On July 28, 1991, Margaret Davis, 67, and her husband William Fred Davis, 68, were found beaten to death in their Rutherford County, North Carolina, home. The attacker entered through an unlocked door and used an axe handle; Margaret was assaulted in the kitchen and William was attacked in the den while watching television.

Early suspicion focused on the Davises’ 29-year-old son-in-law, Joey James Melton, because of family tensions and his troubled history, but investigators later cleared him of involvement. The case was solved when the suspect in a separate double homicide was arrested and confessed to the killings of both Margaret and William Davis.

What did neighbors or family notice in the days before July 28 that might help fill gaps in the timeline?