Treavor Lovell Ford, 33, of Gatesville entered a guilty plea to first-degree murder on October 22, 2025 in Coryell County’s 440th District Court, court records show. The plea, confirmed during a hearing in Gatesville, stems from the March 26, 2023 shooting death of 61-year-old Martin William Davis outside his home on the 1600 block of Waco Street as he carried groceries from an H-E-B. Surveillance footage released early in the investigation captured three assailants fleeing the scene, and police quickly identified three suspects.

Ford’s plea marks the second of three suspects to resolve charges in the case. Shawn Michael Smith-Brearey, 21, of Temple, pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in November 2024 and was sentenced to 50 years in prison on February 13, 2025. The third suspect, Scott Allen Harkcom, 34, was indicted on murder charges on February 13, 2024 and is expected to enter a plea later in 2025.

Prosecutors in Coryell County described the plea agreement as one that waived appeals and permits a sentence of up to 50 years, and the sentencing phase began during the October 22 hearing with testimony from 17 witnesses. The court reset final sentencing for Ford to November 24, when a judge will determine his punishment. The case file shows an earlier capital murder indictment for Ford in October 2024 following the grand jury indictment that named him and Smith-Brearey in July 2023.

Local law enforcement agencies led the multi-agency investigation. Gatesville Police Department, assisted by the Texas Rangers and overseen by Coryell County District Attorney Dusty Boyd, relied on surveillance video and community tips to piece together the events that night. Police had publicly released images of three unidentified suspects on March 28, 2023 as they sought leads in the days after the slaying.

For a town of under 16,000 residents, the homicide was an uncommon and jarring event. Analysts and community members have noted that violent crime is relatively rare in rural Coryell County, and the brazen nature of a home-front robbery that escalated to fatal gunfire challenged residents’ sense of security in ordinary routines such as grocery runs. The extended timeline of the investigation and staggered legal resolutions has prolonged uncertainty for Davis’s family and neighbors, amplifying the emotional toll of the case.

The guilty plea underscores both the effectiveness of local investigative work and the limits of legal processes to immediately heal community trauma. It also highlights practical considerations for residents and local leaders: the role of neighborhood vigilance, the importance of courthouse resources for victim impact statements, and the need for mental health support for affected families. Remaining legal steps include Ford’s November sentencing and developments in the third defendant’s case.

As Coryell County awaits the November 24 sentencing, the resolution thus far brings a measure of accountability for Davis’s death while prompting broader local conversations about public safety and community resilience. Sources for the case timeline and court developments include FOX 44 News (KWKT), KWTX, the Gatesville Messenger, and KCEN-TV.