FORT MYERS, Fla. – Christopher Davis, the man accused of killing his friend Barry Schmalbach in Cape Coral last summer, is finally back in Southwest Florida and made his first court appearance Thursday morning.
“Honestly, a shock … it brings some kind of relief,” Schmalbach’s sister Emily Scaletta said of Davis’ court date.
Further information about the case can be found here.
Scaletta described her feelings: “Definitely to strike again, especially after a year. There are only a few weeks left and it’s crazy to think that time has gone by so fast and sometimes so slowly.”
Last July, Scaletta’s 56-year-old brother Barry Schmalbach disappeared from Cape Coral.
A month later, Schmalbach’s friend Davis was arrested on a South Carolina warrant and taken to the Lee County Jail.
Only in January was he charged with the murder of Schmalbach, tampering with evidence and several cases of identity fraud.
This week, the governor of South Carolina and Governor DeSantis worked out a way to bring Davis back to Southwest Florida for the trial.
“I fear for my life,” Davis said at his hearing Thursday morning.
He complained about his treatment in prison and said he was held in a shower against his will.
At the prosecutor’s request, the judge decided to extend the pretrial hearing for 24 hours to consider holding Davis without bail prior to his trial.
However, Scaletta knows it may take some time to get the answers she wants.
She said: “This is the beginning of a long journey and we know this is just the beginning.”
Above all, they want to lay Schmalbach to rest.
“Our ultimate goal has not changed. We want to find Barry… We recognize that many of these cases remain unsolved and there is no resolution. Families are simply wondering what happened to our loved ones. We are extremely grateful for all the work that has been put into Barry’s case,” she added.
