- February 26, 2025
It took a Volusia County jury one hour on June 12 to find 18-year-old Dillon O’Donnell guilty of grand theft and first degree murder in the death of William B. Davis III, according to a statement from the Florida State Attorney.
The murder occurred on April 6, 2012, at 788 Buena Vista Way, Ormond Beach. O’Donnell stabbed the victim several times with a knife and repeatedly hit him with a cement lion lawn ornament, the evidence showed. The defendant then fled in the victim’s vehicle.
Circuit Judge Margaret Hudson sentenced the defendant to life in prison for first degree murder and five years in prison for grand theft, to run concurrently with the life sentence. The case was tried by Assistant State Attorney Ed Davis.
Police were called to the scene at 12:40 a.m., after the victim’s aunt found his body lying in the yard. She also saw someone running from the scene. Davis lived in an upstairs apartment.
Police found a bloody knife and a bloody statue of a lion in the yard.
The investigators found a connection to O’Donnell by checking Davis’ cell phone records. He was the last person to text the victim. Police also found O’Donnell listed in a dating application on Davis’ phone.
The victim’s car was found at an apartment in Holly Hill, where O’Donnell was residing.
One of the roommates told police that on June 4, he was hanging out with O’Donnell on the front porch. O’Donnell said Davis owed him money and he was going to kill him, according to the roomate. O’Donnell was holding a knife and made reference to stabbing the victim and slicing his throat.
O’Donnell said Davis was his “sugar daddy” and owed him $800, according to the roommate.
Another roommate said that on June 5, the night of the murder, the victim came to the residence and picked up O’Donnell. The roommate said he then left for an hour, and when he came back the victim’s car was in the driveway.
O’Donnell was in his room, wiping off his arms with a towel, the roommate said. There was a lot of blood on his arms. He later came out of the room, cleaned up. O’Donnell tried to pull the license plate off the vehicle, and eventually left with his bloody clothes in a bag.
On April 25, 2012, O’Donnell was indicted by a grand jury for first degree murder.
