Deputies search for convicted murderer accused of fatally shooting Pontiac man

Officials say Michael Jerome Davis was convicted in 1984 and 1991

PONTIAC, Mich. – The Oakland County Sheriff’s Office is on the hunt for a twice-convicted murderer accused of fatally shooting a Pontiac man and injuring a woman.

Michael Jerome Davis, 65, of Pontiac, was identified as being involved in the shooting that happened at about 8 p.m. Wednesday in the 800 block of South Marshall Street.

Deputies said Davis is believed to be armed and dangerous, cautioning residents not to approach him.

UPDATE: Suspect in fatal Pontiac shooting arrested near Toledo

According to the sheriff’s office, he was previously convicted of aggravated murder in Ohio in 1984 and then convicted of murder while in prison in 1991. He was paroled from Ohio in 2006.

Deputies believe Davis was the lone gunman in Wednesday’s shooting. Authorities said deputies were on patrol when the 60-year-old Waterford Township woman ran into the street asking for help. She told deputies that she was shot by Davis, and deputies spotted a wound in her hand.

A man identified as Davis was seen entering the house, and additional police personnel arrived at the scene surrounding the home. After unsuccessful attempts to contact Davis, authorities entered the home and found a man lying on the ground by the front porch with a gunshot wound. The male victim, identified as 62-year-old Franklin Delano Fleming Jr., was pronounced dead at the scene.

The woman later told deputies that she was in the bedroom paying bills when Davis, who she identified as a friend, pointed a gun at her and instructed her to go into the bathroom until another friend got to the house. The woman reported that he instructed her to get in the bathtub and she covered her head with hands as he approached her.

The woman said she then heard a loud blast, saw blood and pretended to be dead. She told deputies that when Davis went downstairs, she climbed out of a window to the roof and began yelling for help. When Davis came back upstairs, she jumped off the roof and ran to the patrol car.

The woman was taken to a hospital where it was determined she had sustained a wound to her head. She is listed in stable condition.

Anyone with information can submit an anonymous tip to Crime Stoppers at 800-Speak Up. A $2,000 reward is offered for information leading to an arrest.

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About the Author:

DeJanay Booth joined WDIV as a web producer in July 2020. She previously worked as a news reporter in New Mexico before moving back to Michigan.