The Murder of Margaret Sumney
For this case, I watched an episode of American Monster. It’s season 11 episode 1, titled ‘Spoiled to Death.’
The police are called to perform a welfare check at the home of a loving mother.
Background
Margaret Shade was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She was the youngest child and had 3 sisters and 1 brother. Margaret became a very talented dancer and eventually owned her own studio.
Margaret had two daughters from her first marriage. After her divorce, she married a man named David Sumney Sr., and together they had a son, David Jr., who was born in April 1989.
Margaret was described as loving and kind and always showed her children unconditional love. She was always dressed nicely and had her hair and makeup done.
Margaret Sumner
Margaret and David Sr.
A Troubled Child
David Sr. and Margaret always gave David Jr. everything he wanted. He was very spoiled. His sister, Ellen said he became demanding at an early age because he had been given a taste for the finer things in life. David Sr. and Margaret both doted on him, but David Sr. bragged about his son to anyone who would listen.
As early as 2nd grade, David Jr. began asking his parents for money and expected them to say yes.
Ellen recounted a story about David Jr.’s strange behavior. She had been home from college and heard Margaret screaming. Margaret told her that David Jr. had killed a bird with his hands. Margaret was devastated especially because he showed no emotion about it.
By 1998, Margaret and David Sr.’s marriage was suffering, and in 2001, they divorced. David Jr. was stuck in the middle and split his time between both parents. The divorce was hard on Margaret financially and it caused her to have to close her dance studio.
The Trouble Continues
In 2008, David went to attend George Washington University in Washington D.C. David Sr. paid for his apartment and classes.
In 2010, Margaret and David Jr., ended up in the hospital while Margaret was visiting him in D.C. David Jr. had slashed his arms with a knife. Margaret told her daughter that she fell and hit her head. It was clear that Margaret was covering for her son.
Margaret and David Sr continued to fund David’s college classes until they learned that he hadn’t been attending his classes. David Jr. was kicked out of school and had to move back to Pittsburgh. He split his time between his parent’s homes.
By the time he was 24, David Jr. was constantly working out and lifting weights. He also told Margaret that he joined the Navy Seals. This turned out to be another one of his lies.
A Downward Spiral
In 2015, David Jr. beat David Sr. severely after a fight. There had been so much screaming and yelling coming from the house that a neighbor called the police.
The police found David Jr. standing over David Sr. after they were forced to bust the door down. The argument started after David Sr. refused to pay for David Jr’s vacation. David was arrested for assault. David Sr. had sustained brain, groin, and spinal injuries. Due to the assault, David Sr. couldn’t walk on his own and was sent to a nursing home.
David Jr. was released from jail after a friend posted his bail. Margaret was terrified.
On November 20, 2016, Margaret contacted the police asking for someone to come to her home on Olde Orchard Drive in Pittsburgh. Margaret had been assaulted by David Jr. David Jr. had picked Margaret out of bed and squeezed her. Her ribs were bruised from the assault.
David Jr. was found intoxicated in his bedroom and arrested for assault. His charge was eventually reduced to harassment at Margaret’s request.
David Jr. was sentenced to 8-16 months in jail. Margaret visited him in jail every chance she could.
David Jr. told a social worker in jail that he was suffering from alcoholism which led to him assaulting his parents. He was sent to rehab and then to a halfway house after he completed his treatment. David Jr. ended up getting a job at a glass manufacturing company.
Sadly, on August 2, 2018, David Sr. passed away at the nursing home.
The Welfare Check
Margaret was very hopeful about David Jr.’s progress. He began dating a woman that he met online and was doing well at his job. However, that changed when he injured his leg while playing basketball. David Jr. and his girlfriend eventually broke up as well. She described him as very aggressive and controlling.
On September 1, 2019, Margaret’s brother passed away. Her sister couldn’t get a hold of her and contacted Margaret’s daughter, Ellen. Ellen couldn’t get a hold of her either and contacted David Jr. He said that he had just been at Margaret’s home and that she was asleep.
On September 2, the South Fayette Police Department went to Margaret’s home just before 11 am. Ellen had requested a welfare check because Margaret hadn’t contacted her the previous day.
Margaret was found dead in her bathtub on the 2nd floor of her home. Her cause of death was revealed to be blunt force trauma to the head and neck.
Margaret and David Sumney Jr.
The Arrest
After learning of Margaret’s death, Ellen contacted David Jr. She said the first words out of his mouth were that he could not go through another death after losing his dad. Ellen hadn’t mentioned their mom’s death yet. Ellen said she knew at that moment that David had killed their mom.
In Margaret’s home, the police found bloody towels and a blood trail going up and down the stairs. There was blood in almost every room of the house.
A handsaw was located outside the bathroom. It’s believed that there had been an attempt or thought to dismember the body.
Ellen told the police that David admitted to being inside Margaret’s home on September 1. A BOLO (be on the lookout) was put out for David as he was possibly armed and dangerous.
Ellen assisted the police in trying to find David Jr. She called him but he kept the conversations very limited. Ellen told David that he should attend their uncle’s funeral as their uncle loved him. The police did a stakeout at the funeral, and David Jr. was arrested as he was leaving the funeral.
The Motive
At the police station, while searching David Jr., the police found a silver necklace, a gold bracelet, and 3 blank checks all belonging to Margaret. He was detained for theft by unlawful taking.
During the search, the police also found a keycard from a local hotel. In the hotel room, they found several of Margaret’s designer purses, a .38 caliber revolver registered to Margaret, cartridges, bank cards, jewelry, and an expired passport.
David Jr. did not confess to his mom’s murder and refused to make any statements. Later that same night, he contacted Ellen from jail. Ellen told him that she wished that he had not killed Margaret. David Jr. started crying but she believed that he was crying because had been caught not because he cared.
The Selfie Killer
The police obtained a warrant for David’s cellphone.
On his phone, they found photos taken between August 30-September 2. In total, there were 277 photos that were entered into evidence for the trial.
In the photos, Margaret was seen sitting on the couch with a bloody rag on her head, lying on the floor in a bloody state. Margaret had also been posed in each of the bedrooms of the home. David also took a selfie and had blood all over his face.
David Jr. had made several Google searches including a search on how to clean up a crime scene and how long it would take for a body to start smelling.
David Jr. was charged with 6 counts of theft by unlawful taking, 1 count of robbery, 1 count of abuse of a corpse, and 1 count of criminal homicide.
In August 2022, David Jr. pled guilty to 3rd-degree homicide. The other charges were dismissed. He was sentenced to 20-40 years. By the time of his sentencing, he had already served 3 years. He could be released in as little as 17 years.
Margaret’s family is devastated by his plea deal as they believe that David Jr. should have been convicted of first-degree murder.
It’s believed that Margaret refused to give David Jr. any more money. He then tortured and killed her.
David Jr.’s mugshot
Other
David had also been arrested in 2o17 for a DUI.
In July 2019, he also attacked his ex-girlfriend. He choked her until she passed out and beat her in a hotel room in Atlantic City. She was able to escape because a bellhop knocked on their hotel room door.
FINAL THOUGHTS
David Jr. is a monster. He not only killed his mom who loved him unconditionally but he killed his father too. It’s crazy that he was never charged with attempted murder. But Margaret stood by David Jr’s side and he repaid her by torturing and killing her over money. My heart goes out to Margaret’s family and I hope they will be safe if David Jr. is released.
Sources
https://thecinemaholic.com/margaret-sumney-murder/
https://www.thedailybeast.com/david-sumney-avoided-trial-for-moms-murderbut-is-getting-one-for-dui
https://www.oxygen.com/crime-news/david-sumney-gets-20-years-killing-mom-taking-selfies-with-body
https://triblive.com/local/south-fayette-man-pleads-guilty-to-brutally-beating-his-mother-to-death/
