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Inset: Brian J. Davenport appears in court on Jan. 20 (KTUU). Background: The home where Davenport allegedly killed his grandmother (Google Maps).
In a chilling case from Alaska, a 29-year-old man stands accused of murdering his grandmother. Authorities allege he shot the 87-year-old woman in the back of the head as she sat in her wheelchair, likening the act to “pulling the plug.”
Brian Davenport has been apprehended and faces a charge of first-degree murder with the intention to kill in the death of Velma Koontz, according to court documents.
The Fairbanks Police Department reported that officers responded to a 911 call around 3:45 p.m. on Tuesday. The call, originating from a home in the 1000 block of 22nd Avenue, located over 700 miles northwest of Juneau, reported a deceased woman.
Upon arrival, police discovered Koontz with a gunshot wound to the back of her head. Her husband, who had called 911, informed officers that he had left for a store visit and returned to find his firearm outside and his wife lifeless inside, still in her wheelchair.
Authorities swiftly identified Davenport as the primary suspect in this tragic incident.
“Officers made contact with the victim’s grandson, Brian Davenport, and he immediately stated that he had killed someone,” police wrote in the release. “Davenport was transported to FPD for questioning and, after being advised of his rights, admitted to stealing his grandfather’s handgun and killing his grandmother. He stated that he had initially planned to kill someone else but changed his mind and killed his grandmother instead.”
At one point during the post-Miranda interview, Davenport acknowledged that “killing someone is wrong,” but allegedly compared killing his grandmother “to pulling the plug on a person,” according to the release.
Court documents obtained by local NBC affiliate KTVF provided additional details about the circumstances of Koontz’s death. According to the documents, less than an hour before Koontz’s husband found his wife dead, Davenport had called 911 and provided the dispatcher with an address, but did not respond to any of the dispatcher’s questions.
An officer in the area reportedly found Davenport acting erratically along the side of a road. The officer brought Davenport to Fairbanks Memorial Hospital because he was exhibiting “careless behavior” and risked being struck by a vehicle.
While Davenport was at the hospital, police learned about his grandmother’s death and asked him about it and he promptly admitted to being the killer, the report states. When questioned about his motive for killing his grandmother, Davenport reportedly replied that he wanted to make sure she died “peacefully” and said he “didn’t want her to worry about the legacy she left behind.”
Investigators later learned that Koontz had been diagnosed with cancer and was under hospice care.
Davenport was booked into the Fairbanks Correctional Center where he is currently being held on $5 million bond. He appeared for his arraignment on Wednesday and is scheduled to be back in court for a preliminary hearing on Friday, Jan. 30.
The Public Defender Agency, which is representing Davenport in the matter, did not immediately respond to an inquiry from Law&Crime.