JUN 12, 2019
Inmate says he gave Houston police tip about Maleah's whereabouts before Quanell
A Harris County Jail inmate says he supplied Houston police investigators with the Arkansas location where Derion Vence had allegedly dumped the trash bag containing little Maleah Davis’ remains five days before she was found.
The inmate, DC, who is being held while awaiting transfer to a Texas prison, told the Houston Chronicle he met with investigators on May 26 to share information he gleaned from Vence that narrowed the search for the 4-year-old’s body to a rural highway near Hope. But authorities didn’t start their search in the neighboring state until May 31 when Houston activist Quanell X told authorities that Vence had given him the same location.
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“It’s my understanding from my involvement with this case that DC met with homicide detectives on the 26th of May and again on the 30th of May,” Cotlar said. “It appears that law enforcement already had the location of the body — before Quanell went in there — and didn’t act on it.”
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Vence wandered over to DC’s door as early as May 22 to score some extra chow, the inmate said Tuesday. DC handed him crackers and soup — and eventually, Vence shared his side of what happened to the little girl whose disappearance captivated the city and nation and drew hundreds of pink-wearing mourners to City Hall to pay their respects.
“He says, ‘Man, I didn’t kill her,’” said DC, who was sentenced Monday to 25 years in prison for aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon. Vence initially told him that Maleah “died in her sleep, that she had the flu.”
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In the days that followed the first meeting, DC persuaded Vence to tell him where he allegedly stashed the garbage bag containing Maleah’s remains.
“He wrote, ‘Arkansas, feeder road, black trash bag, Hope exit,’” DC said.
That Sunday, May 26, DC said he twice met with investigators. The first time was to flag their attention to Arkansas and the second meeting was to pinpoint where the remains could be found. He met with investigators again on May 30 and was asked to don a wire and talk to Vence in the morning. He agreed but never heard back from the authorities.
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DC said he believes his tip preluded whatever information Quanell X supplied to authorities after meeting with Vence the morning of May 31.
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DC said coming forward was the right thing for him to do and that he wanted no part of any reward.
“I’m a criminal and I’ve done some things, but that’s a 4-year-old baby,” DC said.
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(Name changed to initials by me)
