GILBERT, AZ – The husband of a woman admitted to a dementia care facility in Gilbert has been indicted on a murder charge after allegedly poisoning and smothering her while staying in her room, according to officials.
Justin Davidson, 46, was charged with first-degree murder following the June 11 death of his wife, Danielle Crosbie-Davidson, who had been receiving treatment for advanced dementia at Eternal Spring of Gilbert, authorities said. Davidson, a California resident, was reportedly visiting and staying in his wife’s room at the time of her death.
According to court documents, staff at the facility raised concerns after noticing a decline in Crosbie-Davidson’s health soon after her husband arrived. Employees reported to police that Davidson allegedly made unusual requests, including instructing personnel not to feed his wife and frequently locking her room door, which hampered caregivers’ ability to check on her.
When staff discovered Crosbie-Davidson dead in her room, they observed signs that prompted suspicion, including a blue discoloration on her tongue and bruising on her neck. The findings led employees to contact law enforcement immediately.
Police questioned Davidson, who allegedly confessed to attempting to kill his wife using a large number of crushed Oxycodone pills, for which Crosbie-Davidson had a prescription. According to investigators, Davidson said he mixed between 50 and 60 pills into her food. When she did not die after ingesting the opioid, Davidson told authorities he purchased sleeping pills from a local store and blended them into a blue frozen ice drink from a fast-food restaurant.
Davidson also allegedly admitted to smothering his wife with a pillow after poisoning her. Staff statements and physical evidence corroborated details from the confession, according to the police report.
Records show Crosbie-Davidson had lived previously with her husband in Southern California, where authorities responded to multiple incidents involving the couple.
Davidson was taken into custody and booked into Maricopa County Jail on a $1 million bond. His next court hearing is set for August 11.