Chris Davis “Lizardman” victim and witness murdered
This story is very sad for me, so much so I’ve had a hard time bringing myself to post it. I’ve always been fond of Chris Davis. It took a lot of guts as a teenager to come forward and share the story of the large THING that nearly attacked him in a South Carolina swamp. (Assuming something otherworldly DID happen in that swamp.
I’ve not been able to find web footage of his early testimonials about the encounter. In them Mr. Davis was credible and believable. His story was a truly scary one. After working late at McDonald’s one night Chris got a flat tire on the way home. The 2 lane road where his car was stopped was was dark and lonely, in the middle of a swamp. As he started changing his tire, a “lizard-like creature with searing red eyes and along, (sic) ape-like arms pounding toward him on its hind legs”emerged from the Swamp. It seemed intent on getting at the food on Davis’s front passenger seat. Then everything happened really quickly…
It’s sad to lose him so young. He was truly a man of his age, wrestling with infamy he didn’t want and ultimately didn’t exploit . He was key figure in one of the centuries most amazing stories. He died a victim of drug related violence, a modern scourge, and epidemic among young black men. Condolences to his family and friends.
This is the first of several Lizardman posts I’ll be making.
Police: Murder victim Lizard Man witness
www.theitem.com | Jun 20, 2009
Police have made no arrests in the case of a 37-year-old Sumter man shot to death Wednesday.
Christopher Davis was killed shortly before 11 p.m. in an incident at his home at 5230 DuBose Siding Road. Investigators say Davis was targeted in a drug-related incident.
“We’ve had several leads, but nothing has panned out so far,” said Capt. James Turner of the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office.
Davis, a Lee County native, recently moved to Sumter County, Lee County officials said. Davis became an international celebrity at the age of 16 when he reported the first sighting of the legendary Lizard Man of Lee County.
Former Lee County Sheriff Liston Truesdale said there would be no Lizard Man without Davis.
“In July 1988, Chris was the first witness interviewed as seeing the Lizard Man,” Truesdale said. “And what impressed me was that he told the same story every time. And he had to tell the story over and over again to the media and others. If you’re lying, you can’t tell the same story twice.”
Everybody wanted to hear the Lizard Man story from the eyewitness, Truesdale said.
Davis served as a grand marshal at a festival parade and signed T-shirts at a mall in Myrtle Beach, he said.
“At that time, he was super, nice kid,” he said. “You know, I bet he told the story more than 100 times every week for several weeks.”
Truesdale said he believes the media attention and publicity became too much for him.
“He could have made a mint from this,” Truesdale said. “A lot of people don’t know that he was scheduled to go to the Oprah (Winfrey) Show, but he canceled it. I think finally he just had enough.”
Davis’ death marked the fourth homicide in Sumter County jurisdiction in 2009. There have been five in the city of Sumter jurisdiction.
Sumter County Sheriff Anthony Dennis said the county saw nine homicides within his jurisdiction in 2008.
Dennis, in office since 2004, said the number of homicides during his tenure has varied from two or three a year to five to seven to the nine people killed last year.
Funeral services for Davis will be held at 1 p.m. Monday at the New Haven United Methodist Church in Bishopville.
If anyone has information on the shooting, call the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office at (803) 436- 2700 or Crime Stoppers at (803) 436-2718. Callers can remain anonymous and may be eligible for a cash reward.
Contact Staff Writer Randy Burns at rburns@theitem.com or (803) 491-4533.