Knox County school bus driver James Davenport traded a series of cryptic texts with several people throughout the day of Dec. 2, including a prostitute he was messaging when he caused a crash that killed three people.
The investigation into the crash, the results of which were released this week, shows Davenport, 48, was in the midst of a tumultuous text exchange with a woman named “Lacey” at the moment he swerved across the median and slammed into the side of a second bus on Asheville Highway.
That same cell number for “Lacey” also appears in adult advertisements for a 25-year-old Knoxville escort on backpage.com.
Davenport was Facebook friends with Lacey Victoria Easterly, 25, who was being held without bond Wednesday at the Knox County Detention Facility on charges of prostitution and failure to appear in court on an earlier charge for possession of drug paraphernalia, according to arrest warrants.
Easterly was convicted of prostitution three times within the past nine months, court records show. Those included a Jan. 28 arrest when she was busted during an undercover operation by the Knox County Sheriff’s Office after unknowingly arranging a meeting through backpage.com with an undercover detective at a West Knox County motel.
On the day of the crash, the running text conversation between Davenport and Easterly began just after 1 a.m. with his message:
“==how many more do we need”
Easterly responded, “Like 6 I guess idk.”
Investigators discovered Davenport had a fanny pack on the bus containing three prescription medications, including the painkillers morphine and oxycodone. He told authorities he had two slipped discs. He had applied for disability, been denied and was appealing the decision.
Davenport said he had not taken any pills on the day of the crash. Drug test results likewise showed he had no drugs in his system.
Easterly asks him later that morning to, “please get here ASAP so we can move to another motel (I) gotta be outta here by ten.”
Davenport was carrying on text conversations with several other people during the day as well.
He asked someone identified as “Bone Steph” at 9:40 a.m. “how many,” and received the responses, “One each gang on” and “Put em in cig pack ppat in mx car one each.”
At 1:25 p.m., someone identified as “Henry Rick” asks Davenport, “Got any h??” He replied, “No.”
Meanwhile, the conversation with Easterly continued as she became frustrated Davenport had not returned to see her.
“Well never mind Rachel running out here with Robert to take me to the emergency room because I’ve overdosed I think,” she texted at 1:49 p.m.
The crash was reported at 2:50 p.m. Davenport’s last text to Easterly was time-stamped at 2:45 p.m. Investigators determined his phone was running about six minutes fast.
Apparently unaware of the crash, Easterly continued to text Davenport into the evening, including a 4:58 p.m. message stating:
“Will u come over please I posted my ad and I may have a call or two to go to so can u come over I’m sorry for how I acted I hope we r still together I do live u baby but let me know if u r on your way.”
Another text sent from her phone at 10:48 p.m. reads:
“One more thing this guy that found me on bp (backpage) felt sorry 4 me and said he wants to start helping me and be my sugar daddy said he’d send me money through money gram at Walmart right now he’d in line I guess u can’t even take me to get that either right.”
On June 1, authorities were called to Davenport’s home on Maynardville Pike. His mother had found him dead. The death was attributed to “natural causes.”
Asked whether Davenport was suspected of selling his pills, prosecutors said it is now a moot point.
“Prior to his death, the investigation was focused on the bus crash,” Knox County Assistant District Attorney General Sean McDermott said. “If that had spun into other investigations, that avenue is now closed because of his death.”
Staff writer Don Jacobs contributed to this report.
