Murder trial arrives for W. Va. man charged in 2014 fatal shooting of I-81 motorist
Carley BonkMore than 5 1/2 years after a 28-year-old Maine man was shot while traveling on Interstate 81 in Franklin County, the suspect in his murder is to go on trial before a jury starting next week.
John Wayne Strawser Jr. of West Virginia is charged with first-degree murder for the fatal shooting of Timothy "Asti" Davison Jr. just south of Greencastle in the first week of 2014.
Strawser, 41, eluded authorities for well over a year. But everything changed when he gained media attention after killing his girlfriend, and a local couple who'd had a volatile encounter with him the night before Davison's death connected the dots.
Public Opinion dug through archives to build a comprehensive timeline of events based on police records and court documents that brought Strawser to trial, starting in 2014.
Erratic driver starts shooting
Jan. 4, 2014
Davison was on I-81, making the long drive north from Florida, where he had been visiting his sister for the holidays, to his home in Maine, when he was approached by an erraticallydriven, dark-colored Ford Ranger truck just before 2 a.m.
Davison called 911 as he was approaching the Pennsylvania-Maryland border, concerned that someone was firing gunshots at him and had run him into the median, before continuing north. As he was on the phone with a dispatcher, the vehicle returned. At one point, the 911 call cut off and Davison had to call back.
Davison and his silver Mitsubishi Montero were discovered near Exit 3 in Antrim Township. He died from multiple gunshot wounds at York Hospital later that night.
The program above allows you to dig deeper into the events that led to the death of Timothy "Asti" Davison Jr. and, ultimately, the arrest of John Wayne Strawser Jr. It might not open on some mobile devices.
More:I-81 shooting victim's last words heard in court as 911 call played for first time
Another murder leads to mistaken identity tip
April 15, 2015
Strawser shot Amy Lou Buckingham, 38, in her chest in her driveway at her home in Tunnelton, according to West Virginia Metro News. Family members said the mother of three and Strawser had a tumultuous relationship and had been arguing before gunshots rang out. Strawser fled and led police on a high-speed chase, during which he dumped a .44-caliber handgun.
April 20, 2015
After learning about Strawser's involvement in Buckingham's murder, Waynesboro couple Jamie and Courtney Breese tipped off Pennsylvania State Police that he might have been responsible for Davison's death. Courtney previously had an affair with Strawser and said he became possessive, violent and unpredictable around the time of Davison's death.
The Breeses described multiple threatening encounters with Strawser. The evening before Davison was shot, the couple were at a bar in Bunker Hill, West Virginia, when Strawser began threatening them via text message and phone calls. When he showed up, they left in their silver Honda Pilot. They got on I-81 and drove north, eventually into Pennsylvania.
The couple told police they thought Strawser had been going after them when he came across Davison. Their Honda was similar in color, design and size to Davison's Mitsubishi.
Strawser named suspect
September 21, 2015
After nearly two years of investigation and pleas for help in identifying the person responsible, police identified Strawser as the suspect in Davison's death. However, Franklin County prosecutors had to wait until Strawser's West Virginia murder case was complete before they could move forward with Davison's case.
More:I-81 murder: Suspect in 2014 shooting of Maine man back in court
Aug. 17, 2016
At trial in Preston County, West Virginia, Strawser was convicted in Buckingham's murder and sentenced to life in prison.
Oct. 9, 2017
Following his extradition to Franklin County, Magisterial District Judge Kelly Rock denied Strawser bail, based on the nature of his charges.
Nov. 30, 2017
The 911 call Davison made while being chased on I-81 was played publicly for the first time at Strawser's preliminary hearing. A revving truck and multiple gunshots could be heard in the background.
Davison's last recorded words were "Dude he's f***ing here."
A sound of wheels squealing followed Davison's silence.
Multiple witnesses were available to give testimony, but Franklin County District Attorney Matt Fogal decided to only play the call. The Franklin County coroner and the lead investigator from Pennsylvania State Police, Chambersburg, gave statements.
Coroner Jeff Conner testified that an autopsy showed Davison was shot in the head, left hand and right thigh.
More:Accused I-81 road rage killer back in county to face charges
Jan. 10, 2018
Strawser pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder by waiving his arraignment.
2018-19
The homicide case against Strawser wove its way through the county court system.
July 29, 2019
Strawser's trial is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. in Courtroom One of Franklin County Courthouse. It is expected to last two weeks, according to Fogal.
Check back next week for the Public Opinion's coverage of the trial.