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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Sister says suspect in shop killing innocent

The man accused of killing 74-year-old John G. “Jack” Allen is being held in Spokane County Jail on $1 million bond.

But 36-year-old Jeramie Davis is innocent, his sister said Wednesday.

“He would have cracked by now,” Tina Jackson said.

Davis faces charges of first-degree murder with robbery and first-degree robbery, officials say.

Police say Davis went into Best Buy Adult Entertainment, 123 E. Sprague, after 10 p.m. Sunday night and beat Allen to death with a baseball bat so he could rob the place. After leaving the shop once, he returned with a friend to steal more sex paraphernalia, police say, then left and returned about 2 a.m., when he called 911 and waited for officers.

“If he’s the one that did it, he never would have gone back,” Jackson said. “He told me: ‘If I get busted for stealing, so be it, but I didn’t hurt that guy.’ “

Davis initially told police he didn’t take anything from the store but later admitted he had, according to a court document.

Jackson said her brother went to the store to rent a video but didn’t see anyone around.

He saw Allen on the floor and heard him snoring, but didn’t see any blood, Jackson said.

Davis told police he thought the man was passed out drunk.

Davis left and returned with a friend, and Allen was still on the floor, but the two were afraid to call police because Davis’ friend was wanted on a warrant, Jackson said.

By then Davis had stolen some items from the store, and that’s when Davis went to his sister’s home for help, she said. He returned to the store with her.

“You couldn’t see blood until you got up close,” said Jackson, adding she immediately checked for a pulse. “When Jeramie realized he (Allen) was hurt, he said ‘Oh my God’ and called 911.”

Davis, a lifelong Spokane resident, has an extensive criminal history, but a misdemeanor assault is the only violent crime on his record.

According to court officials, Davis has 12 felony convictions including forgery, trafficking of stolen property, possession of stolen property and maintaining a bucket shop – a scam involving persuading people to invest in nonexistent stocks. He also has been charged with 23 misdemeanors, most of which are driving offenses.

“He’s going to come out innocent,” Jackson said, adding that one of the last things her brother said to her is, “I have God, and I have forensics on my side.”