Officer Keith Cain had been in the police office, a small trailer, when he heard Davina's first transmission. He was out the door and on his way in the Police Blazer to find her immediately. He followed South Baldhead Wynd to the marine. He saw tail lights up at the lighthouse area and went there where he found the pickup Davina was driving. It was backed into the cul de sac with its parking lights on. Davina's pickup in cul de sac
The area at the lighthouse was completely dark, so Cain scouted the area. He found that the door to the lighthouse was open, so he checked in there because sometimes, people like to climb up, drink beer and throw down beer cans. Finding no one, he checked the area around Old Baldy.

Old Baldy compound

Lighthouse compound

Fence by Old Baldy

A daytime walk around these grounds and the chance to climb Old Baldy costs visitors $3.00 each.

Women's Restroom

 After checking the entire compound, Officer Cain went back to Davina's pickup, where he noticed her flashlight still in the front seat - something she always took with her at night. He began to sweep the area behind her vehicle. In the darkness, it was hard to see. Work was being done on the museum hard by the road and debris was piled up on the side. He looked across the area one time, and brought his flashlight back again. That is when he noticed the dark shape beyond her truck.

The former women's restroom.

He found Jones lying face down, her feet pointed towards her truck, her face turned toward the left. Blood was coming from her head and her eyes were slightly open. Her arms were up close to her head on both sides, her service weapon, a .40 Glock, was beneath her right hand, her walkie-talkie microphone was not clipped to her shirt but was at her left side on the ground. He felt her left arm for a pulse but found none. Cain, a trained emergency responder,  felt no heartbeat and observed no breathing. He called in, "Officer down." He moved his vehicle to shine more light on the scene and waited for another officer and medical help. During this time, he transmitted a call for dogs to be sent over to search. Where body was found
Pickup was parked in cul de sac The only officer living on Bald Head Island was Fire Chief Kent Brown. He and his wife, an EMT, were first to arrive on the scene. Because he considered the area a "hot zone" or unsecured area, and because he was unsure of Officer Jones' true condition, when two paramedics arrived on the scene shortly, Brown instructed them to remove her while he and Officer Cain covered them. The two paramedics went in and picked her straight up by her arms and belt and carried her to the ambulance. Brown's wife drove the ambulance to the ferry landing
When the body was moved, Jones' gun fell from under her fingers onto the pavement. Because Officer Cain thought there might be still unknowns in the area, he carefully retrieved her gun and placed it on the pavement between his Blazer and Brown's vehicle. Later he moved it into the floorboard of his Blazer where police later took possession of it.  

Cain moved his Blazer to light up area

The crime scene was being destroyed. The body was moved before any pictures was taken. Her gun was moved twice before investigators arrived. Any evidence in the ambulance was destroyed when it was later used to transport investigators.

Bald Head Island Terminal Office
Employees from a nearby restaurant were notified they had to leave due to a death on the island. When they arrived at the ferry landing to depart, they saw Davina's body on a stretcher, uncovered. The body would stay in that condition until the Bald Head Island Police Chief, who was currently out on medical leave, arrived on the island with her husband. They could find no body bags, so they took two sheets and placed one on the bottom and one on top, pinning the body inside for transport to the mainland and placed her inside the landing office. Upon her arrival, the Police Chief Karen Grasty, asked that the SBI take over the investigation of this case.
The partner, Keith Cain, had been left with an unarmed paramedic to guard the scene. Later, detectives arrived asking him to provide his weapon, shirt, and consent to a gunshot residue test, which he did. He was taken in the passenger seat of the ambulance to the landing, where he almost opened the door of the landing office where Dee's body had been finally moved from view. An officer quickly led him away. He came to the mainland on the same ferry as the body. He was treated and given oxygen in the wheelhouse.
Incoming ferry Those in charges were getting ready to send the body unattended, but the Police Chief sent her husband and three others with Officer Jones. In the early hours of October 23, 1999, her tour of duty was coming to a close. The body was met by SBI investigators and those waiting to take the body to the morgue at a local hospital.
top