No motive in sight as testimony begins in '08 murder trial

Neither prosecutors nor witnesses could say why Rey Davis-Bell's alleged violent tirade two years ago wound up inside Degene "Safie" Dashasa's cheese-steak restaurant, resulting in Dashasa's death by gunshot at point-blank range.

As attorneys questioned witnesses during the first day of testimony in Davis-Bell's murder trial Tuesday, the 25-year-old defendant was portrayed as short-tempered with his ex-girlfriend and unfaithful to his new girlfriend, but there was nothing said to indicate why he would have killed Dashasa inside his restaurant, at 23rd Avenue and East Union Street in Seattle.

Davis-Bell is accused of shooting at his ex-girlfriend's apartment building on Jan. 30, 2008, narrowly missing the woman, her friend and the friend's young daughter. Both women told jurors Tuesday that neither saw Davis-Bell outside the home. The ex-girlfriend, Claressa Scott, said the shooting occurred after she and Davis-Bell fought on the phone because she had talked with his new girlfriend.

Davis-Bell then drove to Philadelphia Cheese Steak, went inside and asked for Safie. Once Dashasa, 32, approached the counter he was shot in the chest. A customer, Yo Lee, was shot and wounded as he stood near the front door, according to court charging documents.

Dashasa's cousin, who was working at the restaurant, ran from gunfire and wasn't struck, court papers said.

Bell is on trial for first-degree murder with a firearm and three counts of attempted first-degree murder. It is unclear what Davis-Bell's defense is; his lawyer, Peter Geisness, did not present an opening statement.

In her opening statement, King County Senior Deputy Prosecutor Jessica Berliner portrayed Bell as being "angry out of his mind" the day of the shootings but said it's unclear what caused his fury.

"You may not know what exactly caused the defendant to snap that day," Berliner told the jury.

Davis-Bell has prior convictions for assault and harassment for threatening to shoot an employee at Miller Community Center in the Central Area and for threatening a cabdriver at gunpoint.

Two women supporting Dashasa attended the trial Tuesday and declined to comment.

Dashasa emigrated from Ethiopia about a decade ago, enrolled in online business courses and spent hours perfecting his cheese steak, his family told The Seattle Times after his slaying.

Dashasa took over the restaurant after his best friend and business partner was fatally shot in his car in 2003. After Troy Hackett's death, Dashasa changed the name of Philly's Best Steaks and Hoagies.

Hackett's slaying has not been solved.

Several months before his death, Dashasa traveled to Ethiopia and married a woman he had met through relatives. He recently had bought a house and was preparing it for his new bride, his family said.

Information from The Seattle Times archives is contained in this report.

Jennifer Sullivan: 206-464-8294 or jensullivan@seattletimes.com