The massive, nationally publicized search for Jessie Davis concluded this past Saturday with the discovery of her body in a county park within the boundaries of Cuyahoga Valley NP. The FBI contacted the park that afternoon, asking for assistance. At the time, it was not known whether the body was on NPS property or property owned by Metro Parks, Serving Summit County. Five NPS rangers responded within five minutes to Top O’ The World in the Metro Parks’ Hampton Hills unit, which is surrounded by NPS lands. An intensive evidence recovery operation was found to be in progress. Rangers closed access points while Metro Parks was notified that the crime scene was on their property. Metro Parks asked that the National Park Service continue to maintain scene closure in order to preserve evidence. Rangers from both agencies did so by closing the trail system at five locations. On Sunday, the Summit County medical examiner confirmed that the body recovered was that of the pregnant Jessie Marie Davis. Davis was last heard from on the evening of June 13th when she spoke to her mother. On Friday, June 15th, Davis's mother went to her home and found Davis' two-year-old son home alone. The father of Davis's first child, Canton Police Department patrol officer Bobby Cutt's Jr., has been arrested by the Stark County Police Department in connection with the death. On Sunday, Top O’ The World was opened and staffed by Metro Parks rangers, who allowed people to drive through and stop only briefly. A location was designated for memorial items. Flowers, stuffed animals, and signs of condolence were placed in memory of Davis and her unborn child at the designated area at Top O’ The World and on the posts of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park entrance sign at Bath and Northampton Roads. The memorial items on the entrance sign were moved to the designated site at the end of the day.
