Garner Police Strive To Solve Mystery Of Teen's Death

They have more details from an autopsy report. But it will not change the way they are investigating.

Josh Davis loved to play video games with his friends, and he loved to draw. Now, that he is gone, Garner police do not want to draw any conclusions on how he died.

"We want to solve this case for Joshua and his family," Garner police spokesman Jon Blum said Friday.

Davis died last Tuesday as he stood on Hall Boulevard. A medical examiner said the 16-year-old died of a glancing blow that had significant force.

Though the injury could be consistent with a car striking Davis, the medical examiner said he could not rule out that something else killed Davis.

At the scene, the candles have burned out. Davis' father said he has to hold on to a glimmer of hope that this case will be solved.

"I don't feel as sad as I felt," Dave Davis said. "I feel angry now. I'm going toward the angry side of it.

"I think you go through the emotions, shock, sadness. Now I want answers."

Although he knows investigators are doing all they can, Dave Davis said it is frustrating that nothing has developed.

While police continue to sort everything out, Dave Davis said he is certain his son was murdered. He said the motive could be as simple as a dispute over a girl.

Detectives looked at letters they found in Josh's room that were written by females. They have searched e-mail on his computer.

Still, the question remains: Was Josh Davis's death an act of violence or just an accident?

"He's up there looking down," Dave Davis said. "He knows, and I don't think he's going to have peace until we have peace."

Investigators are working on several theories and have not ruled out any.

The theories include:

For now, police continue to investigate the case as a homicide.

"Even if there was a vehicle involved, who's to say the person driving the vehicle or the persons in the vehicle didn't intentionally try to harm Mr. Davis?" Blum said.