LETTER FROM KEITH DAVISON'S FAMILY

Hi Kaylee,

 

Our family is devastated by the loss of Keith Davison. Furthermore, the false information in the media is very upsetting at this time of tragedy. It would mean a lot to Keith's family if you posted this. Thank you very much. I would like to remain anonymous at this time until the investigation is cleared. Please leave my email out of the posting. Thank you again.

Keith's sister

October 14, 2005
RE: Captain Keith Davison

I received a call from my family on Tuesday October 4^th.  It was the worst day of my life. I was told that Keith had passed away. I have had the pleasure of knowing Captain Keith Davison for the past 16 years. He is a good, honest, hard working man. Keith was dedicated to his Profession as a Correctional Officer.

Keith and his family moved to Lawtey from Orlando to escape the busy city life. They both obtained jobs with the Department of Corrections. They moved from Lawtey to Raiford a few years later. Keith loved his life, family, and profession.  

Our family has been deeply devastated by this tragic loss and the manner in which he has been treated and portrayed in the public view. I would like to provide a time line and some insight into this case. 

Friday September 30^th Keith was invited by a sergeant to have a “few beers” at the BOQ. 2 females showed up. 1 female, Laura X, was reportedly “very messed up” “could not walk” so her friend and the 2 male officers placed her into a bed at the BOQ to sleep it off and not drive while under the influence. The other 3 had a few beers and then went home.

Saturday October 1, 2005 Laura X was supposed to be at work in the am. When she no showed for her shift, her friend that was with her the evening before allegedly stated that she left her the night before sleeping in the BOQ. Her friend also stated that she went home early because she had to work in the am.

Reportedly, sure enough they found her passed out in the same bed where she was left that evening. Reportedly police were on scene that Friday night. If she was beaten and raped so badly wouldn’t she have been taken to the hospital that evening? But yet she stayed the entire evening and slept. She must have been very traumatized to remain in the place that this terrible incident occurred.

That same day Keith received a call to inform him of the accusation against him. Keith was devastated. He informed his wife. Keith seemed okay that day according to his wife. Keith called Laura X that afternoon and asked, “Why are you doing this to me?” Her response was, “I did not claim that you did anything, I just did not know where I was when I woke up.”

Laura answered the phone without hesitation. Surprisingly, I would be scared to death if the person I accused of rape was calling me. I would not answer the phone.

The police did not make a statement that the victim was being treated in the hospital with the severe injuries as described by some unknown friend.  

Interestingly enough, no charges were filed. This unknown friend also stated that Laura X had no alcohol in her system (verified). If they did test her for ETOH (which I don’t know why they would), it is not standard practice in the medical setting to test victims of alleged sexual assaults for alcohol or drugs.

Furthermore, if the test was completed it is solely for medical purposes only and could not be disclosed to the public due to the Hippa Act.  ETOH metabolizes quickly and if her visit to the hospital was delayed it may not show up. Furthermore, hospital drug screens test for a very limited amount of drugs. They don’t test for any of the designer drugs IE: GHB, Ecstasy, etc.  

Keith was placed on administrative leave Monday afternoon and terminated on Monday evening. Pretty quick if you ask me. Much minor investigations take months and months to resolve. Firing based on Behavior unbecoming of an officer.

Keith was brutally honest about being at the BOQ’s and having an affair with Laura X for the past few months. (So why would he have to rape her? Allegedly, he did not like her at first, but she kept pushing him.) Maybe he should have lied; however, that was not Keith.

He fully cooperated with the investigation, gave a taped statement and provided DNA samples. He always told the truth and you knew where you stood with him.

However, I drove by the BOQ’s after his funeral. Funny, how many beer bottles and cans can someone leave sitting outside their doors? It brought me back to my college days in the dorms. Is Keith the only one guilty of partying at the BOQ’s? Funny how the BOQ’s are referred to as “SIN CITY.”

Reportedly everyone that I have spoken with have very derogatory statements to make about Laura X. Reportedly, her termination papers were in process and she had been informed that she was going to be terminated. She is not very highly thought of. Statements of “Pathological Liar”, “Calls in sick all of the time”, “Prisoner has filed claim of sexual allegation against her”, “she has been caught in lies”, “prior claims of sexual allegations where she was the victim” was proffered about her. A no call/no show would have definitely ended her career with DOC. Man; she has to have the worst case of bad luck that I have ever seen. 

Keith asked that he be buried with dignity. His funeral service and internment was beautiful. Over 250 people showed up. However, our family was upset when the DOC denied Keith an American Flag because he was terminated. What, after 15 years of loyal service you're out? Whoa. What about the human aspect, respect, and tragedy that a 39-year-old man in the prime of his life passed away.

We also had a few comments from administration about burying Keith in his Corrections uniform. This was his life and the way he would want it. We also celebrated his time with the US Navy with the playing of Taps and presentation of the American Flag to his wife. Keith was very proud to be part of DOC.  

Keith requested that his name is cleared and that justice is served to Laura X for what she has done. He stated, “Laura I hope you are sleeping well at night. You played a game on me.”

Keith’s only focus that evening was his family. He leaves behind 2 wonderful and delightful very young boys. He was the best father there ever was. The week prior to his death, Keith was seen sitting in downtown Starke with his boys eating ice cream cones. Keith made everyone laugh. He was a very prideful man; therefore, he did not want to drag his family through the mud, cause any humiliation or financial strain.  

Speaking with co-workers, Keith had an argument with a higher ranking official a few weeks prior to his death. Keith had played softball for many years and wanted to quit. He wanted to spend more time coaching his boys in sports. He was persuaded that he could not quit playing ball with DOC. Keith was not one of Clark’s boys. Yes he did play ball; however, he has always played ball since childhood. Keith never took time off, was available 24 hours day for assistance as needed.

Keith’s final words are, “I was accused of rape and I was raped. 16 years of hard work and loyalty down the tube.”

I can only say these past two weeks have been surreal and one of the hardest times that I have ever gone through. We all loved Keith. He was a wonderful brother, father, husband and friend. Keith, god blesses you and I hope you can see exactly how many people loved and admired you.

Thank you to all our friends, family, and colleagues from DOC: The support and generosity you all have extended to our family has been overwhelming and breathtaking. We will never forget that. 

Keith will be deeply missed. I can only say that I hope that Keith is portrayed in the public in a more positive light. Our family is going to work hard to ensure that this does not happen again.

Take care Keith. We love you more than words can express. See ya in Keystone. I promise to ensure that your wife and kids will survive these hard times. We have made it our life’s mission to clear your name and get the facts straight.

A loving sister from the East Coast

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To: kaylee1@charter.net
Sent: Tuesday, January 10, 2006 1:13 AM
Subject: About Capt. Keith Davison

Hi Kaylee,

I happened to come upon this Web site (https://www.angelfire.com/oz/today/keithdavison.html) and read the letter from the sister of Capt. Keith Davison. She requested that her e-mail not be shared, but I would appreciate it if you would forward my note on to her. I want to share my feelings about her brother.

I met Keith in 1995 through my husband, who served alongside Keith at the Orlando Reception Center and was good friends with him. Together, they tiled some floors to make some extra money on the side, and Mark always commented on Keith's pride in his work and his perfectionistic approach to any task he undertook. We, too, know that Keith took a great deal of pride in his career as a correctional officer and he was, without a doubt, among the best who have ever or will ever serve in that capacity.

I only knew Keith through Mark, and I remember that he made me laugh and he made my son (9 years old at the time) laugh. But let me also tell you something that I have always remembered and appreciated about Keith. When I first met him, I was 9 months pregnant with my second child, and Mark and  I were in the middle of a stressful move into a mobile home on the grounds of the prison. Mark was attending college in addition to working and I was working full time as well.

Because of my condition, Mark had loaded all of our belongings onto a U-Haul by himself but had to leave for class because he had an exam that day. He was also exhausted from working the midnight shift. I was at work. When Mark and I got home, we were so surprised and grateful to find that Keith had single-handedly moved all of our belongings inside our mobile home by himself. He didn't ask for or expect anything in return. That's just the kind of friend Keith was. I saw other examples like this in the next few years before we moved to Tampa and he and Crystal and Dalton moved to north Florida.

I know Keith did not rape that girl. There's not a doubt in Mark's or my minds about that. We only wish that Keith would have taken more time to adjust to the news of his hasty and undoubtedly unjustified firing before resorting to such a desperate act. But then again, he waited about as long as FDOC did to fire him even without the benefit of an investigation into the questionable allegations that steamrolled into this tragedy. There are a lot of people who have Keith's blood on their hands.

Mark and I were deeply saddened to learn of Keith's untimely death. Although it's been a long time since we've seen Keith on a regular basis, we feel his loss, too. We want you and your family to know that our thoughts and prayers are with you and I hope you will persist in clearing his good name. I often pray for Keith and for his family, especially for his young sons, who will miss out on so many wonderful moments with a wonderful man.

God bless you and God bless Keith.