Murder Victim’s Son Says He Confronted Her Alleged Killer, Told Him to “Stay Away”

44-year-old Sheldon Davis is accused of murdering 52-year-old Denise Anderson, then setting the apartment on fire

FARGO, N.D. — The Fargo man accused of killing his girlfriend and setting fire to his apartment is set to appear in court Tuesday morning on three felony counts including murder, arson and endangering by fire.

Sheldon Davis claims he’s innocent in the death of 52–year–old Denise Anderson.

Authorities say she died of traumatic injuries before the fire Thursday.

Davis is in the Cass County Jail where he has talked to KVRR and several other media outlets about the case.

The charging document says he went to a friend’s house and said “I did something bad”.

The document also says Davis told his friend he previously thought about killing Anderson for charges she filed against him.

The 44–year–old Davis told police he didn’t find out about the fire and Anderson’s death until that afternoon.

While Davis claims he wasn’t even in the apartment at the time of Anderson’s death, not everyone is buying his story.

KVRR’s Danielle Church sat down with Anderson’s son who says he can’t think of anyone else who would try to take his mother’s life.

Of all relationships his mom has been in, Nick Berlin says Davis is the only one who has ever raised a hand to her.

“My mom specifically texted me in a bizarre text, ‘If I die, Sheldon did it,'” Berlin said.

Berlin says his mother also sent him these pictures of her bruises with a text saying “Sheldon almost killed me last night.”

“When I did see him later on, after he did assault my mom, I did go and confront him about it. I told him to stay away from my mom,” Berlin said.

Berlin says his mother filed a police report. Since the end of June, Fargo Police say they have been investigating two cases where Anderson made allegations made against Davis, but neither of them are for domestic violence.

Under the North Dakota Century Code on Domestic Violence, police cannot arrest someone who isn’t “in a dating relationship.”

Berlin says he feels like Detective Grant Kendall’s “hands were tied.”

“He couldn’t and wasn’t allowed to take further procedure to go get him and be able to take him down and arrest him,” Berlin said.

A Change.org petition has been set up in Anderson’s name to redefine what a relationship is in the law.

In addition to physical abuse, Berlin says Davis messed with her job.

Anderson took care of other people for a living at retirement homes.

“Everybody loved her there. My mom was always tore up when somebody passed away there and she’s a very sensitive person,” Berlin said.

Her son says Davis would call Anderson’s employer and tell them she was on drugs and drunk. Eventually, Berlin says his mom was fired for her job.

Now that his mom is gone, Berlin is only left with her memory.

“I didn’t take a whole lot of photos with my mom because I took it for granted a little bit that I’d always be with her. It’s kind of like, whenever I want to see my mom, I’d just go over there,” Berlin said.

But there are a few that he will always hold closer to him.

“I’ll miss just hanging out with my mom the most, just doing nothing and hanging out with her on the deck, literally just talking about nothing. Her interacting with my son was the funnest. She would always chase him around and spoil him rotten,” Berlin said.

A family friend has set up a GoFundMe Page to help pay for Anderson’s funeral costs with a goal of 10 thousand dollars.