Ohio Man Sentenced to Two Life Terms for 2008 Murders
| U.S. Attorney’s Office April 21, 2011 |
Dwayne A. Davis Jr. was sentenced to two life terms in prison, plus an additional 20 years in prison, for the 2008 murders of Rob Susko and David Miller, Steven M Dettelbach, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio, announced today.
Davis, 24, of Lakewood, Ohio, was convicted in February on three crimes following a two-week trial in U.S. District Court.
“Serving two life terms plus 20 years does not bring back the two lives lost in this horrible crime,” Dettelbach said. “But it does send a strong message about the seriousness of the offenses.”
Davis was convicted on all three counts he faced: 1) travel and causing another to travel in interstate commerce with intent to commit a crime of violence to further unlawful activity, to-wit: assault with a firearm resulting in the deaths of David Miller and Rob Susko; 2) using a firearm in a crime of violence to murder Miller and Susko and 3) tampering with evidence.
The two life terms stem from counts one and two. The conviction for tampering with evidence resulted in the 20-year sentence.
Evidence presented at the trial showed that Davis was upset with Susko over a cocaine deal in which Davis was provided bad cocaine. Witnesses testified Davis vowed to get revenge on Susko, and on Oct. 6, 2008, he lured Susko from Cuyahoga County to Detroit under the guise of buying marijuana. Miller was not involved in the purported drug deal but agreed to drive Susko, according to witnesses.
Once in Detroit, Davis shot both men in the head from close range, dumped their bodies, and drove the Miller’s Chevy HHR back to his home in Lakewood, witnesses testified.
Davis then parked the car near a park and used an accelerant to set fire to the car in an effort to destroy evidence of his crime, according to witnesses.
Susko was 22. Miller was 27.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Carol M. Skutnik and Gary D. Arbeznik following an investigation by the Cleveland office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Detroit, Cleveland, Lakewood, and Westlake Police Departments.