A mansion that was the scene of a grisly double murder is finally to be demolished almost half a century on from the unsolved killings.
Demolition began this week on the Stonegate Mansion in Fort Worth, Texas, to make way for new developments which could include a residential development, a retirement community or an office complex, reported the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
The mansion, more commonly known as the Cullen Davis mansion, was previously owned by multi-millionaire oil tycoon T Cullen Davis who was tried and acquitted of a brutal double murder at the property back in 1976.
Mr Davis spent millions of dollars building and developing the sprawling $4m mansion in 1971.
But, in 1976, he was going through a messy divorce with his estranged wife Priscilla and a court had ruled that she should occupy the home.
Then, on the night of 2 August 1976, a gunman ambushed the property.
Priscilla’s 12-year-old daughter Andrea Wilborn and 30-year-old boyfriend and former TCU basketball player Stan Farr were shot and killed by the intruder.
Priscilla and friend Gus Gavrel Jr were also shot in the attack but survived.
Priscilla told investigators the killer was her estranged husband and he was arrested and charged with murder.
But Mr Davis insisted he was innocent, claiming he was at a movie theatre alone at the time of the slayings.
At his high-profile and sensational trial, he was acquitted on all charges.
The case took another bizarre twist just nine months later when Mr Davis was arrested again – this time on charges of hiring a hitman to kill Priscilla and the judge overseeing their contentious divorce.
Once again, he was acquitted of all charges.
No one else has ever been charged over the murders of Andrea and Mr Farr.
Mr Davis, now 88, continues to maintain his innocence. In 2019, he told Forbes that he has “no possible idea” who committed the double murders.
In the 45 years since, the mansion has been used as a wedding venue, a steakhouse, a church and a Mexican restaurant.
On Wednesday, Garrett Demolition posted on its Facebook page that demolition on the property had begun.
The property will be “leveled and make way for new developments”, it said.
