Ezra Kipling Davidson, 46

Jan. 1, 2009, 3:45 a.m.

Ezra Davidson, a 46-year-old black man, died of a gunshot wound on Jan. 1, 2009, in his home on Trabuco Place in Phillips Ranch.

Adrienne Davidson, 46, who turned herself in to the L.A. County sheriff's station in Walnut, was later arrested on suspicion of murder.

She told investigators that she shot her husband in the upper chest at their home and described "an ongoing family problem."

According to the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin, Ezra Davidson was an entrepreneur who specialized in streaming video.

The Davidsons had two children together: an adult daughter in her 20s and an 8-year-old son.

Davidson remains in jail on $2-million bail.

-- Anthony Pesce

Share a memory or thought about Ezra Kipling Davidson

Before you post, here are some answers to frequently asked questions:

Remember, all posts are approved by a Times staffer. Profanity and personal attacks will not be approved.

48 reader comments

Read all the comments. Did not know the family. Watched the show on snapped. Here's the bottom line: Adrienne had serious serious self-esteem issues. I completely understand that husband may not have treated her in a way that she wanted to be treated or respected. I get that and I completely understand how demoralizing and humiliating that can be and how that can ultimately destroy many women. And this is the issue. It's extremely unfortunate that she was unable to pull away and create a life for herself. This happens to many women because women love so much more and so much stronger than men, typically. Love is a very very very strong emotion and it can bring people to places they never thought that they would go. So the bottom line is there may have been a lot of dysfunction in the marriage and a lot of dysfunction in her and him but it's a free country people can be how they want to be if you don't like it - leave. But she had no right to kill him. She had no right at all to kill him and she's where she should be. Bottom line!. My ex-husband was cruel horrible demoralizing and disrespectful. I left and created a life for myself. It's unfortunate that Adrian was unable to do this for herself. Women: let's raise our daughters to be strong confident and Powerful women!!

— Kasey Aug. 25, 2017 at 6:19 a.m.

Wow! How did we as a community come to the fork in the road and decide that as long as there is a good reason, murder is okay. No I take that back, murder is justified. I don't know what mental health issues the murderer struggled with, I don't know what kind of life the victim had with her because of her mental health. But when did we cross the line and allow murder to be an answer? How did we as a community draw a line in the sand that said, as long as you treated me badly I can then take a gun and pull the trigger and blow your brains out. The murderer had options, her happiness in life wasn't anyone else's obligation but hers. Adrienne had options, why should we as a community hold Ezra's options to a higher standard then that which we hold Adrienne? She had no right to pull that trigger, divorce is always an option. However, when we choose the behavior we choose the consequence. I think it is a shame that we live in a community that sees murder as an option, until we realize that murder is never the option we are bound to continue to commit murder in the name of evening out the score, and that option scares me. God have mercy on our souls.

— Doreen Dec. 21, 2015 at 2:30 p.m.

I believe she is a victim, and the children as well. Ezra could have just as well left the family and continued his life with the other women, but he chose to stay and continue the affair. That doesn't justify the killing of this man but it also doesn't justify the sentencing. I understand and have read Ezra's sister post and I am truly sorry for your family’s lose. Everyone looses, his family, her family and their children. She is in jail, he is deceased and the children are without either parents, that is what sad and disheartening about the entire situation. No one is a winner!!!! I totally understand that the show SNAP couldn't give a detailed account of his life. Everyone has his or her own perception of any situation. The sister has her memories, as well as others have their memories, which may present a different account of his life. That why this is a sad event for everyone.

— LaVon June 12, 2015 at 10:36 p.m.

Ezra, Kip, as I knew him. Was a loving man. A great provider. Took care of his family. sole provider.. Funny, dedicated, father, brother, son, cousin, family minded. And human. A TV show based on court transcripts does not portray the real person he was but a description a woman on trial gave to justify her organized planning of killing her husband because he had an affair. hHow I know this, he was my baby brother, my brother. You did not know him but judge as you will he was not a monster or deserved to be taken at a early age from his children or family. It saddens me that all that is recorded of his life is from a legal defense point of view to get a client off without hearing him tell his side, but for those of you who believe everything you see and read your narrow minded thoughts who did witnessed this marriage, his wife is where she belongs. SNAP, is based on court transcripts. They did not interview the family or friends But those to promote thier ratings to glorify for ratings. You the ill informed the aftermath of what one act of killing a person, what has done to her own children will live with them forever, my parents lost a child, he was the youngest sibling, we miss joking around with him. And yes divorce was an option, he asked, she denied awarded him with a bullet instead,
Stop glorifying this from your person rejections in your own past. You did not know anyone in this tragedy. So until you know him, or who she was to others, which will never be able, all you have is gossip and judgement for a man not able to tell HIS truth, or prospective from those of us who lived through it. I hope you are attentive with your own lives and as judgemental as you are with strangers with yourself. I doubt it because words to his minor child hurt and to his parents who played a major role in both their lives and know SNAP is not the truth of what really happen. And please know how your words you share to the air space of the Internet is safe for you and negative. They have surviving children who each have their own prospective that includes two loving parents. As his sister, get a life. This one is mine and I not sharing there where victims from this senseless and stupid act.TV and the Internet ugh. I lived, living it, will forever live it. Lost my brother our younges. He was a good person, would give you the shirt off his back and his last meal for you. SNAP didn't even respect or outreach to our family so we could tell let it go. There are children involved still trying to grow up who don't share this so called truth.

— P. Davidson, sister and victim March 19, 2015 at 1:23 a.m.

Ezra Davidson (He was known as Kip) was my roommate at Morehouse College.
He used to spend a lot of time at Adrienne's and not in the dorm room. One day he came back and stayed for 2 weeks and I asked him what gives? He said they had broken up and when they got back together he was gone again. After watching the program, I found out she tried to commit suicide. He never mention the attempted suicide when I would see him at the room in the day time. I was shocked when I first saw the program. Nobody had ever mentioned the incident to me and everyone I spoke with did not know he had passed.
He was a good guy and did not deserve what happen to him. I pray for his family and I hope she can get her sentenced reduced so she can spend time with her kids before it's all over.

— Les Owens Jan. 6, 2015 at 6:35 p.m.

Bottom line is she shouldn't have killed the man. Yes, every woman out here has been hurt and scorned, even devastated by a man. Yes there is absolute truth to the statement "hell hath no furry like a woman scorned" I. myself, have been there, saw the blackness. But women at some point we can not continue to allow men to have that much control over us. MISTAKE #1 - Women love too hard! Women need to have stronger and higher self esteem and this is key to not ever going down that road. If you man is cheating - let his ass cheat. Travel, get a degree, go on a safari, a cruise by yourself, get more involved with your childs school and be glad you don't have to work, I mean there are many things we, as women SHOULD do when we find ourselves in this situation. A little late for the Davidson family but I thought it was really important to put that out there. I do not think her actions are excusable at all. At the end of the day, ITS NOT OK, TO LOOSE CONTROL. Adrienne should have thought much more about the love of her children especially her 8 year old son, who should have been every reason for her NOT to pull the trigger. Sure, Ezra was a straight up, inconsiderate, and disrespectful husband and this can be extremely painful. Adrienne is a prime and cardinal example of a woman who has no or very low self esteem. I think it was intentional and she absolutely got what she absolutely deserved - LIFE.

— kink May 12, 2014 at 10:41 a.m.

I just watched this episode of Snapped and cannot understand why this woman is spending 50 years in prison. It is clear that this man was mentally abusive and she needed mental health support from the day she first attempted to commit suicide. I find it offensive that anyone would have pity on Ezra. What I have in my heart for Ezra is a prayer that he is in heaven and that other men will learn from this experience. As for his mistress, I pray for her soul and hope that she has developed a strong relationship with God and prayed for forgiveness. She owes Adrienne and those children an apology and a request for forgiveness. Moreover I find it offensive when I see statements on this page indicating that she could have just walked away. I have found in life, that Monday morning quarterbacking and saying that Adrienne could have just walked away, demonstrates their lack of knowledge regarding mental illness. I pray that the mistress reads these comments and has made a change in her life. If not, she will have to pay for her part in ways that she will never believe.

— Evelyn April 20, 2014 at 12:14 p.m.

Anyone who commits a murder in this day and age is stupid. They can solve cold cases over forty years old. As for Adriane and the daughter...I thought they were both emotionless robots. Adriane thought she was entitled to his lifestyle and someone was right when they said it was a "red flag" when she tried suicide when he first broke up with her. Her selfishness has now left her eight year old son without mother and father and as far as I am concerned, the daughter is the one who could have talked her mother into counseling rather than encouraging her to kill the father. The Daughter was just as jealous and affected by the other woman getting cars and tuition as the wife was by the affair itself. It is sad all the way around and for everyone concerned.

— eliza marshall April 20, 2014 at 11:41 a.m.

just reading over some of the comments by some of the ladies... a lot of you don't get it. seems like some feel the killing of this man was in some way, justified. I know everyone has their limitations, but people should consider other things before they go to take a life. that daughter is 20. at a crucial moment in her young life, she has neither of her parents. the 8 year old son is now without his mother's love and his father's voice. can you imagine all the questions he'll have and daddy cant answer them? like others have said, if it was so bad she still could have left. instead, she chose a permanent solution to a temporary situation. I'm going to say it. if she was white, she would be released after undergoing psychiatric treatment. because she's black, this murder has set off a domino effect of grief that has changed the lives of children, family, and friends for years to come. the poor kids have to live with the stigma of this. I say this to all men and women, if somebody doesn't treat you right, leave their ass. someone out there has been waiting for someone wonderful as you. they will treat you as you want and deserve to be treated. the husband is dead, gone. he's done what he had to do. the wife will do time I expect, and will have to spend the rest of her life making amends to her children for killing their father. people, please think before you act. there's more at stake that revenge, its about enjoying the rest of your life...

— big tc Nov. 26, 2013 at 4:07 p.m.

It's proven that Adrienne loved Ezra w/every fiber of her being. This, however, did not excuse Ezra for being the a-hole that he was. He knew after her 1st attempt of commit suicide that he would need to pour out his love, support and be delicate w/her. If he was not up to the task, he should have moved on and not married her. It appears he used her weakness and was condescending. Hell has no fury like a woman scorned. Adrienne was beyond scorned, she was broken. I too, would have loved for him to live and see how long his 21 year old girlfriend/mistress would have stood by him when he was in trouble. I too, would have loved to have seen Ezra beg Adrienne's pardon after he spit on her. It was EGO. He was so consumed w/himself and it was his "lack" of respect for Adrienne and their children that set this stage. To not pay your own daughter's tuition....come on somebody.....this guy is/was a monster. I pray for Adrienne's release....no need to punish her to this degree. We do get what we deserve in this life. No one deserves to have their life taken this way but what you send out in the lives of others come back to you. Unfortunately, he got an earthly sentence prior to meeting his maker. I believe that God is a forgiving God and Adrienne has already been forgiven. I pray for her and her children!

— andrea Sept. 3, 2013 at 3:57 p.m.

I watched this story on Snapped and was simply amazed that someone could love that hard. I'm not one to pass judgment but I can't understand why she just didn't pack up and leave? It's hard to understand why the situation played out the way it did, other than she felt like the typical domestic abuse victim with nowhere to go and no resources. It's very hard to say if it could have been handled another way, because from the information given I understand why she did it, but she certainly wasn't justified in killing him. I wish she would have left him and watched his life play out like a low-budget movie! That would have been a better option. My prayer now is that this woman be given the mental and spiritual help she needs! I also pray that she gains her freedom!

— Sonya Aug. 6, 2013 at 12:42 p.m.

This is for the comment from the lady Renee. Of course murder is wrong". No one is debating that it is not. The point I want to make here is, if you were able to evaluate crimes committed by other individuals for the same type of crimes. You would be able to see there is a vast difference in the way those sentences are given. Sadly because you have made the statement you've made, the lord will place something in your life to give you a different view on it, if he already hasn't . I've seen people many individuals who are of the opinion of you. But you know something, God always", place something in their lives to give them a different perspective on how they think. I'd say a revelation of sorts. It never fails". It may not be as drastic as the Davidson situation, but life has a way of showing us things we don't want to see.... and the director is God!

— winifred Aug. 3, 2013 at 6:13 a.m.

I will never condone murder, however after watching this situation on television. I really do believe this lady should be given an opportunity to get out of prison. This man seemed extremely arrogant, and full of himself. That I believe, is what brought this on. This man seemed to forget who helped him propel his career, and raise two beautiful children. Those kids have lost their father already. Actually they lost him long before he was killed because he was giving money that should have been for them to his mistress. I say that poor woman suffered enough. She had no criminal history. And I hate to use the race card. But I have to believe that since this lady had a fragile mental state. That had she been white, that would have been taken into consideration. I seriously doubt that that intelligent woman, would ever be a danger to another human being. Mrs. Davidson is only guilty of loving her husband too much. And he killed himself, with his disrespect for his wife and family. So hopefully someone will help this poor lady get back to living her life. It broke my heart to hear how she cried over his disrespect for her. Good luck Mrs. Davidson. I pray that you get the opportunity to live your life to the fullest. And while many people may pass judgement upon you. They would be wise, to ask themselves this.....what if it were me! How would I handle this? Hopefully not by the same method that she chose. But I'll guarantee you this." That certainly would cross their minds. Why is it that thugs!!!! who murder for a hobby, they rarely serve any time at all! So why take this lady," this respectful law abiding lady, out of her home? Set this lady free. Because ain't no way in hell! Does this lady deserve "fifty " years in prison! Take people off the street who are actually dangerous! Because this lady isn't! She was simply a warm loving mother, who was pushed over the edge! Men! Women! What would you think, or do, if the person that you love tell you to accept this disrespect??? Let this lady out of jail! I honestly believe, that god forgives this woman!

— winifred May 12, 2013 at 4:05 p.m.