Robert Leon Davis - Running Scared: For 22 years he was a fugitive--the corrupt cop busted by God

Copyright 2010 by Robert Leon Davis.

This edition copyright 2010 Lion Hudson

The right of Robert Leon Davis to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

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ISBN print 978 1 85424 993 7
ISBN pdf 978 0 85721 141 5
ISBN e-pub 978 0 85721 140 8
ISBN Kindle 978 0 85721 139 2

First edition 2010

Published in association with the literary agency of Credo Communications LLC, Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Unless otherwise stated, Scripture quotations taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version , copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by the International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan and Hodder & Stoughton Limited. All rights reserved. The NIV and New International Version trademarks are registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by International Bible Society. Use of either trademark requires the permission of International Bible Society. UK trademark number 1448790.

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

Cover image: Corbis/Robert Davis

In memory of my Grandma,
Tessie Jones

Table of Contents

Foreword

In 2007 I celebrated my fiftieth year as a priest, my Golden Jubilee. The majority of those years were spent at Holy Angels Church on the south side of Chicago, Illinois. The rectory of the church had a threshold at the front door that experienced thousands upon thousands of footsteps. I was the Pastor of Holy Angels and I opened that rectory door countless times to numerous folk from all walks of life.

The most unforgettable character ever to enter through that rectory doorway was Robert Davis, whom I call Bobby. His story is so outlandish that anyone hearing it would have no choice but to be highly skeptical. When I first met him, Bobby unraveled a tale that was simply unbelievable, incredible, astounding and beyond belief !

He stated he was a former police officer from New Orleans, Louisiana, who had become involved in a major crime. Fearing conviction, he fled to Canada and lived a homeless existence for some years in the Canadian woods. I am a consummate realist who found his story too hard to swallow. Having heard so many stories at that rectory door, I found Bobby Davis spiel to be unbelievable, but highly intriguing. I mused, How could anyone have the audacious effrontery to bring such a madcap account to me?

Gradually, however, Bobby not only became an integral part of the life of Holy Angels, but he also entered into my heart. As time went by, my skepticism became challenged more and more. I found myself becoming not just simply a friend to Bobby, but also his confidant.

I urge readers of this amazing autobiography to lower their guard. They will find, as I did, that Bobby Davis is telling the truth, the whole truth. His story is one of unvarnished honesty. Bobby has written a book that literally grips the soul. It is difficult to put this book down once it has been picked up.

My friendship with Bobby is certainly one of the highlights of my fifty years in the priesthood. I thank Almighty God for that momentous day when Bobby crossed the threshold of Holy Angels Rectory. The years have taken their toll, but they will never dim the brightness of our friendship. Read this book. You will love this story of victory over incredible odds. Running Scared is the true story of a cop who came in!

Father George Clements
Chicago, Illinois

Acknowledgments

I would like to thank the following people:

My brothers and sisters for their ongoing love and support.

My mother for giving me birth through God.

My Uncle Andrew and Aunt Dee for moral support.

My Aunt Beulah and my cousin Ethel for that special gift.

My Aunt Delores for a special talk we had.

Also, my cousin Alana for sharing true friendship.

There are a few people to whom I wish to give special thanks. Thank you, Father Clements, for your guidance and godly wisdom. Thanks to Carol Foster and her assistant Candi, who were instrumental in transcribing the early phases of my manuscript. Thanks to several friends who reviewed the drafts and provided helpful comments about the content. Thank you, Agent Darryl Anderson, for treating me with dignity and respect. Thanks to the Honorable Judge Sharon Hunter for your faith in my true repentance. A special thanks to my sister, Thecla, for permitting me to reside in her home during my surrendering process, and to my brother Tony for standing with me in court. Thanks to Dr Roxanne Davidson for her assistance and professional input.

I would also like to acknowledge the following people who gave me their assistance to get this book off the ground:

Literary agent David Sanford for his original assessment of my manuscript and deciding that it had merit. Literary agent Rebekah Clark for her tireless efforts to find the perfect publisher for this project and seeing it through to completion. Literary agent Karen Neumair for her expert representation of my writing endeavors going forward. A special thanks to Credo Communications and Timothy J. Beal for representation and support. A warm thanks to Robert Michaels for his contributions to this project.

Most importantly, I thank God for keeping me safe in the forests and woods and for putting up with my ignorance for many years.

Robert Leon Davis

Introduction

As will become apparent to you as you read these reflections, I traveled almost constantly for a twenty-two-year period of my life. Because of this, I cannot always recall specific dates, months or years. In those areas where I am specific, it is due to the fact that I later contacted individuals I know to confirm my recollections. The time I spent with Father George Clements in Chicago was not easily forgettable and impacted me greatly.

In this book I have not been able to include details of every city or state I visited. I traveled to many places and passed through some of the same cities a few times. But those places in which my life was greatly impacted have been included. However, most of the names of the people in this book are fictitious, in order to protect the identities of the real individuals concerned.

Upon my eventual surrender to the authorities in New Orleans, Louisiana, I was reunited with my family my brothers and sisters in 2002, and I met several nephews and nieces for the first time. I would like to make it clear that I love my family very much. Although years separated us, I know they forgave me for being absent from their lives for so long. I realize if you want forgiveness, you must be prepared to forgive.

It has taken me four years of concentration and diligence to complete this book, and I would like to make one thing clear to the reader: I take sole responsibility and blame for all the wrongs I have done in my life. In no way do I wish to imply to the reader that I was a victim. Words cannot express my deep sorrow for the people Ive hurt on this journey. Therefore, I wish to humbly say to them, I am sorry. Please forgive me. I am sorry in a godly way, with sincerity and regret.