The Cullen Davis case rocked Fort Worth in 1976 when the oil tycoon was accused of murdering two people at his $6 million Stonegate Mansion during a bitter divorce from wife Priscilla. Despite eyewitness testimony identifying him as the gunman, Davis became the wealthiest American ever acquitted of murder charges. He faced additional legal troubles with a murder-for-hire plot before losing his fortune in the oil crash. This infamous scandal continues to haunt Fort Worth’s collective memory.
The Oil Fortune and the Mansion: Setting the Stage
As wealth flowed into Texas during the oil boom, no fortune sparked more intrigue than Cullen Davis’s inherited empire. You’d recognize the name from headlines that would soon rock Fort Worth society to its core.
Cullen channeled his oil millions into constructing the opulent Stonegate Mansion for his second wife, Priscilla Davis. At $6 million in 1976 (equivalent to $45 million today), the estate stood as a monument to excess and luxury.
What began as a fairytale romance quickly soured. Their relationship deteriorated into a bitter divorce in 1974, with Priscilla remaining in the mansion while court proceedings dragged on. Adding insult to injury, a judge barred Cullen from his own home, setting the stage for what would become the infamous “trial of the century.”
The mansion’s opulence rivaled even the grandeur of Dallas’ Adolphus Hotel, which had established itself as a beacon of Beaux Arts style for wealthy Texans decades earlier.
A Marriage in Flames: The Contentious Divorce Battle
When the Davis marriage collapsed in 1974, it didn’t simply end—it combusted into one of Texas’s most scandalous legal battles. You’d have thought oil money could smooth over any conflict, but Cullen and Priscilla’s separation quickly turned venomous.
The divorce proceedings dragged on for years, with the judge barring Cullen from the very $6 million Stonegate Mansion he’d built. This palatial home, meant to be a symbol of their union, became the battlefield for their bitter separation.
Tensions reached a breaking point in 1976 when violence erupted at the mansion—Stan Farr, Priscilla’s boyfriend, was killed, and Priscilla herself was shot. Though Cullen faced murder charges, he was ultimately acquitted, despite prosecution claims he orchestrated the attack.
Their contentious battle unfolded in what was becoming one of Texas’s fastest-growing cities, where the cultural landmarks and attractions reflected both the region’s cowboy heritage and its modernizing identity.
The Night of Terror: August 2, 1976
The balmy summer night of August 2, 1976, would forever alter Fort Worth’s history and the Davis family legacy. What happened at the mansion that evening would divide the city and become known as “the biggest goddamn thing” since the railroad arrived in town.
According to witnesses, a man believed to be Cullen Davis allegedly arrived wearing a black wig and began a deadly rampage. He shot his 12-year-old stepdaughter Andrea Wilborn and Priscilla Davis’s boyfriend Stan Farr dead. Priscilla herself was wounded, while family friend Gus “Bubba” Gavrel Jr. was shot and paralyzed.
Despite Priscilla Davis and Gavrel’s eyewitness testimony identifying Cullen as the shooter, prosecutors couldn’t produce physical evidence linking him to the crimes. In a shocking 1977 verdict that stunned many, Davis walked free.
The tragedy occurred during the same year that the Fort Worth Stockyards was officially designated as a National Historic District, preserving its legacy while the Davis case threatened to tarnish the city’s reputation.
The Trial of the Century: America’s Richest Murder Defendant
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Fort Worth’s courtroom drama reached unprecedented heights in 1977 when T. Cullen Davis became the wealthiest American ever to stand trial for murder. With a staggering $100 million fortune (equivalent to $550 million today), the Texas oil heir’s case captivated the nation.
Prosecutors built their case almost entirely on eyewitness testimony from Davis’s estranged wife Priscilla, who identified him as the gunman who killed her daughter Andrea and boyfriend Stan Farr at Stonegate Mansion. However, they lacked physical evidence connecting Davis to the shootings.
Despite the sensational accusations, Davis’s high-powered defense team systematically dismantled the prosecution’s case, leading to his shocking acquittal in 1977. The verdict only deepened Fort Worth’s fascination with the scandal that would haunt the city for decades.
The trial occurred during a period when Fort Worth’s churches were serving as important community centers for social and civic activities throughout the city.
Beyond the Verdict: Second Arrest and Conspiracy Allegations
Justice had barely delivered its controversial verdict when Cullen Davis found himself facing new, even more shocking criminal accusations.
In 1979, police arrested him for allegedly orchestrating a murder-for-hire plot targeting his ex-wife Priscilla Davis and the divorce judge handling their case.
Prosecutors presented damning evidence: tape-recorded conversations between Davis and an undercover agent discussing the planned hits. Yet once again, Davis’s defense team successfully challenged the prosecution’s case, portraying it as an elaborate scheme engineered by Priscilla to destroy him.
Despite his second acquittal, Davis couldn’t escape financial ruin when the oil industry crashed in the 1980s. He eventually declared bankruptcy, losing the fortune that had once made headlines.
Years later in 2016, he maintained his position: “absolutely, 100% not guilty” of all charges.
Priscilla Davis, meanwhile, led a quieter life in later years, occasionally reflecting on the traumatic events in interviews and media appearances.
Legacy of Violence: How the Case Changed Fort Worth Forever
Long after court proceedings concluded, the Cullen Davis saga continued to cast a shadow over Fort Worth’s collective psyche. The trial deeply fractured the community, creating an invisible divide between those who believed in Davis’s innocence and those who trusted the eyewitness testimony of Priscilla Davis and others.
The case’s impact is still felt when Fort Worth residents discuss wealth, power, and justice. Despite his acquittal, Davis never regained his former standing in society. The mansion shootings transformed local perceptions of privilege, showing that even immense oil wealth couldn’t shield someone from public scrutiny.
The case serves as a cautionary tale about power’s limitations. Fort Worth would never again view its wealthy elite through the same uncritical lens, forever marked by this infamous chapter in its history. Much like the notorious Hell’s Half Acre of Fort Worth’s cattle-driving past, the Davis scandal represented a darker side to the city’s growth and prosperity.