FORT WORTH, Texas. Nearly 50 years after gunfire shattered the quiet of Fort Worth's lavish Stonegate Mansion, the murders that unfolded inside the estate remain among the most infamous criminal cases in Texas history.
The case involving wealthy oil heir T. Cullen Davis combined extraordinary wealth, a bitter divorce, conflicting eyewitness testimony and two nationally watched criminal trials. Although Davis was twice acquitted, debate over what happened inside the mansion on Aug. 2, 1976, continues decades later.
Wealth, Divorce and Stonegate Mansion
By the mid-1970s, Cullen Davis was one of the wealthiest oilmen in the United States. He built Stonegate Mansion, an approximately 19,000-square-foot modern estate off South Hulen Street in southwest Fort Worth.
At the time, the property was surrounded by open fields, railroad tracks and rural roads. Today, the area has been transformed into a busy residential and commercial corridor.
As construction of the mansion was completed, Davis' marriage to Priscilla Davis deteriorated into a contentious divorce. A court granted Priscilla temporary possession of the mansion while the divorce proceedings continued, a ruling that became a central point in the events that followed.
The Aug. 2, 1976 Shootings
Around midnight on Aug. 2, 1976, an intruder dressed in black and wearing a black woman's wig entered Stonegate Mansion.
During the attack, 12-year-old Andrea Wilborn, Priscilla Davis' daughter from a previous marriage, was fatally shot. Stan Farr, 30, Priscilla's boyfriend and a former Texas Christian University basketball standout, was shot four times and killed.
Priscilla Davis was shot in the chest but survived. Family friend Gus "Bubba" Gavrel Jr. was shot and permanently paralyzed, while another visitor, Beverly Bass, escaped without injury.
Priscilla Davis and Gavrel later identified Cullen Davis as the gunman.
Trial Moved to Amarillo
The investigation and arrests generated intense media attention across Texas.
Because of extensive publicity in Fort Worth, the murder trial was moved to Amarillo.
Davis was represented by prominent defense attorney Richard "Racehorse" Haynes, whose courtroom style drew national attention.
Prosecutors argued Davis disguised himself before entering the mansion, disabled the home's alarm system, murdered Wilborn and Farr, attempted to kill Priscilla Davis and shot Gavrel as he fled.
The defense challenged the eyewitness identifications, questioned forensic evidence and argued prosecutors failed to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
In November 1977, after weeks of testimony, a jury acquitted Davis of murder.
Federal Murder-for-Hire Case
The legal proceedings continued the following year.
Federal prosecutors alleged Davis attempted to hire a contract killer to murder Priscilla Davis, the judge overseeing the divorce proceedings and others connected to the case.
The government's case included recordings made during an undercover FBI operation in which Davis allegedly discussed payment with someone he believed to be a hitman.
Defense attorneys challenged the credibility of the government's primary witness and argued Davis had been entrapped.
In 1979, a federal jury found Davis not guilty.
Because Davis was acquitted in both criminal cases, no one was ever convicted in connection with the 1976 murders.
Stonegate Mansion's Place in Fort Worth History
Beyond the criminal investigations, Stonegate Mansion became one of Fort Worth's most recognizable landmarks.
The residence was designed in 1972 by Fort Worth architect Albert S. Komatsu, whose work helped shape much of the city's modern architecture during the 1960s and 1970s.
Unlike the traditional homes common in west Fort Worth, Stonegate featured a contemporary design with multiple split levels, interior courtyards, extensive glass walls, balconies and long interior sightlines. The mansion also included an indoor swimming pool, service tunnels, a large master suite and an extensive art collection.
Following the shootings, the mansion remained vacant for years before later being converted into a Mexican restaurant and eventually an event venue. Both ventures ultimately closed as the building continued to deteriorate.
Stonegate Mansion was demolished in September 2021 after years of water damage, vandalism and deferred maintenance.
Although the house no longer stands, portions of the original estate remain within a gated residential community, and the hillside overlooking southwest Fort Worth remains largely unchanged.
Nearly five decades after the shootings, the Stonegate Mansion case continues to be remembered as one of the most closely followed and widely discussed criminal investigations in Texas history.
