Christopher Davis to be held without bond ahead of murder trial for missing boyfriend

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Christopher Davis
Christopher Davis’ mugshot. Credit: The Lee County Sheriff’s Office

Christopher Davis, who stands accused of killing his boyfriend Barry Schmalbach, will be held without bond ahead of his trial.

Davis appeared in bond court on Friday morning and faces second-degree murder, tampering with evidence and fraud, among other charges.

He was booked into the Lee County Jail at around 1:45 a.m. on Thursday after being extradited from South Carolina, where he had been held in jail since January.

According to the Cape Coral Police Department, Davis reportedly last saw Schmalbach on July 19 in the vicinity of Beach Parkway in Cape Coral, where the couple shared an apartment.

His bond hearing was originally set for Thursday but was postponed to 10 a.m. on Friday.

The judge said on Friday morning that Davis would be held on no bond in Florida and he needs to prepare to start the trial in the next four months, but Davis’ lawyer said they needed much more time than that.

Davis’ lawyer also said that Davis did not feel safe in prison in Lee County and that he wanted to go back to prison in North Carolina.

But the state said Davis would not be a free man before the trial either way, whether that’s in Lee County or in North Carolina.

According to witnesses, they saw Davis purchasing a pick-ax and a shovel and then disposing of the items shortly after he reported Barry missing.

Witnesses also believe he falsely reported his boyfriend missing and started using his personal items to make it appear as if Barry were alive when evidence suggested Davis knew his boyfriend was already dead.

On Friday, Davis was in court in a protective, padded suit and handcuffs on his wrists and ankles. Davis claimed that’s because he’s under psychiatric care and suicide watch.

His next hearing is on Monday.

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