Damning details continue to unfold in the case of missing Houston girl Maleah Davis, as police continue their desperate search to locate her remains.
Derion Vence, the girl’s stepdad and ex-fiance’ of her mother, remains jailed on charges related to Davis’ disappearance. Cops arrested Vence earlier this month and said he’s been uncooperative with their investigation so far.
He hasn’t been completely quiet, however.
Maleah Davis, 4, has been missing for nearly a month after her stepfather claims she was kidnapped during a carjacking in Houston on May 3. (ABC 13 / video screenshot)
On Wednesday, Vence’s mother testified at a CPS hearing that she’s spoken with her son on at least two occasions since his arrest on May 11, according to ABC 13, which attended the hearing. The matriarch said that in the phone calls to her son she specifically avoided asking if he knows where Davis’ body is.
Vence, 26, claimed the little girl was kidnapped during an alleged carjacking and assault by three Latino men on the night of May 3. The 4-year-old hasn’t been seen since.
Earlier this month, crews with Texas EquuSearch temporarily halted their search for Maleah after their leads dried up but focused on a marshy area in Rosharon, Texas, where Vence once had a mail route and had remarked to a relative that he would hide a body there.
“He actually said to his mother-in-law a year ago that, ‘Man, if I ever killed anybody, I’ve got some places down in Rosharon they’d never find the body,’” said Tim Miller, founder of the missing person’s search group.
In court Wednesday, Vence’s mom testified that her son’s defense lawyer had warned her against bringing up details about she and Vence’s recent conversations. The lawyer, Tom Burton, told ABC13 that was untrue.
The station reported that the suspect’s mother hid from the cameras as she exited the courtroom after the hearing. No cameras were allowed inside.
Testimony from relatives during the hearing also revealed new disturbing details about the case. Maleah’s mother, Brittany Bowens; biological father, Craig Davis, and other members of the immediate family were among those who appeared in court.
Craig Davis testified that he and his sister tried to check on Maleah on May 3, the night Vence claimed she was abducted. When they arrived to the family’s apartment, however, Craig said Vence refused to let them see the child, claiming she was suffering from the flu.
Craig said he asked if he could get a peek of his daughter sleeping, but Vence declined and wouldn’t allow them inside.
Later that day, Vence, his 1-year-old son and Maleah would allegedly head out to the airport to retrieve Bowens, who was out of town for a funeral, from the airport. It was during their drive that Vence claims he was attacked by three men who took his car — and the little girl.
Vence told police he walked to a hospital in Sugarland after waking up from being knocked unconscious during the assault. However, surveillance video shows the Texas man being dropped off at the hospital in the car he claimed was stolen during the carjacking.
The car, a silver Nissan Altima, was recovered in Missouri City, Texas, a few days later.
Watch more in the video below.
