48 Hours - Duty, Death, Dishonor

This classic episode of “48 Hours" reports on 25-year-old U.S. Army Specialist Richard Davis who served in Iraq in 2003. After celebrating his homecoming with four Army buddies in Columbus, Georgia, he disappeared and was listed by the Army as AWOL. The Army opened an official investigation and a tip led to the discovery of his body. Nearly four months later, the four soldiers who were last with him were arrested. "48 Hours" correspondent Erin Moriarty reports. This "48 Hours" episode last aired on 12/23/2006. Watch all-new episodes of “48 Hours” on Saturdays, and stream on demand on Paramount+.

Duration: 41m
Broadcast on: 09 Nov 2023
Audio Format: other

Want to listen to 48 hours uninterrupted? Subscribe to 48 Hours Plus for ad-free episodes today. [MUSIC] My name is Lanny Davis, I'm a retired United States military police. [MUSIC] >> Richards, my son, he was a 25 years old when they deployed him to Iraq. And he was so full of pride to be able to stand up for this country. >> Richard Davis, he was a good soldier. He was inventive, he was good with mechanics, he was really good with his hands. He was always in the fight. He didn't want to give up, just like the rest of us. He was a comrade, a battle buddy. I look up to Richard, cuz he's a real squared away soldier. When he came to drop, get done, he could do it better than anybody. >> Only after my talk to my son, he said, I love you daddy. I said, I love you too, Rich. I said, I want you to come home. He said, don't worry dad, I will. >> It took us about 22 days to get back dead. Everybody came real tight when we got into the field. Now it's time to be a soldier. >> When you fight, you have to become one out there. >> Every day you just live with a constant fear. And at night you can't sleep at night. You hear all this going around you, and you wanna go to sleep. Like your mind says, don't. >> I was very afraid for him, and it was always in the back of my mind that I'd never seen him again. [MUSIC] >> They got a call from his platoon sergeant, and he was looking for my son, Richard. And I told him, well, Richard's still over in Baghdad airport. He said, no, we have been returned for several days now, or Richard was his AWOL. [MUSIC] And I knew something right then was drastically wrong. To me, it's a very huge cover-up. >> Yeah, the Army's just thinking he's AWOL, and they're not even looking nothing. They're just saying he's AWOL, but he wasn't. We knew, and nobody said anything. [MUSIC] >> Duty, death, dishonor. [MUSIC] >> Richard was so proud of himself. He was very patriotic young man. Here's his berry. >> This is a scene that sadly has played out in homes across America for the last three years. >> It says Operation Baker Vengeance, Southern Faze, Nasiria. >> The parents of a soldier, remembering their son, as they rummaged through a box of old gear. >> It was like a commando knife he carried his chapter to, Lee. >> And battlefield souvenirs. >> Cracky flag, he brought it back.

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