Timeline: Donessa Davis
The following is a chronological look at the life of Donessa Davis, a Wisconsin man who became internationally famous following a very unfortunate attack involving Krazy Glue. It is not meant to be an article – just information that has been gathered
August 11, 1972
Donessa T. Davis is born.
June 8, 1996
Davis is arrested for criminal damage to property in Waukesha County. Lives at 1000 Pewaukee Road #3, Waukesha at the time. Charges are later dropped.
February 15, 1998
Davis was convicted of misdemeanor battery and disorderly conduct and sentenced to 30 days in jail and one year of probation.
February 16, 1998
Angela M. Layton asks Waukesha County courts to issue a two-year domestic abuse restraining order against Davis. It is granted.
February 21, 2000
Angela M. Layton asks Waukesha County courts to issue a second two-year domestic abuse restraining order against Davis. It is granted.
September 14, 2001
Davis now lives at 34 West Bank Street, Fond Du Lac. He is arrested for issuing worthless checks.
January 21, 2002
Angela M. Layton asks Waukesha County courts to issue a third two-year domestic abuse restraining order against Davis. It is granted.
February 8, 2002
Davis, who now lives at 934 Winsor, Fond Du lac, was ordered to pay child support to Tracy Hood-Davis.
November 25, 2004
Davis was arrested for the repeated sexual assault of a child. The child is identified as A. R. H., born September 9, 1991. (Believed to be Alesha R. Hood.)
July 26, 2009
Davis allegedly abuses a child.
July 28, 2009
Davis allegedly threatens death to Tracy Hood-Davis.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Therese A. Ziemann, 47, of Menasha, was contacted by Davis’ wife, Tracy M. Hood-Davis, of Fond du Lac, who informed her that Davis was married with children and “seeing other women and using them for money”.
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Ziemann lured Davis to the Lakeview Motel in Stockbridge with the offer of a “rubdown”. He voluntarily submitted to being bound in bed sheets and blindfolded by Ziemann. She then cut off his underwear with a scissors and summoned three other women — Wendy Lou Sewell, 44, of Kaukauna, Michelle M. Belliveau, 43, of Neenah, and Davis’ wife Tracy — to the room with a text message. When they arrived, Ziemann struck the man in the face and glued his penis to his stomach with Krazy Glue. The other women taunted him.
Belliveau, who is Ziemann’s sister, had no relationship and was there only to offer “moral support,” according to Sewell. While the other women had no prior criminal record, Sewell had been arrested four times on disorderly conduct charges.
Davis told police his wallet, vehicle and cell phone were gone when the women left in a rush after he started screaming. He told police he was threatened with a gun, though investigators could not substantiate his claim. Davis was treated for minor injuries and released from care.
This same day, Davis allegedly is involved in a theft of a valuable under $2500 and the illegal use of a telephone.
Friday, July 31, 2009
Ziemann, Sewell and Belliveau made initial appearances in Calumet County Court. Bail for each was set at $200 cash, and included orders to have no contact with Davis. An arrest warrant was issued for the victim’s wife, Tracy, said Calumet County Dist. Atty. Ken Kratz. Hood-Davis also faces a charge of being a party to false imprisonment. The three women each requested attorneys.
Ziemann was charged with being a party to false imprisonment, fourth-degree sexual assault and misdemeanor battery. Sewell and Belliveau were charged only with being a party to false imprisonment, a felony carrying a maximum penalty of six years imprisonment. “Certainly we haven’t seen this kind of an incident in our county,” Kratz said. “I’ve heard of this kind of thing happening before, but not in Calumet County.”
Ziemann told police she met the man online through an ad posted on craigslist.org, fell in love with him and had paid for his use of the motel room for the past two months. She told police she had given him about $3,000. Sewell told police she, Ziemann and Hood-Davis hatched the plan to humiliate the man after she was told he was dating five women other than his wife.
Monday, August 3, 2008
Tracy Hood-Davis contacted the Fond du Lac Police Department to request a restraining order against Donessa Davis, noting the charges filed against him.
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Ken Kratz appeared on CNN in the evening to talk about the case. It had drawn international attention from the New York Daily News to the New York Times, and all the way across the Atlantic to news organizations in England, Germany and Italy. National late-night TV talk shows also made light of it. But Kratz isn’t fooled into believing he’s talking to media across the world because people are interested in examining the issues of gender equity in the criminal justice system. “It is what it is,” Kratz said, “but it’s not an international case.”
Kratz guessed why people are so fascinated. “It could be the super glue thing. It doesn’t let go,” he said, presumably no pun intended. He understands that some people find humor in the payback, but insists that prosecutors are taking it seriously. “The response has pretty much been that is a little too aggressive to not be held accountable for it,” Kratz said. “It’s important to treat women violent defenders like you would a guy.”
Sewell told The AP the story has been twisted and she’s embarrassed. “I am disturbed,” she said. “I am upset. I am having a hard time handling life; an emotional wreck. I am ashamed.”
People in Stockbridge, a village of 1,500 people that is best known for sturgeon spearing each winter on nearby Lake Winnebago, are talking about it. “There are a lot of jokes going around about it,” said Fire Chief William Van Hoorn, whose department serves both the town and village of Stockbridge. “At the coffee shop in the morning, guys are talking about it.”
Also on Tuesday, quite possibly unknown to Kratz, Davis was arrested at a Chilton motel on allegations of child abuse, theft, unlawful phone use and harassment with a death threat in a domestic abuse investigation, after a complaint was filed with the Fond du Lac Police Department. The Fond du Lac County district attorney’s office said no charges had been filed.
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Fond du Lac Police Capt. Steven Klein made Davis’ arrest public. “It is a case that keeps getting stranger,” Klein said. “More information will come out in the (charging) complaint.” Klein declined to give more details about the charges, and Fond du Lac County Assistant Dist. Atty. Devra Ayala, who is handling the case, did not return a phone call seeking comment.
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Sewell and Belliveau appeared this morning in a report on NBC’s “Today” show. Sewell said she’s “pretty ashamed, embarrassed. I feel I have been the one who is actually the victim after seeing how this story has taken a twist.” Belliveau told NBC she “stayed at the door and I just let them say what they wanted to say” during the incident. “I never assaulted anybody. I never touched the man.” She rejected the notion that she or the other women deserve punishment. “If anybody is a victim in this, it’s all the women he’s dated.”
Donessa Davis appeared in court for the first time on charges related to child abuse and death threats toward his wife. Tracy Hood-Davis sat in on her husband’s court appearance. Tracy left the courtroom escorted by police and not saying a word to the media. Judge Peter Grimm set bond at $5,000 cash and scheduled a preliminary hearing for 2 p.m. August 14. Grimm ordered Davis to not have contact with his wife or the two 8-year-old children listed as victims in the complaint.
Monday, August 10, 2009
The three women, aside from Hood-Davis, appeared in court. Two did not have attorneys. None of the women stopped to talk with reporters — including those from Inside Edition — after court. Belliveau’s attorney, however, did answer a few questions, including one about his client’s state of mind. “She’s very upset about the charges as you might well expect,” said Ralph Sczygelski, Belliveau’s defense attorney. “I don’t think she got up that morning thinking that we’re going to go do anything like this, and I think it’s one of those things that she knew someone and things got out of hand and she’s embarrassed by the whole thing. This is not what she planned to do with her life, at her age and her position.”
Friday, August 14, 2009
Davis waived his right to a preliminary hearing in Fond du Lac County Court and entered not guilty pleas to counts of physical abuse of a child, theft and domestic abuse-related harassment and telephone harassment.
During a discussion about reducing Davis’ $5,000 bail to a signature bond, Public Defender Margaret Vinz said a letter written to Judge Peter Grimm by Tracy Hood-Davis, 30, requested that Grimm reduce bail. The letter, she said, mentioned that Davis is needed to support Hood-Davis’ two children and that Hood-Davis is not fearful of her husband. Hood-Davis stood up in court and told Grimm she was the author of the letter that requests the charges involving the couple be dropped.
Grimm reduced Davis’ bail to $2,500. Assistant Dist. Atty. Devra Ayala said cash bail was needed to ensure further court appearances by him.
Monday, August 17, 2009
Police have seized the cell phones and records of calls and text messages of the women charged with taking revenge on a man they say is a philanderer.
The seizure was revealed during an initial hearing for Tracy M. Hood-Davis. Hood-Davis was ordered today to appear in court Sept. 8 for a preliminary hearing on a charge of being a party to false imprisonment.
Monday, August 31, 2009
Neenah attorney Rob Bellin, who represents Therese Ziemann, said he will ask Davis about his background, which includes temporary restraining orders for domestic incidents and arrests for sexual assault of a child under 12 and physical abuse of a child. Bellin, after a brief appearance in Calumet County Court to schedule the hearing, also said he will fight the felony false imprisonment charge the women face. “How can it be false imprisonment when he agrees to be tied up?” Bellin asked.
Appleton attorney Nila Robinson, who represents Sewell, also filed a motion asking for the charge to be dismissed, saying Davis was restrained before Sewell arrived at the motel. “We are ready to be convicted of having a very low opinion of him,” Robinson said.
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Wendy Sewell appeared in Calumet County court on a motion for dismissal of a false imprisonment charge. Judge Donald Poppy denied the request.
Defense attorney Nila Robinson said the criminal complaint failed to show sufficient facts to meet the burden of probable cause that Sewell committed a crime. Sewell came into the motel room after Davis was bound. She said a few words to him and left, Robinson said. “She doesn’t have an obligation to turn him loose,” she said. The criminal complaint didn’t specifically say whether and how Sewell was involved in a plan to commit false imprisonment, Robinson argued.
Calumet County Dist. Atty. Ken Kratz said Robinson relied on a “hyper-technical reading” of the complaint that should instead have been read with common sense and reasonable inference. “She was right smack dab in the middle of this,” Kratz said.
Poppy said the reasonable inferences drawn from the criminal complaint were minimally sufficient to maintain charges against Sewell.
Sunday, September 6, 2009
Calls were placed from the Fond du Lac County Jail. During the phone conversations, the husband and wife went back and forth on how to describe the events in a manner that matched police statements while minimizing Hood-Davis’ involvement. Davis first suggested testifying that he drifted in and out of consciousness and therefore didn’t know whether his wife was there.
He settled on testifying that his wife came in while he was tied, but left quickly. “I mean, so if you wasn’t there, you wouldn’t know that I wanted to be free or not free,” Davis suggested. “That’s how I think that would work.” Hood-Davis’ comments in the transcripts suggest she indeed only spent a short time in the motel room. She told her husband during one of the calls that she wasn’t there for revenge and wanted to get out “as quickly as possible” after seeing him naked in the presence of another woman. Hood-Davis urged her husband not to lie about her presence there. They also talked about how he would explain going from willingly bound to wanting to leave. “You’re gonna do what you’re gonna do and I have to suffer the consequences,” she said at one point. During one of the phone calls, Davis made it clear that he hoped to testify in a manner that would lead to the dropped charge for his wife. “It would be helpful if I knew what it is that I have to say to get you off completely,” he said.
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Davis testified during a preliminary hearing for the women in the Krazy Glue case. He said he had agreed to be tied to the bed as part of a sexual liaison with Therese Ziemann, but quickly realized she had other plans in mind after the three other women — his wife, Tracy Hood-Davis, Wendy Sewell, and Michelle Belliveau — came to the room. “It got chaotic real quick,” Davis said. “Real fast.”
Davis was often sarcastic and answered questions with questions of his own at points during his testimony. When asked where Hood-Davis had been at one point during the incident, he responded, “Do you forget where I was at? I was tied to the bed.” Davis said he pleaded with the women to let him go and to intervene as Ziemann began to glue him.
Sewell’s attorney, Nila Robinson, said she will seek to have the case dismissed before her client enters a plea. She said Davis was bound when Sewell arrived, and she wasn’t obligated to release him. There was reason to believe he’d become violent, she said. “No sensible woman would have turned him loose at that point,” she said.
Belliveau, who has maintained she was there only to offer moral support to the other women, entered a not guilty plea at the conclusion of Tuesday’s hearing. Sewell, Hood-Davis and Ziemann asked for arraignment at a later date.
Davis testified that though he and Ziemann had previously discussed bondage, the situation changed when he heard a knock at the motel room door that evening. “The party was over,” Davis said.
“And in fact had the tying up been your idea?” Sewell’s attorney, Nila Robinson, asked.
“It was supposed to include binding but not that tight,” Davis said.
Davis said things deteriorated when Ziemann’s sister, Belliveau, entered the room followed by his wife and Sewell.
“This is getting even worse. It was already bad enough. Everyone was already in the room, it went from bad to worse.”
Davis said as he tried to free himself the women were all yelling at him: “‘This is what I get.’ Who do I want to be with. ‘Don’t mess with her.’ Just stuff like that, just taunts.”
Things escalated from taunts to assault, according to Davis, when Ziemann punched him in the face and used Krazy Glue on his body — something he begged the women not to do.
“I was telling them they couldn’t do this, that it’s assault. Hello, let me leave. Help. You guys don’t want to do this — you guys meaning Wendy and Michelle. Don’t let her do this. All this, over and over and over and over.”
Thursday, September 17, 2009
A man who made global headlines after having his penis glued to his body for what police say was revenge for philandering has been sentenced to probation on child abuse and battery charges in a separate case.
Donessa T. Davis Sr., 37, of Fond du Lac was sentenced to two years probation on the misdemeanor charges today in Fond du Lac County Circuit Court. Three counts of theft, harassment and unlawful use of a phone were dismissed.
The Fond du Lac woman who is accused of participating in the attack on her husband sat behind him in court Thursday and requested no jail time on criminal charges he was facing.
Fond du Lac County Circuit Court Judge Richard Nuss ordered a withheld sentence for Davis.
A felony charge of child abuse was amended to the two misdemeanors, and charges of theft and domestic abuse-related harassment and telephone harassment were dismissed and read into the court record.
Davis, who pleaded no contest to the charges, spent 44 days in the Fond du Lac County Jail after Hood-Davis contacted police about the allegations.
Public Defender Margaret Vinz noted the charge of child abuse is an isolated incident, and Fond du Lac County Assistant District Attorney Devra Ayala said Hood-Davis relayed no fear of Davis.
The sentence was a joint recommendation by the attorneys.
Hood-Davis stood up in court and requested that Nuss not order any additional jail time, noting the need for child support.
“The kids have been separated from their dad for over a month and a half,” an emotional Hood-Davis said. “The kids want him home. And he needs to be out to pay child support to help support the family.”
Nuss ordered that Davis have no violent contact with Hood-Davis and no unsupervised contact with his children until his probation agent deems it OK.
If Davis violates his probation, he faces a potential of one year and six months in jail.
Davis, who was calm in the courtroom despite numerous camera crews positioned behind him, took time to choose his words for the judge.
“I feel horrible about what had taken place,” Davis said. “It was unfortunate and I regret it. … It is something that will never happen again.”
Nuss said he agreed the charges of battery stemmed from an isolated incident and noted that Davis does not have an extensive criminal background.
Monday, October 19, 2009
A Calumet County judge on Monday dismissed the false imprisonment case against a woman whose husband’s penis was glued to his body by a woman seeking revenge for his philandering.
Judge Donald Poppy said there wasn’t sufficient evidence presented at a September preliminary hearing to maintain the felony charge against 30-year-old Tracy Hood-Davis of Fond du Lac.
At issue was whether Hood-Davis was in a Stockbridge motel room on July 30 when her husband, Donessa T. Davis, asked to be released from the bed where he had been bound by another woman who lured him to the room and tied him up under the pretense of a sexual encounter.
Prosecutors say the woman lured him to the room hit him and glued his penis to his body while Hood-Davis and two other women were in the room. Davis was in relationships with three of the four women.
Poppy said testimony from the preliminary hearing didn’t show that Hood-Davis was present in the room when her husband finally objected to being tied. False imprisonment didn’t occur until Davis objected.
Calumet County Dist. Atty. Ken Kratz argued the charge was legitimate because it’s a reasonable inference that Hood-Davis was a party to the crime.
“It’s not a coincidence that they were all there at once,” Kratz said.
Poppy said the prosecution is entitled to reasonable inference, but “isn’t entitled to a guess.”
The case has drawn worldwide media attention since authorities were called to the Lakeview Motel on July 30.
Authorities say Therese Ziemann, 48, of Menasha tied a willing Davis to the bed before sending a phone text summoning the other women to the room.
Michelle Belliveau, Wendy Sewell and Hood-Davis entered. The women confronted Davis before Ziemann later struck him and used the glue, the criminal complaint says.
Monday’s hearing focused on Davis’ testimony about his wife’s activities during the incident.
Davis said during the preliminary hearing that his wife was only in the motel room for a matter of seconds and “bolted” from the room.
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Jacquelyn Wolter, defense attorney for Hood-Davis, said her client didn’t restrain her husband, and failure to free someone who is restrained against his or her will isn’t covered by the false imprisonment law.
“They were spectators,” she said of the women who later came to the room. “The crime had already been committed.”
Kratz disagreed.
False imprisonment didn’t stop once Davis was secured to the bed, he argued.
“This is an ongoing crime,” he said. “This is not a snapshot in time.”
Cases against the other three women are ongoing.
Sewell, 44, will also seek dismissal of her false imprisonment charge during an Oct. 26 hearing. She hasn’t entered a plea. Belliveau, the only of the four not in a relationship with Davis, and Ziemann are also charged with false imprisonment. Ziemann is also charged with battery and fourth-degree sexual assault. Both pleaded not guilty.
Poppy will determine during a Nov. 30 hearing whether to handle the cases through a single trial.
Kratz said he plans to appeal Monday’s dismissal.
Monday, October 25, 2009
A judge postponed a hearing Monday for one of the women charged in the Krazy Glue revenge case after her attorney failed to submit paperwork to the court and prosecutors.
Wendy Sewell, 44, of Kaukauna, is seeking to have a felony false imprisonment charge dropped, saying she was not in a Stockbridge motel room where Donessa T. Davis told police he was lured on the promise of sex with one of the defendants, who tied him to the bed, punched him and glued his penis to his body.
Sewell will appear for the rescheduled motion hearing on Nov. 30. Judge Donald Poppy postponed the hearing after defense lawyer Nila Robinson failed to submit the paperwork.
Poppy also will hold a second hearing on Nov. 30 to determine whether the remaining cases should proceed in a single trial.
November 7, 2009
Therese Ziemann, 48, of Menasha, had a motion filed on her behalf this week seeking to introduce prior violent acts of the alleged victim, Donessa T. Davis, 37. According to the motion, Davis’ record would support a claim of self-defense and defense of others.
Ziemann, the charges against which include felony false imprisonment, is seeking to introduce a battery case, three domestic abuse injunctions, a child abuse case and a child sexual assault that ended in mistrial. Davis had a propensity for violence, according to the motion.
According to Ziemann’s motion, “defense expects evidence to show Davis wasn’t asking to be set free, rather began pulling himself free and instantly became a threat.”
The restraints were weak, the motion said, and “when he decided to break himself free, he was able to do so in very short order.”
Ziemann had earlier talked to Hood-Davis about Davis’ violence, the motion says.
“The alleged victim’s wife not only informed Ms. Ziemann about the alleged victim’s prior violent acts, she did so for the purpose of warning Ms. Ziemann,” the motion says.
November 18, 2009
Donessa Davis was cited for not wearing a seatbelt in Fond du Lac County by Officer Rusty Kryzanowski. Davis was driving a vehicle with license plate number 168KTU.
Monday, November 30, 2009
Plea hearings have been set for Dec. 14 for Therese Ziemann, 48, of Menasha, and Michelle Belliveau, 43, of Neenah.
Ralph Sczygelski, the attorney for Belliveau, said Monday he’s hopeful that talks will lead to the felony false imprisonment charge being lowered to a misdemeanor charge of disorderly conduct for his client. The case has been stressful and embarrassing to Belliveau, he said. “It would be a pretty good resolution,” he said. Rob Bellin, the attorney for Ziemann, declined to discuss the status of plea negotiations for his client.
Wendy Sewell, 44, of Kaukauna, entered a not guilty plea to false imprisonment during a Monday hearing. Her attorney, Nila Robinson, filed a motion to have her case dismissed. Monday’s hearing was scheduled to determine whether all three cases would be heard in a single trial. No decision was made. Bellin objected to having Ziemann’s case tried with the others.
December 14, 2009
Therese Ziemann, 48, of Menasha and Michelle Belliveau, 43, of Neenah plead No Contest to misdemeanor charges of Battery and Disorderly Conduct. Ziemann’s attorney has declined to discuss the status of negotiations, and Belliveau’s attorney has said he hopes to negotiate a lesser charge for his client.
Friday, January 8, 2010
Wendy Sewell pleaded no contest to a lesser charge of disorderly conduct. The misdemeanor carries a maximum penalty of 90 days in jail and a $1,000 fine.
Most likely she’ll avoid jail time. The other two women charged in the plot, Therese Ziemann, 48, of Menasha, and Michelle M. Belliveau, 43, of Neenah, pleaded no contest to misdemeanor charges last month, and the prosecutor agreed not to seek jail time for either. District attorney Kenneth Kratz wouldn’t say whether he offered Sewell the same stipulation.
All three women will be sentenced Feb. 2.
January 27, 2010
Davis was pulled over in Fond du Lac County for going 89 in a 55mph zone.
February 8, 2010
Davis was fined $295 and had his license suspended for 45 days after his January 27 speeding incident.
February 15, 2010
Davis was pulled over going 72 in a 55mph zone in Fond du Lac County.
March 8, 2010
Davis was fined $200.50 for his speeding on February 15. No additional penalties.
May 27, 2010
Davis was pulled over and cited for driving after suspension in Fond du Lac County.
June 14, 2010
Davis was fined $200.50 for his May 27 driving.
July 30, 2010
Davis, who didn’t have an attorney, filed a civil suit against Therese Ziemann asking for monetary damages for medical expenses. The civil complaint also cites injuries including pain, defamation, emotional stress, anxiety, embarrassment and loss of enjoyment of life. Ziemann’s criminal conduct was a substantial factor in producing those injuries, the complaint says.
Davis has since hired Milwaukee attorney Nicholas Petty, and they’ve made new some allegations.
They now claim Ziemann put a date-rape drug (GBH) and an anxiety medicine (Xanax) into a glass of wine that Davis was served. And his lawsuit said he suffered psychological and medical injuries as a result.
Petty also asked that the case be moved from Calumet County to nearby Outagamie County. He claims he can get a fairer jury there, after the case drew massive headlines in Calumet County.
October 23, 2010
Theresa Ziemann was arrested for driving her car after her license was revoked.
October 28, 2010
Judge Poppy grants a change of venue for Davis’ lawsuit from Calumet to Outagamie County.
November 2010
Ziemann has counter-sued Davis. “At no time did he indicate he suffered any ill effects,” her counter-suit says. “Rather, the plaintiff acted in a manner indicating that he was as fit and virile as ever.” She alleges that Davis took advantage of vulnerable women, and his lawsuit is only an attempt to extract more money from them.