FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Monday, March 5, 2018
Incident: Cold Case Homicide
Location: Mill Creek Rd., Fremont
Date/Time of Incident: on or about February 2, 1986
David Emery Misch charged with two counts of murder in 1986 double homicide cold case
On Friday, March 2, 2018, the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office filed criminal charges against 57 year old David Emery Misch for the 1986 Fremont homicide of Michelle Xavier and Jennifer Duey. Over the last 32 years several Fremont Police Detectives have invested numerous hours into this case. Leads and extensive follow up has continued to place this case as a priority for more than three decades. In August of 2017, Fremont Detectives initiated a meeting with District Attorney’s Office and additional follow up culminated into the presentation of charges against David Misch on Friday.
Case Summary and Background:
On February 2, 1986, shortly after midnight, two best friends, Michelle Xavier and Jennifer Duey, were found deceased along the side of Mill Creek Road, a little more than a mile east of Mission Blvd. A motorcyclist driving on Mill Creek Rd. discovered the bodies at about 12:30 a.m., and immediately called police. The women had been shot and stabbed in the hours prior. Michelle Xavier was 18 and Jennifer Duey was 20 at the time. The deaths of the two women were highly publicized and left many in the community shaken and fearful in their own neighborhoods.
Michelle Xavier’s Pontiac Sunbird was located parked approximately 6 miles away from the crime scene in the parking lot of the Mission Valley Shopping Center. Earlier in the evening the women had attended a birthday dinner for a family member and were last seen together around 8:00 p.m. at a convenience store in the area of Farwell Dr. and Mowry Ave. Their personal belongings, including purses and identification, have never been found.
Immediately after the homicide, leads and phone calls kept detectives busy for several months. A reward of $35,000 was raised by community members, and posters soliciting tips could be found throughout the City of Fremont. The Department dedicated extra resources and manpower, sparing no expense to investigate the case. While several people of interest were identified and interviewed over the years, Fremont Detectives would rule most out. Unfortunately, after an extensive investigation and following up on thousands of leads, the case went cold and was eventually suspended.
In 2016, a position was created in the Crimes Against Persons Unit to focus on open cold case homicides and missing persons. Due to the extensive work put into the Xavier/Duey case by prior detectives and the amount of evidence the Department had, the case became a top priority for the detective in this new role. Cold Case Detective Jacob Blass began to re-examine case files, as well as several pieces of evidence, including those that had been processed for DNA in recent years. The results of the evidence identified the main suspect as David Emery Misch. Misch lived in the area at the time and was a known commercial burglar and drug user. We do not believe the women had any history or contact with Misch, prior to the incident.
In August of 2017, Detective Blass presented the case and evidence to the District Attorney’s Office. Over the course of the next several months, detectives continued working on the case and re-interviewed witnesses, family members and suspect David Misch. In early 2018, the findings from the follow up were presented to the District Attorney’s Office. On Friday, March 2, 2018, the District Attorney’s Office filed two counts of murder on David Misch in Alameda County.
David Misch is currently incarcerated and serving 18 years to life for a 1989 homicide that occurred in Alameda County. On March 2, 2018, a removal order warrant was issued for Misch. Misch will be removed from his current location and transported to Santa Rita County Jail by the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office. Misch will be arraigned later this week.
“The Department is grateful to be able to provide this level of closure and consolation to the victims and our community. Generations of investigators have carried this case and the interest of the families has never faded from their priority over time,” Chief Richard Lucero.
Statement from the families of Michelle Xavier and Jennifer Duey
“The Xavier and Duey families wish to thank the Fremont Police Department and all of the officers and detectives who worked countless hours during the past 32 years on our daughters’ case. We have been in constant contact with them, so we know how deeply they care and how hard they work.
We wish to extend our appreciation to our many friends in the community who supported us, stood by us, and prayed for us during those most difficult years. Numerous unexpected acts of kindness sustained us.
We now wait for justice and hope you will continue to keep us in your thoughts and prayers.”
Anyone with information about this incident that has not already been provided to the Fremont Police Department, is encouraged to please call the Fremont Police Department’s Investigative Unit at 510-790-6900 or email [email protected]. We will also accept anonymous tips via text. Text TIP FREMONTPD followed by your message to 888-777, or via the web at https://local.nixle.com/tip/alert/6216337.
Fremont Police Cold Case Division
The Fremont Police Department’s Crimes Against Persons Unit has invested its resources into investigating and solving cold case homicides and missing persons. The Cold Case Division focuses on those cases with the highest probability of being solved with fresh leads and new forensic technology. Our mission is to give a voice to those who can no longer speak for themselves. Our ultimate goal is to give answers and a sense of closure to the loved ones of every murder victim and missing person. Visit www.fremontpolice.org/ColdCase to learn more and view current ongoing investigations.
