DAVIS, Marla
Source: Fountain County Star Thursday, Nov. 5, 1981
Fountain County Sheriff Dale Conrad said his investigation of a fatal auto accident October 25, which killed Marla Lynn Davis of Attica, produced no evidence of foul play. Mrs. Davis died after a car she was driving went into a spin two miles northeast of Attica, hit an embankment and rolled over into a ditch.
A nephew of Mrs. Davis, Tony Haymaker of Newtown, alleged that foul play was involved because of Mrs. Davis’ friendship with Attica Police Chief Marvin Osborne and also claimed that his aunt was a drug informant.
Chief Osborne offered to resign his position because of publicity over the case, but the offer was refused by Attica Mayor Avis Hansley.
Osborne said the 26-year-old victim was a good friend of his and he had loaned her the car which was involved in the fatality. Osborne had been with Mrs. Davis at her house, reportedly leaving about ten minutes before the accident.
Authorities have denied that Mrs. Davis ever worked as a drug informant. Osborne has been on the Attica Police Force for 18 ½ years and been chief for 17 of those years.
Two witnesses to the accident, John and Claudia Powell of RR 2, Attica, told authorities that they saw only the Davis car at the time of the accident and none other was involved.
The car driven by Mrs. Davis was picked up by Osborne at Hall’s Auto Agency in Attica to test drive.
Sheriff Conrad said his department is still awaiting results of a coroner’s blood test on the victim to determine alcohol content of the body. Mayor Hansley said he has not concluded his own investigation of Osborne’s involvement with Mrs. Davis. An article in the Indianapolis Star quoted an unnamed source that the two were involved romantically.
Mrs. Davis had worked as a bartender at the Olde Town Inn in Attica. She was born November 24, 1954 in Beech Grove, the daughter of Ira Phillip and Anna Jewell Pitcock Haymaker.
Survivors include her mother, Mrs. Floyd H. (Anna) Hall of Indianapolis; her father, Ira P. Haymaker of Phoenix, Arizona; a son, Fillip K. Tauge of Attica; three brothers, Ira Haymaker Jr. of Newtown, and Paul and John R. Haymaker, both of Indianapolis; and four sisters, Mrs. Rita Ewing of St. Charles, Missouri, and Mrs. Lavonne Salter, Pamela Haymaker and Mrs. Andrea Coulson, all of Indianapolis. Memorial services were conducted October 29 at Maus Funeral Home in Attica. Rev. James Boudouris officiated and burial was in Riverside Cemetery in Attica. -s-
Source: Fountain County Star Thursday, Nov. 12, 1981
Two separate investigations into the October 25 fatal accident, which killed Marla Lynn Davis of Attica, have been closed by Fountain County Sheriff Dale Conrad and Attica Mayor Avis Hansley. Mrs. Davis died at the scene after a car she was driving went into a spin two miles northeast of Attica, hit an embankment and rolled over into a ditch.
Sheriff Conrad said tests showed the victim’s body had a .166 blood alcohol reading, which would indicate she was intoxicated at the time of the accident. Conrad added that she was driving at least 75 miles per hour before the crash.
Conrad said rumors, which indicated someone was chasing the victim in another car, were unfounded and there was no evidence of foul play involved in the accident. Mrs. Davis was alone in the car.
The sheriff said the investigation was more thorough in this case because the car, which Mrs. Davis was driving, had been picked up by Attica Police Chief Marvin Osborne from a car dealer and he then loaned it to Mrs. Davis.
Mayor Hansley said he had conducted his own investigation because of the involvement of his chief of police. The mayor said he agreed with the sheriff on details of the accident. Osborne had offered to resign as a result of publicity surrounding the case but the offer was declined by the mayor.
Mrs. Davis was thrown from the 1973 Cadillac and the body landed some 38 feet from the crash site. Fountain County Coroner Robert Maus said he did not order an autopsy, but did wait the mandatory 48 hours before permitting cremation of the body. He said he felt there was enough evidence to show the obvious cause of death, injuries suffered in the crash.
Sheriff Conrad said Mrs. Davis had consumed three mixed drinks around 5:30 p.m. and approximately three beers before her accident, which happened around 9:30 p.m. Authorities have come up with no explanation of why Mrs. Davis was driving to Attica.
Ira Haymaker of Attica, a nephew of the victim who had raised questions about the incident and possible foul play, said he was now satisfied that it was an accident.- s