Family of murdered Bingham County man raising funds for memorial service
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BLACKFOOT – Two children will experience their first Christmas without their father this year.
In February, David Lee Davis was murdered in Bingham County, leaving behind two children, Andrew, 13, and Haven, 10.
The family now lives in Boise, and Valley View Elementary in Boise has stepped forward to make sure the kids have Christmas presents, but what the children really want for Christmas is to say goodbye. They have not had the opportunity to have a memorial service for their father. A GoFundMe account has been set up to help the children lay their father to rest.
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“Having David cremated took all of my savings,” widow Heather Davis said. “I just want to do the best I can for my children and for David. He deserves to be laid to rest properly.”
The year has been a difficult one for the children, but they have a plan for their father’s memorial.
“The kids have chosen a place to spread his ashes,” Davis said. “They also want to release balloons with messages for David, and have family and friends there.”
Davis has been fighting cancer and is currently unable to work.
“I have Hodgkin’s lymphoma and they just found a mass on my lungs,” she said. “The kids receive survivor’s benefits, but there isn’t much left over.”
In September, Melonie Smith was convicted of first degree murder of David Lee Davis when she shot him in the back of the head at her home in Pingree. She will be sentenced for the murder Jan. 2.
“The kids have written letters for the court,” Heather said. “They are struggling. Hayven is having nightmares, and it is a tough age for a boy to lose his dad.”