receive a response.
Minot police went searching for McMillan, who was reported missing, on April 13, 2024, and obtained search warrants for his devices and social media accounts hoping to find his last-known location, the probable cause affidavit filed in July 2024 said.
In July 2024, McMillan's records led police to a commercial building that was listed as his residence, police said in the affidavit. Inside, they found his dead body wrapped in a plastic air mattress that had been there for months, according to the affidavit.
Davis was also found in the building during the search and was arrested on unrelated warrants out of Ward County.
Investigators later learned that there was an 'active feud' between Davis and McMillan, who had accused Davis of 'stealing his personal property and narcotics,' according to the affidavit.
Through tips and interviews with 'known associates' of McMillan, investigators identified Davis as a suspect in McMillan's killing, the affidavit said.
A person was buying methamphetamine from McMillan on April 3, 2024, when McMillan noticed something was missing from his bag, the person told police, according to the affidavit. He went upstairs and the witness reported hearing yelling and gunshots, the affidavit said.
The witness then saw McMillan walk down the stairs and collapse, the affidavit said. The witness said he stayed in the basement for several minutes before fleeing the scene.
Davis told investigators he used Pine Sol to clean the blood from the basement, then wrapped McMillan's body in an air mattress and hid it in a utility area of the basement, according to the affidavit. He said he disposed of the firearm in the garbage at a nearby convenience store, police said.
During an interview with police, Davis said two men, including McMillan, threatened him and fired shots at him during the argument about drugs, the affidavit said. However, police noted that there were no bullet holes found in the building that would 'support that more than the two bullets recovered from (McMillan's) body were fired in the building', according to the affidavit.
Witnesses also contradicted Davis' story during the trial, KXNET reported.
An autopsy revealed that McMillan died from two gunshot wounds and had multiple bruises, the affidavit said.
Minot is about a 110-mile drive north from Bismark.
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