Son of murdered state trooper hopes his father’s killers won’t be released early

Friday would have been the first full day of freedom for about two dozen violent offenders in North Carolina.
   
A Court of Appeals said they should be released early because of a 1974 law and good conduct credits, but the state effectively blocked the release for now.

The son of a state trooper who was murdered by two of those inmates told Nine On Your Side he still feels the law has let him down.

The last time Tommy Davis saw his father was September 2, 1975. He was 20 years old and heading back to college after a long Labor Day weekend.

“I was going to UNCW and I actually passed my dad about 15 minutes before he got killed,“ Davis said.

That day, Trooper Tom Davis stopped a car that ran a red light in Williamston. What he didn’t know, was the three people in that car had just robbed a bank. One of them, Joseph Seaborn,  shot Trooper Davis in the throat at point blank range with a sawed off shot gun.

By the time son Tommy got back to campus in Wilmington, his father was dead.  Two state troopers pulled him out of class to break the news.

“You know you just kind of go limp and numb,“ Davis said, reflecting on that painful day.

Trooper Tom Davis left behind two sons, a wife and a community that loved him. Davis founded little league baseball in Windsor in the 1960’s. People used to say, when Trooper Davis gave you a ticket, you couldn’t help but say “Thank you.“

“He was big in stature, but he had a tender heart,” Davis said about his dad.

After losing his father, Tommy said he grew up quickly.

“It’s something that you just deal with every day and get by each day and as time goes on it gets easier,” Davis said. “You do realize that life is precious from day to day and you take a lot of things for granted and you just never know what life will deal you.“

A judge sentenced Seaborn, Faye Brown and Frank Squire to death. Then in 1978 the Supreme Court struck down the death penalty and their sentences were changed to life in prison.  Tommy Davis said he never worried about them getting out, until two weeks ago. That’s when he found out Seaborn and Brown managed to shave more than 45 years off their sentences through various good conduct credits.

“Do I think it’s fair? No, I do not,” Davis told Nine On Your Side. “My dad didn’t get a second chance, he didn’t get a third chance.“

And Davis said these convicted killers shouldn’t get one either. Even though Seaborn pulled the trigger, Davis said Brown didn’t do anything to stop it.

“She knew what she was doing when she walked in that bank and put that gun in that teller’s face,” Davis said. “She knew that he was in the back with a shot gun and she didn’t begin to say anything.  She didn’t raise up. She didn’t do anything to stop it.“

For now, neither Seaborn nor Brown will be getting out. Governor Perdue managed to keep all the inmates behind bars while Department of Correction officials and the courts recalculate their sentences.

Davis said whatever the outcome, he’ll cope, like he’s always done, rising above the anger through his faith.

“I don’t consider myself a bitter person, because I’m at peace with my God. And I live my life every day without hate.“

But we asked Davis what would happen if Seaborn and Brown are someday released, and Davis ever crosses paths with the man who ended his father life.

“If he came in and we were face to face, I might have to plead temporary insanity,” David told us.

The list of inmates who could be released has now grown to 27. The Department of Correction said all of them have gone before the parole board several times, and were denied early release.
   
The DOC said it will not release the names of anymore inmates who may qualify for early release until the courts settle the matter.