Murder suspect changed story about wife's death, officer says

Editor's note: The following story was edited to clarify the last name of the victim in the case. She was identified in court by three names: her maiden name, her married name and a hyphenated version.

CAIRO, Ill. -- Under questioning, Chauncey Hughes Jr. changed his story about how his wife died, an Illinois State Police investigator said Tuesday during a preliminary hearing at the Alexander County Courthouse.

Hughes, 30, faces felony murder charges in connection with the Nov. 1 shooting death of Heather Davis, a 22-year-old restaurant owner whose aunt described her as a hard worker and a "great mama."

Hughes initially told Illinois State Police Sgt. Chad Brown and Alexander County Sheriff Tim Brown that he and his wife, also known as Heather Davis-Hughes and Heather Hughes, had been carrying bags into their home when a pistol accidentally discharged as she was handing it to him, Special Agent Ryan Sykes of the Illinois State Police testified Tuesday.

When the sheriff and the state trooper expressed doubt about Hughes' version of events, he changed his story, Sykes said.

Hughes told the two officers he and Davis -- who owned and managed Mack's Restaurant in Cairo -- got into an argument after she showed their baby to some men at work, Sykes testified.

"Heather had been showing their baby to other males within the restaurant," Sykes said. "He knew these other males and felt they were interested in her in a sense."

Hughes told police the argument escalated into a physical confrontation, with Davis striking Hughes with her hands and arms and packing items so she could stay with her parents, Sykes said.

"He knew her parents weren't in town, and he was unsure that's where she was going to go," Sykes said.

Hughes said he placed Davis onto a bed at one point in an attempt to keep her from hitting him, prompting her to threaten him with divorce if he didn't let her leave, Sykes said.

Hughes said he let her up, and the couple went into the living room, where the argument continued until Hughes removed a gun from his waistband and fired a round, striking Davis, Sykes said.

"He stated that he was trying to scare her, and he accidentally struck her,"

Sykes said.

After the shooting, Hughes went to the home of his grandmother, Mereva Parnell, Sykes said.

"He stated that he told her that he accidentally shot his wife, and she put him out of her residence," Sykes said. "...He also stated that he had gone down to the river and contemplated suicide and then threw the gun that he had used into the river."

After Hughes left, Parnell called his mother, Dawanda Cannon, who was on her way back from Paducah, Ky., Sykes said.

Cannon went to the couple's home, where she found Davis lying in the living room and called police, Sykes said.

Davis was taken to Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau, where she was pronounced dead of a gunshot wound to the chest.

No one was able to reach Hughes after the shooting, Sykes said.

Hughes told police he had called someone to give him a ride to Clarksville, Tenn., then hired a stranger the next day to give him a ride to Paducah, where his parents picked him up and took him to the Illinois State Police headquarters in Ullin, Ill., to turn himself in, Sykes said.

Hughes later admitted he had gotten an acquaintance to drive him to Paducah, Sykes said.

Hughes, dressed in a bright yellow jumpsuit, sat quietly in court Tuesday, staring straight ahead, as Circuit Judge Mark Clarke found probable cause and set the case for arraignment Jan. 7.

His attorney, public defender Zach Gowin, declined to comment on the case.

Outside the courtroom, Davis' aunt, Lisa Williams, described her as a devoted mother who poured all her energy into running her business and caring for her infant daughter.

"She was a wonderful person. She was a great mama, hard worker. All she was trying to do was better herself," Williams said. "She worked her butt off at that restaurant. That's the only place she ever was, was at that restaurant. ... It was that baby and that restaurant."

Williams said Davis had many friends in town.

"She was well loved in this community," she said. " ... I'll miss her terribly. Life's not going to be the same."