Texas Billionaire T. Cullen Davis Dies at 93

Davis, acquitted in a 1976 Fort Worth mansion shooting that killed two people, died Friday, November 6.

Updated on Nov. 9, 2026 in Financial Crime

Texas Billionaire T. Cullen Davis Dies at 93

T. Cullen Davis died at age 93 on Friday, November 6. Davis was acquitted in connection with the August 2, 1976 shootings at his Fort Worth mansion that killed his 12-year-old stepdaughter and a 20-year-old man.

Why it matters

At the time of his 1976 trial, Davis was the richest man in America ever to stand trial on a murder charge, and the case drew national attention. His death closes a high-profile chapter in the history of wealthy defendants facing criminal charges in the United States.

Davis was acquitted in the 1976 shootings, so the criminal case is closed. The source does not indicate any pending proceedings tied to his death.

The players

T. Cullen Davis

A Texas businessman and one of the wealthiest men in America in the 1970s, Davis was acquitted of murder charges tied to the 1976 Fort Worth mansion shootings.

The details

Davis died Friday, November 6, at age 93. He had been acquitted in connection with the August 2, 1976 shootings at his Fort Worth mansion, which killed his 12-year-old stepdaughter, Andrea Wilborn, and Stan Farr, the 20-year-old boyfriend of Davis's estranged wife, Priscilla Davis. Priscilla Davis and Gus Gavrel were wounded, and Gavrel was left paralyzed from the waist down.

August 2, 1976: Shootings at the Fort Worth mansion kill two people.
Friday, November 6, 2026: T. Cullen Davis dies at age 93.

Legal Context

Davis's 1976 trial was notable because he was the richest man in America ever to stand trial on a murder charge at that time. His acquittal and now his death mark the end of one of the most closely watched wealthy-defendant murder cases of the era.

For Fort Worth residents, the case is part of local history tied to a 1976 double killing at a well-known mansion. The death ends the lingering public interest in one of the region's most publicized criminal cases.

The takeaway

Davis's death closes a case that shaped public understanding of how wealth and high-profile defense can intersect with murder prosecutions. Readers following similar cases can look at how acquittals and subsequent public records are handled over time.