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MARCH 12, 2018 | CENTRAL MICHIGAN LIFE | CM-LIFE.COM
Mitchell Kukulka | Community Editor
State Police in armored trucks search for James Eric Davis Jr. on March 2 around Mount Pleasant.
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DAVIS | CONTINUED FROM 5
incident on CMU’s campus, the suspect is still at large” on Central Alert emergency messages. The search for Davis Jr. brought in more than 100 law enforcement officers from various agencies including CMUPD, Mount Pleasant Police Department, Isabella County Sheriff ’s Department, Michigan State Police, Saginaw Chippewa Tribal Police, Shepherd Police Department, FBI, Michigan Department of Natural Resources and the ATF. As students and residents took shelter in their homes off-campus, SWAT teams searched doorto-door, checking to make sure Davis Jr. wasn’t holding anyone hostage. Garages, sheds and parking lots were thoroughly inspected as officers set up a perimeter, monitoring north of campus, near Mill Pond Park. Police recovered various articles of clothing Davis left along the railroad tracks. CNN, Fox News, The Washington Post, The New York Times and other national media outlets followed the manhunt for Davis Jr. As the eyes of the nation watched the search continue that afternoon, CMU began to dismiss students and faculty who were on lockdown. They were then escorted from buildings by police officers to a shuttle that would bring them to their parents at Comfort Inn. The decision to wait until Friday to pick up his
daughter, Kayla Konen, seemed like a terrible mistake to Dan Konen, of Shelby Township. As soon as he knew about the shooting, he made immediate plans to travel to CMU. The drive was tense and was “a lot faster” that day. “We had that storm last night so I decided to put it off,” Konen said. “I was supposed to come later tonight, but when we heard the news we jumped in the car.” Students ended their long, stressful Friday by reuniting with family members and, finally, leaving for spring break. As they left town, the search for Davis Jr. continued as the sun set and the temperature began to drop.
THE TIP THAT LED TO THE CAPTURE As darkness overtook Mount Pleasant, people were faced with the grim reality that a murder suspect was still at large. Police urged community members to stay inside and avoid their cars, sheds and garages — Davis Jr. could be hiding anywhere. Just after midnight, an employee of Great Lakes Central Railroad spotted a person on the side of the tracks who looked “suspicious.” Railroad President Chris Bagwell told Flint’s ABC12 the company notified employees traveling through Mount Pleasant that “you’re going to be working in an area where a presumed killer is lurking.” The employee, believing the person he saw could be Davis Jr., contacted police. Within minutes, police were on the scene. Yeagley said no questions were asked of Davis