06/09/2022
Tacoma Police are releasing new information that may help you solve the brutal murder of Diana Davis. She was 50 years old when she was reported missing in July, 2020. The mother of two was last known to be seen in the Proctor area of Tacoma on July 27, 2020.
On July 29, 2020, her car was found in an alley in Tacoma engulfed in flames.
On August 5, 2020, someone walking their dog located Diana Davisâ remains near Snoqualmie Pass. Forensic analysis revealed Davis died from multiple blunt force injuries to her face.
"This person went through a lot of effort to cover up this crime. Not only did they take her out in the woods, bury her in a place where they probably didnât think sheâd ever be located. But they also went through the effort to burn her car to hide evidence. And thatâs not something youâre going to see usually in a random crime," said Tacoma PD Det. Jack Det. Nasworthy.
Now, he is releasing some new information in hopes it will help identify her killer. He believes she may have been killed by someone she met on a dating site.
"One of the things that we did find out through the investigation is that Diana did meet men on dating websites. And our working theory is that she had arranged to meet somebody in Seattle the night that she disappeared," said Det. Nasworthy.
Her cell phone was never recovered. However, through search warrants, Det. Nasworthy said his team contacted at least one dating website she used, but Davisâ last login on that page was more than a month prior to her disappearance.
Now, he is asking for the public's help to think back two years ago and try to remember if you communicated with her on a dating app or site. If so, detectives want to know which one it was so they can find out who she was talking to.
The Washington State Patrol found partial DNA of man among her remains. Now, they need a name to compare it to.
âSomebody cut my momâs life short. My mom just turned 50 and I feel like she had 50 more years in front of her. She was so full of life,â says Dianaâs son, Chris Davis.
If you have information, you can remain anonymous by sending it to Crime Stoppers of Tacoma-Pierce County. Crime Stoppers is offering a $1,000 reward for information that leads to an arrest in Davisâ death. Tipsters can remain anonymous by calling 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or submit the info through the P3 Tips App on your cell phone.
Davis worked as a caregiver in Tukwila. Police explained Davis lived part-time in Auburn and Tacoma. Investigators said she left her Auburn home to tend to her vegetable plot at a community garden in Tacoma on July 27, 2020. She then went to a small hardware store in Tacoma for 45 minutes and left without buying anything. From there, Davis drove to an area near Lumen Field in Seattle where her cellphone signal was last located. By that evening, the phone was turned off.
"Who could have done this? Who could have done this and why?" said Monica Joseph, Dianaâs best friend of nearly 40 years. "I couldnât believe it at first. I was like no, there has got to be an explanation."
Joseph said she and Davis were close ever since they were 13-years-old. The best friend said they talked about everything all the time. When their conversations suddenly stopped in July 2020, she learned days later the shocking fate of her dear friend.
"I think about her every single day," said Joseph. "She couldnât even harm a fly. So, for someone to do this to her, to take her life the way that they did itâs justâŚitâs really difficult to process."
Now Joseph is one of many people using their voice to seek justice for Davis. She is asking those who know something about Davisâ death to speak up.
"Diana deserves justice. And what happened to her she didnât deserve it," she said. "Itâs just time for this to come to an end."
FOX 13 Seattle Crime Stoppers of Tacoma-Pierce County Tacoma Police Department
