The Killing of Polly Klaas

Motorcycle Mama

Then Davis met Sue Edwards, a plump, bottle blonde "motorcycle mama" in her early twenties who earned her living as a drug dealer. The two had many common interests and propensities. They were soon both boyfriend and girlfriend and crime partners. Together they roamed around California, Oregon, and Washington. They dealt drugs, robbed stores and restaurants, and always tried to keep one step ahead of law enforcement.

On Nov. 30, 1984, Davis and Edwards robbed a woman named Selina Varich. Varich had been the lover of Edward's sister Nancy some years before.

The pair began threatening Varich even before she opened the door to her Redwood City home. She heard, "You're going to listen to us now because if you don't we're going to kill your daughter, your father, and yourself: all three of you."

Varich let in the rough couple and Edwards proceeded to tear Varich's telephone off of the wall while Davis pointed a gun at the terrified and trembling victim. A panicky Varich tried to escape from her own house but before she could get to the door both invaders tackled her. Davis struck her in the face, hard, with his pistol, causing her to splatter blood.

"You better stop screaming or we'll kill you!" she was told.

Eventually the wounded woman calmed down. Edwards and Davis told Varich that she must go to her bank, withdraw $6,000, and hand it over. Varich went to the bank, accompanied by Edwards. Apparently Varich's bruises and fear were not enough to alarm bank personnel for the transaction took place unimpeded. Varich turned the cash over to Edwards who then met up with Davis. The two happily lit off.

Later, they found themselves in Washington state, having run through much of their ill-gotten gains.

Edwards came to her sweetheart, beaming with good news. "I was just up at this bank," she excitedly informed him, "and they don't got no cameras!"

"Are you serious?" a skeptical Davis asked.

His girlfriend insisted that she was. He asked the location of the bank and she gave him directions. He drove to it and went inside where he saw no cameras.

Davis and Edwards took $4,000 from the camera-less bank. As they sped away, they heard sirens behind them. But luck was with the lawless pair. It began snowing and, unlike the police, they were driving a vehicle that had chains on its tires so they easily got away.