Daniel Davitt (left) was convicted on May 1, 2023, of the 2019 murder of Officer Jean “Jim” Lee (right). (Pinal County Sheriff’s Office; Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office)
Arizona prison inmates face the possibility of spending decades in prison after their guards died nearly four years ago.
Daniel Davitt, 62, was convicted of attacking and killing Maricopa County detainee Jean “Jim” Lee, 64, at Buckeye Prison in October 2019.
Maricopa County Sheriff Paul Penzone said after the sentencing was handed down, “Police Officer Lee’s family would like to thank and appreciate the resolution of everyone in the community for their love and support over the last three and a half years. I do,” he said.Based in Glendale, Arizona Radio station KTAR.
The attack occurred on October 29, 2022. Davitt is believed to have caught Lee off guard and choked him first. The defendant then pulled out the opponent’s leg from underneath. As a result, the prison officer hit his head on the concrete floor and lost consciousness. He was taken to a nearby hospital, but died from his injuries the next day.
After the attack, before Lee died, doctors described his condition as “moment by hour” and were based in Phoenix. Fox affiliate KSAZ reported.
Dr. Paul Dobrowski, a trauma surgeon at Banner University Medical Center, said at the time, “The entire brain is affected by the pressure and swelling of the brain from the blood from the injury.
A six-year veteran of the sheriff’s office, Lee’s death sparked an outpouring of grief and support from his loved ones.
“He loved bargains. I don’t know who introduced him to Goodwill, but what an engineer’s dream,” said William Gutierrez, Lee’s nephew, at a large crowd at a local theater. A comment is reported that he spoke at a celebration of the life of attendees.by Arizona Republic.
“What Jim taught us is that there is a big world out there to explore. ‘Cause I might find something to offer,’ said the nephew. “Thank you to everyone who worked closely with his uncle for giving him the happiness he was looking for.”
Lee’s friend and former colleague Kevin Parmenter said, “He lived more lives in one lifetime than most people live in five. He’s done it all.” accepted.
“Last week, on October 30th, time stood still when I got the call. “For his family and his legacy, it is our duty and honor to keep Jim’s memory alive.”
At the time of the attack, the defendant had been awaiting trial for two years on child abuse charges. Months before the attack, Davitt filed a complaint with the sheriff’s office, then filed a civil rights lawsuit in December 2018 accusing Lee of sexually harassing him for looking at his genitals.
Davidt said he suffered from mental health issues and PTSD-like symptoms because Lee stared at him for 10 to 15 seconds. Sheriff Penzone said the allegations were investigated but were baseless.
Davitt has six previous felony convictions, meaning he could likely face a sentence of 15 to 30 years in prison.
His sentencing hearing is scheduled for June 2nd.
