Request for Comments on Donald Davidson
This week in Jacksonville, a registered Sexual Predator, Donald Davidson was charged related to the molestation of a 10 year old and the murder of her mother.
According to news sources, here’s what we know about Donald Davidson:
- – He was a registered Sexual Predator from the 2004-2005 molestation of girls under 12.
- – He was still on probation for that crime when, in June 2010 he attacked a 22 year old pregnant woman.
- – He was released from prison in September, just a few months ago.
- – In addition to repeat sexual offenses, he had a long criminal history including several violent offenses.
- – He had a history of drug abuse.
- – He was compliant with all terms of his supervision just prior to the murder.
- – He was on a GPS ankle bracelet, which he cut off just prior to the murder.
- – He was driving a stolen minivan at the time of his arrest.
- – He was a friend of the victim’s Husband/Father.
- – His home, 5724 Canvasback Rd, Middleburg, FL 32068, was 2.3 miles from the closest school, Wilkinson Junior High. (Source: Zillow.com)
The crime is a heinous one. Everyone would agree that, if convicted, Donald Davidson should be punished to the fullest extent of the law.
This crime will also undoubtedly bring with it a lot of public outcry and demand for answers. Did Donald Davidson fall through the cracks? Were our state’s sex offender laws too lax? What can we do close these perceived “loopholes” to prevent this from ever happening again?
Lawmakers will be scrambling to provide solutions to appease the public and prove they are “tough on crime”. No doubt, if reason does not set in, this legislative session will contain another wave of enhancements to sex offender management policies which will be ineffective, costly and do nothing to fix a system that is so clearly broken.
Taking a look at what we know about Donald Davidson and the empirical evidence and facts, here’s what else we know:
- – “Sex offenders” are not all the same and they do not represent the same level of risk, yet we subject them to the same scrutiny, same residency restrictions and they are listed side-by-side on the same registry. If we dilute our registry by including the majority (who represent low risk), it will take away the resources and focus that should be invested in tracking the minority (who represent high risk).
- – Risk Assessments are essential. Donald Davidson had a substantial criminal history, that history included violent offenses, he had a history of drug abuse and he had a history of violating conditions of supervision. All of which are dynamic risk factors that would have likely put him at a very high risk level.
- – Just like Donald Smith (who abducted, raped and murdered Cherish Perrywinkle) , Donald Davidson was compliant with registration. According to his FDLE registration information, Florida DOC just verified his residency information on 12/1. Registration did not prevent this crime.
- – Currently there is a Senate Bill (SB 134) to put a GPS on all Sex Offenders for life. Donald Davidson cut off his electronic monitor prior to his crime. Going back to the first point, can you imagine how diluted the scrutiny will be if probation is monitoring tens of thousands of GPS’ instead of focusing on higher risk ones? Also, the GPS monitor did not prevent this crime.
- – Last session, the legislature passed a new law that requires registration of all vehicles in a registrants household, regardless of whether they are owned or used by the registrant and rental cars too. Donald Davidson stole the car he was using. Legislators would be moronic to think that registrants are going to to register cars they steal. Vehicle registration did nothing to prevent this crime.
- – Donald Davidson was a high-school friend of the murder victim’s husband. 9/10 of sex offenses are committed by someone known to the victim. Public registration to prevent “stranger danger” ignore that fact. Public notification did nothing to prevent this crime.
- – 2.3 miles is over twelve thousand feet. That’s how far Donald Davidson lived from a school. That’s more than the usual 1,000 or 2,500 foot residency restriction that’s in place. Residency restrictions did nothing to prevent this crime.
Finally, what we know is that these tragedies will happen. They are heinous they are awful, but no matter how high we ratchet up the restrictions, they will happen. If someone is hell-bent on abducting raping and murdering, not a residency restriction, “internet identifier” registration nor an ankle bracelet will stop them. If we want to argue that all “sex offenders” should be locked up for life and that would make all children safe, we need to remember that 95% of offenses are committed by first time offenders. Think about it… To truly prevent “just one more child” from becoming a victim, we would need to lock up every human being in their own individual cells.
Maybe, instead of the public crying out to their legislators asking politicians to “fill the cracks”, “close the loopholes” and “get tough”, which will undoubtedly lead to another round of laws that ignore the empirical evidence that is out there, it’s time to listen to the experts, scrap what’s not working and invest those resources into prevention programs, victim assistance and risk-based individualized safety plans instead of our failed one-size fits all approach?
Please share your thoughts by submitting comments below.
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Is implantation of GPS monitors considered cruel and unusual punishment? How difficult it it for technology to devise a GPS tracking device that cannot be cut off? Obviously this sick pervert was thinking about how important it was for him to remove his tracking device before committing this premeditated crime.
Also, how did prison overcrowding play into the release of this violent criminal from prison?
If law enforcement can use handcuffs to restrain individuals why can’t society use this technique to secure GPS tracking devices on violent criminals who are released back into society?
But in reality, if someone with an attached tracking device desired to fulfill their sick, perverted NEEDS, why would any permanently attached device prevent them from committing more heinous crimes?
Mental health issues are at the forefront of this type of crime and obviously these misfits are falling through OUR cracks. I say “our” because publicly elected officials are not serving their constituents or providing a safe environment for any part of our free society.
It is a travesty what happened here or anytime any person is injured, harmed or murdered like in these cases or at the hands of a drug dealer where someone got hooked on drugs or a victim of a drunk driver. What I’m afraid of is so many people have lost all hope that ever been arrested; from a sex crime, drugs, theft, etc… it is especially affecting those that have committed a sex crime more so than others. People lose hope when they can no longer provide for their family or themselves and with all these background checks and being prohibited from this job or even education hope is lost. Without hope one is likely to become dangerous! Recently there’s been an influx of crime against police. I can only believe that a huge factor in all of this is due to the fact that so many people lost all hope. Until there is a 2nd chance or a way to seal one’s record say after 10 years of being crime free I don’t think things will get any better.
Recently there has been several laws introduced at the state level and the fed. level starting to give people that have committed crime in the past a slight chance with the exception of Sex Offense. With that and I’m sure stricter legislation will become law with respect to sex offenders thus i see sex offenders starting to say the hell with it and start committing violent crime; for example, the poor people in the homeless camp in Miami, how much more can they take? I don’t think that was the case with these two animals as they are beyond any rational brain function!
Roseanne Kasama Scott /Welsh was my wife Meleena Evelyn Diane Scott is my little ten year old girl she is now twelve Raiden Alexander Scott is my thirteen year old son he is now fifteen I thought we were leaving it up to the professionals but it seems to me that you are very incompetent in your analysis of these animals this monster first off is not a rational thinking man he was convicted and found guilty for not one but three capital offences two were lewd and lascivious acts to two minors under the age of twelve he strangled a four month pregnant female she was pregnant in my eyes that is attempted murder by two counts all this in less then ten years really you people are that naive you can not rehab them and it is not right to give a predator such as it the same as say statutory rape or even when the female is a minor sixteen and consensual and the parents pursues it these are totally different you can not compare the two these monsters that hurt our children kill our sons daughters and mothers dont deserve a chance this monster did not give a chance to my wife he ravaged her had his way and discarded her like she was his toy she was meat to him and the same went for my little girl he grabbed her and made her do things that …….well this is very hard for me he raped and molested her that would also fall under terrorism the act of putting fear or striking terror to someone rather a single person or mass of people and impedes on there everyday living and then you have our little boy who is very much a mommas boy found her cold lifeless naked ravaged deceased cut mother lying on the floor what rights did he give them what chance did they have Somer Thompson Periwinkle what chance did they have I dont know about you people but our children are important there people to and were suppose to set the standards for them my little girl is just now will to go outside and ride her bike around the block my son is finally going and socializing instead of putting himself in a fake world to cope with the reality his mother is no longer physically here they will never no there mothhers touch or the warmth a mother gives there child it is irreplaceable you know quit being a liberal yuppy and grow a set of nuts and think about our future professionals its in our children and we could prevent maybe even stop things like this if you would not be so sympathetic to a monster that gave no sympathy to there prey instead of worrying so much about your wallets or if you have a bleeding heart for them that there sick and they need help give them to god let him help them yes he murdered my wife I live in regret anger and hate every day but I made a promise to her and to every child that I have been around I love them they deserve to know they can walk down the streets on American soil and be safe to do so quit giving the monsters more chances than our children oh yeah and you know what that monster had a public defender everytime he was convicted you much like the states attorney they work for the state wow such a coincidence huh and I think the Psychologist also works for the state I think Dr larson or whatever his name is he works in the prisons and jails that was the doc that said he was okay what happens when you let a savage gorilla out of its cage in the middle of a city you going to give him a banana or what if this dog kills a child what are you going to do with the dog I am not thinking of just my tragedy my little ones tragedy I am thinking of the whole we need to do something bottom line and rehab and giving them chances isnt enough these preventative measures nope we need to do to them a punishment that matches there decision there crime and until we can come to terms your right they wont stop infact its getting worse alot of it is social media maybe you need to start there with the preventative measures and work your way oh education dedicating to teaching right from wrong in japan they teach there children the first eight years of there education is learning how to respect maybe we need to start teaching the aspects and how to respect the law you know knowledge is key it unlocks many doors your not going to accomplish anything if you are trying to help a lost cause become more strict on first time offenders do something like the three strikes law and heavily enforce them compromise there are no levels of violence when it comes to our children either you are or you arent but if you hurt a youngin like mine was or you murder someone done you people make it harder than it is good luck I will be watching and listening lets see what these so called professionals can do.
Wow. My heart goes out to you.
It’s really hard to respond in a situation like this, because of raw sympathy. I will briefly say that nobody at FAC was advocating for this monster to be able to do or get away with the heinous acts committed. The article seems to make this clear to me, but also knowing FAC’s mission helps to solidify that clarity.
Frankly, I can’t see *anyone* wanting the law to be easy on someone like this. I can’t imagine how an attorney would even blind himself enough to be a good defender.
Someone like this hurts our cause, so FAC would have no reason to nor did they try to defend him. The point of the article seems to be how to we defend our huge population of people labelled and thrown into the same boat as someone who has done something like this? This person deserves punishment to the “fullest extent of the law” just like the article opines. What is unjust is every other registered sex offender being punished for the actions of a statistically invisible few.
Our cause is to not let the heinous acts of a few define an entire population of hundreds of thousands, some of those you mentioned. If my child were to get into trouble because of dating someone a few years younger than him, it is absurd for them to be placed on the same list as the person who did this to your family. I believe you would feel the same about your children. If they were 18 dating a 16 year old, they don’t deserve the same label and restrictions. People who are a legitimate danger to society should be behind bars, and I feel that is FAC’s position as well, though I cannot speak for them.
You should not be able to punish someone for life for things someone else did simply because they are arbitrarily assigned the same label, effectively. That is illogical and a slippery slope of which so many registrants and families are already feeling the impact of.
Again, a huge heart out to you.
Thank you for your kindness but people are naive people as a whole is what can change these laws you have to petition write to the congressman take it to the legislation there is a reason why there are three branches of government so no one branch can have over all power and one branch cannot supersede the other they have to vote on over all decision and we are the ones that hold power in the mass the more people that sign a petition the better our chances and to answer to the 18 to 16 that is were education comes into play if ypu as the parent teach your children about age and what the differences are and they put sex education or even teach it in health classes we pay taxes right I dont see why they could not put a program that would help teach our childre proper family values me and Rosie were only a couple months apart with age that relationship seems to work out another is social media parents should put and enforce certain things for there children but the people who create these blogs or chat rooms should put better filters on them a forty year old man should not be talking to a thirteen year old unless it is his daughter or niece you know these are preventative measures the government can only do so much the same with the state its not just them the doctors that diagnose these monsters if you notice “He complied and did what he was supposed to do by the standards of who the law the judicial branch enforces and interprets the law the legislation branch writes them so who is passing tjese laws through the executive branch but if we think about it a doctor has the power to overide the law well he was abused as a child and they will also use statistics and say well this is a sickness if a doctor put a medical bill into play there you go freed monster its a none stop revolving door but the doctor can prettymuch do anything he wants in a case like this there is many loop holes and alot of them are for medical purposes like this there is a thirty years old and charged with sodomizes a girl well they put him through an evaluation to make sure he is not to messed up then he gets a psychological profile well this is were it starts the making of the sick person then he start undergoing treatment if the doctor say he is liable and competent about his actions the law will then prosecute him if not he needs treament because the man told the doctor set specifics I was on cocaine and my daddy raped or molested me and I was depressed and it also depends on what he did to the child you know all of these are factors that we have to stop you know the doctor shpuld not be able to make these decisions and have the overall say the should also use more than two or three professionals it should be five and they should deam such as intercourse sodomy even age if the child is thirteen or under he is threw even first time offenders should do hard time if he did it and you are guilty give them hard time and they do100% like a federal crime if you do it a second time your done death penalty and if it is enforced strictly no appeals no pass go no two hundred dollars this is the resolve we must have or they wont stop a rope dont cost much and niether does a bullet execute them and cremate tje body you start doing this and letting the public know guess what they will stop there pussies they dont want to die they make it seem like a accident well I got some things I gotta a do oh I got enough people to do what ever needs to be sign we need to work together and like that one person scroll to the top dont lose hope
I so agree with you ! This is a very traffic story but has nothing to do with the majority of citizens that are registered. Murder is very different than sexual offenses that are non violent or consensual and rationally. Could not be compared. If we are going to require registration, it should be for ALL people convicted of any crime. Robbers, embezzlers,drug dealers ,wife beaters, animal abusers, assaulters, white collar criminals, certainly murderers convicted of voluntary or involuntary manslaughter, DWI people, you get my point. The list goes on and on. Of course this is preposterous; even the most rabid political dogs would agree this would be a waste of resources and each case would have so many mitigating factors that the registry could not be properly administrated..
I have read your story and am right now going through a terrible injustice with my child. I wonder if I can contact you.
Certainly. Contact [email protected]
Please keep in mind we cannot help individuals with their criminal cases. Also, we are not attorneys, nor a law firm and therefore we are not qualified to provide legal advise.
Depending on what the situation is, we will do our best to provide you guidance if we can.
Looking at his history on the FDOC website:
Current Prison Sentence History:
Date Offense Sentenced County Case # Sentence
12/11/2004 L/L MOLEST V<12 OFF 18+ 11/09/2010 CLAY 0401712 5Y 0M 0D
01/01/2003 L/L MOLEST V<12 OFF 18+ 11/09/2010 CLAY 500253 5Y 0M 0D
06/23/2010 AGGRAV.BATT,VIC PREG 11/09/2010 CLAY 1001338 5Y 0M 0D
Incarceration History:
Date In-Custody Date Out-of-Custody
11/22/2010 09/20/2014
This data raises several questions in my mind. If his "first" offense was in 2003, why was he just sentenced in 2010? Obviously he was free to commit the 2004 and 2010 offenses. His sentence was only 5 years, of which he served just under 4? Seriously? Child pornography sentences are longer than this in most cases, where there was NO "hands-on" victim. He must have had a damned good lawyer and or lots of money. His recent heinous crime clearly demonstrates how ineffectual Florida's "scorched earth" policy on sexual predators and sexual offenders is. My fear is the same as Gail's, that this atrocity will herald in a new wave of draconian measures. Florida must start doing risk assessments as required by the AWA. It is unjust to punish every registered citizen for each new heinous crime committed by someone else. What are all punished for the actions of one person? I am a lifelong Florida resident, but if more restrictions are enacted without any pushback from the ACLU or other human rights or civil rights organizations, I will consider leaving the state.
I am heart broken yet again to hear of this tragic event. I spend countless hours talking to my neighbors, friends , families and legislators as well as law enforcement and hear the same things over and over again. ” Why do we keep doing the same things? Its obviously not working. Isn’t there something we could do to prevent this type of thing?” My answers are always the same, “We cannot prevent it all be we certainly could do a better job. We need to be putting resources into public awareness and education. Providing parents real tools to protect their children and we need to be empowering our children to be able to speak up. We must be allowing low risk prior offenders a real path back to our communities. Stability in housing, jobs and connection to society is what creates stable citizens and creates safer communities. We spend way too much time hearing about all the hysteria and not enough about the real facts.”
What we should all be doing is telling our legislators to spend the time and bring in the experts as they are doing in other states to work a real plan towards prevention. And to seriously be considering the S.S.A.I.F. plan.
I believe we need to not focus on, “If it saves just one child its worth it”, but more importantly “focus on saving all of the hundreds of children that are abused by family and people known to the victims”. Stranger danger is very isolated, heinous, but isolated. We are expending huge amounts of our resources with the wrong focus. The research is very clear on this!