The North Carolina Court of Appeals has delivered a decisive ruling, upholding the murder and robbery convictions of David Myron Dover for the 2016 killing of his colleague, Arthur "Buddy" Davis. This unanimous decision by a three-judge panel marks the latest chapter in a legal battle that began seven years ago.

This ruling follows a previous dismissal of the convictions by the same panel in 2021, which was subsequently overturned by the state Supreme Court in 2022. The Supreme Court directed the Court of Appeals to re-examine the case, focusing on Dover's claim that the trial judge erred in denying his motion for a mistrial.

Davis, 79, was found stabbed multiple times in his Kannapolis home by the pair's employer. Dover, now 60, is serving a life sentence without parole. The central issue in Dover's appeal revolved around a remark made by the prosecutor during closing arguments. Dover argued that the judge's failure to instruct the jury to disregard the comment prejudiced his case by shifting the burden of proof. The comment pertained to $3,000 that the prosecution alleged Dover stole from Davis.

Judge Hunter Murphy, writing for the panel, stated that the trial judge's subsequent jury instructions, emphasizing the state's responsibility to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt, effectively remedied any potential issues stemming from the prosecutor's remark. Judges Chris Dillon and John Arrowood concurred with this assessment.

In addition to the Dover case, the Court of Appeals also upheld other first-degree murder convictions on Tuesday. These included the convictions of Jamarkus Smith for the death of his 3-year-old daughter in 2015, Walter Sydney Mitchell for the 2018 death of Matthew Pressley, and Dazis Davante Bonds for the 2018 killing of Devon Khamari Revelle.