Cause of death determined for Melinda Davis

MANSFIELD — A cause of death has been determined for a Shelby woman whose body was found in a car trunk this past March after an 18-day search.

“It is our opinion that the cause of death of Melinda Davis is multiple blunt force injuries,” states the June 9 autopsy report that was prepared for Richland County by the Montgomery County Coroner’s Office.

The report listed multiple blunt force injuries to Davis’ head and neck along with abrasions and findings of strangulation. A brain hemorrhage and neck fracture also were found along with other injuries. The death was ruled a homicide.

On May 12, John Henry Mack Jr., 44, was indicted on aggravated murder and multiple other charges in the case involving the disappearance and death of Davis. The indictment contains a death penalty specification. On May 25, not guilty pleas on all counts were entered on Mack’s behalf by one of his attorneys in Richland County Common Pleas Court.

On March 15, authorities announced that the 18-day search for Davis had ended a day earlier with her body being located in the car trunk of her vehicle that was in the Columbus area.

The body was nude when found in the trunk, a report stated. A strong odor of bleach was detected as coming from the body, stated the document from Richland County coroner’s investigator Tom Stortz. “Autopsy revealed that the decedent had died as a result of blunt force trauma to the head and upper body,” Stortz also wrote.

Mack remains in the Richland County Jail.

Initially in the Mansfield Municipal Court, bond was set at $1 million on March 5 for Mack, who at the time faced a kidnapping charge in the disappearance of Davis, his former girlfriend. The U.S. Marshals had confirmed Mack’s arrest on March 4 in Mansfield.

After her disappearance, family had spoken about circumstances involving Davis’ disappearance. Lisa Davis said that her sister and Mack had broken up about eight months prior to her disappearance.

Melinda Davis, 33, had gone to Mack’s Mansfield location on Feb. 25 to pick up some belongings she had been looking to retrieve for some time and had notified a friend in advance of the plan, Lisa Davis said. Later in the morning, Melinda Davis did not arrive for a planned breakfast with another relative at a Denny’s restaurant in the Mansfield area, Lisa Davis said. Police were then notified, leading to the search for Melinda Davis.

While en route to Mack’s residence in Mansfield, Davis called a friend and stated, “If you don’t