Road Rage Killing Mystery a Case of Mistaken Identity: Police

An arrest has been made in an attack that gunned down a Maine man driving through Maryland, and court documents say the shooting stemmed from a case of mistaken identity.

John Wayne Strawser Jr., 38, of Belington, WVa, was charged Monday with first-degree murder in the January 2014 death of Timothy “Asti” Davison near the Maryland-Pennsylvania border, reports WHTM TV.

Franklin County Pennsylvania District Attorney Matthew Fogal told the TV station it appears the attack was intended for someone else. Authorities are expected to release more details this afternoon in a press conference.

The media outlet quotes court documents that explain Davison’s vehicle was mistaken by Strawser for one driven by a couple he had pursued; the woman in the SUV told authorities she had an affair with Strawser. The night Davison was killed, Strawser allegedly followed the woman and her husband to a dance club along Interstate 81 in West Virginia, threatened them, and took to the interstate in search of the pair.

A casing from a .44 caliber Rossi Ranch pistol used to shoot Davison was fired from a gun owned by Strawser, police said, and his DNA was found on the casing.

Surveillance video in the road rage case shows a pickup truck that investigators believe ran Timothy Davison, 28, off Interstate 81 shortly before he was murdered. In the video a blue Ford Ranger heads south on Interstate 81 in the early hours of Jan. 4, 2014, reports WJZ TV. Police believe the truck rammed Davison’s vehicle, pushing it off the interstate, into the median.

The deadly chase apparently began on Interstate 70 in Maryland and turned into a pursuit that lasted for nearly 15 miles before Davison was shot and killed along the road. Davison repeatedly called 911 to report a vehicle was tailgating him on I-70 and then to say he was being shot at. Police in Pennsylvania found Davison suffering from gunshot wounds. He was taken to a hospital, where he died from his injuries.

Davison’s family created the Facebook page to keep the hunt for witnesses and his killer in the minds of Maryland drivers. A $62,000 reward was offered for tips leading to an arrest.

The family posted Monday on the Justice for Asti Davison Facebook page: “Good news! The Pennsylvania State Police have identified the killer and will be having a news conference at 2:00 pm today. Rest easy that the killer is off the streets. I will post more when I can. Thank you all for your continued support and perseverance in not giving up. Our entire family thanks you!”

Davison was returning to Maine after visiting relatives in Florida, his father told The Lewiston-Auburn Sun Journal.

»Photo of Timothy Davison from Justice for Asti Facebook page