Following Repeated Calls for Domestic Violence, Cobb Woman Murdered by Abuser Out on Pretrial Release

The brutal killing of 45-year-old Tange Davis has reignited urgent questions about how Georgia’s criminal justice system handles repeat domestic violence offenders. Davis was murdered by her boyfriend, 56-year-old Cecil McCrary, while he was out on pretrial release for kidnapping and aggravated assault—charges stemming from prior domestic violence incidents against her.

For Davis’s family and advocates for domestic violence survivors, this tragedy was not just heartbreaking—it was preventable.

Cobb County Police launched their investigation on Saturday, Oct. 11, after Davis’s son reported her missing. He told dispatchers he had not heard from his mother in two days and tracked her car to a Lidl grocery store on Floyd Road using the vehicle’s OnStar system. When officers arrived, McCrary appeared on the scene, claiming Davis had last been at his home and showing them security footage of her leaving on Thursday night.

Days later, after police shared Davis’s photo on social media and appealed for public help, McCrary finally confessed to killing her and burying her body in Atlanta. Detectives later found remains believed to be Davis’s at the location he described.

McCrary, now charged with murder, remains in custody at the Cobb County Jail.

“This loss devastates all of us,” said Cobb County Interim Police Chief Dan Ferrell. “Our hearts are with her family, and we are reminded that behind every statistic is a person, a mother, a friend, a colleague whose life mattered. We remain committed to protecting those at risk to prevent tragedies like this from happening again.”

For many living in the shadows of domestic violence, those words ring hollow in the face of a system that allowed a known abuser with violent charges to walk free. Domestic violence advocates say this case exposes glaring weaknesses in Georgia’s pretrial release policies and underscores the deadly consequences of failing to take threats of intimate partner violence seriously.

“This is what happens when red flags are ignored,” said one advocate, noting that repeat offenders often escalate their violence when victims attempt to leave or seek help. “Tange should have been protected. Instead, she became another victim of a system that too often puts abusers’ rights above survivors’ safety.”

As the family and community mourns, questions remain:

• Why was McCrary released pending trial despite his history of violent offenses?
• Were risk assessments conducted before granting pretrial release?
• And what reforms are needed to prevent another tragedy like this one?

Davis’s death is a stark reminder that domestic violence is not a private matter—it is a public crisis that demands accountability, coordination, and courage from the justice system.

Until that happens, too many victims like Tange Davis will continue to fall through the cracks.

If You or Someone You Know Needs Help

Domestic violence can affect anyone, and help is available 24 hours a day.

• National Domestic Violence Hotline
  📞 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) | Text “START” to 88788 | thehotline.org
• LiveSAFE Resources (Cobb County)
  📞 770-427-2902 | livesaferesources.org
  Provides emergency shelter, counseling, legal advocacy, and support services for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault in Cobb County.
• Georgia Coalition Against Domestic Violence
  📞 1-800-33-HAVEN (1-800-334-2836) | gcadv.org

If you are in immediate danger, call 911. No one should have to face abuse alone — support, safety, and resources are available.