I'm Not Moving

Summary

Fear Thy Neighbor – "I'm Not Moving" (June 1, 2026)

Overview

This episode of Fear Thy Neighbor explores the real-life neighbor dispute between Mark Davidson and Charles Montgomery in Detroit's Five Points neighborhood. What begins as camaraderie and shared community quickly devolves into property chaos, escalating threats, and ultimately, deadly violence. Through personal accounts, 911 calls, and expert commentary, listeners see how misunderstandings, entitlement, and desperation can turn even the friendliest blocks into battlefields.

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Setting the Scene: Five Points Detroit (03:32–05:39)

• Neighborhood Introduction: Once a white bastion, Five Points is now a diverse, proud, and tight-knit community.
  • "It's a changing neighborhood...It's a diverse neighborhood." — Henry Sharg (Attorney) [03:32]
  • "It's their little piece of the city." — James David Dixon (Reporter) [03:39]
• Key Families:
  • Mark Davidson: Single father, neighborhood handyman.
  • Charles Montgomery (Chaz), girlfriend Carrie, and their daughters: New arrivals, seeking a fresh start.
• Character Vibe: Early harmony and mutual help, especially around the city-owned vacant lot.

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The Inciting Incident: Opportunity & Misunderstanding (07:05–09:14)

• Charles Moves to LA for Music: Leaves Detroit for a dream job; Carrie and kids eventually join her mother due to home upkeep struggles.
• Mark’s Shop Shuts Down: Mark, seeing Charles’ house vacant, uses the property to restart his auto repair business.
  • "I thought you weren't coming back. I thought the house was abandoned. I took it over." — Mark Davidson [10:45]
• Escalation: Mark assumes the property is abandoned. When Charles returns, he finds his house and yard overrun.

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The Disintegration: From Annoyance to Hostility (09:43–13:01)

• Charles Returns to a Nightmare:
  • Debris, junked vehicles, and auto business overrun his property.
  • Mark is matter-of-fact about his use, claiming necessity.
• Attempts to Resolve: Charles asks Mark to clear the property; Mark’s efforts are half-hearted and incomplete.
• Community Tension: Neighbors (notably Tanisha Lintes) sympathize with Mark’s struggles as a single father but see both sides.

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Hostilities Deepen: Safety Concerns & Verbal Threats (15:05–19:50)

• Backyard and Lot Remain Littered: Mark only cleans the front; backyard is still a mess.
• Pit Bulls on the Loose:
  • Dogs roam freely, frightening Charles' family and the neighbors.
    • "They're harmless. All the kids around there love them." — Mark Davidson [16:25]
    • "Yeah, I wouldn't mess with them...I was not comfortable with my kids being out with them dogs." — Tanisha Lintes [16:33]
• Noise & Night Activity: Mark operates his shop late at night, further disturbing Charles.
• Inappropriate Offers: Mark repeatedly offers to buy Charles’ house at a fraction of its value ($1,000–$6,000).
  • "You should just sell me the house for $1,000." — Mark Davidson [17:55]
  • "I essentially told him, I'm not a crackhead." — Charles Montgomery [18:52]

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Retaliation & Sabotage: Malice in the Suburbs (19:10–21:46)

• Internet Sabotage: Charles’ Internet line is clipped. The repairman is menaced by Mark’s dogs, causing a scene that requires police.
  • "I hear screaming, help. Somebody help." — Charles Montgomery [19:59]
• Police Response: Police side with Mark, downplay the ongoing dispute.
• "Rat" Symbolism: Charles finds a dead rat on his porch—a Detroit warning for ‘snitching’.[22:01]
  • "Snitches get stitches. They get dead, killed rats, which in Detroit means you're a rat." — James David Dixon [22:10]

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Discovery of the Chop Shop & Growing Fear (23:08–24:11)

• Illegal Operations Exposed: Charles discovers Mark is running an alleged illegal chop shop from the property.
  • "It was very clear that Mark operated an illegal chop shop." — Henry Sharg [23:26]
• Isolation: Charles feels alone, as other neighbors refuse to get involved due to Mark's past helpfulness.
  • "He's done nothing to me." — Tanisha Lintes [24:38]

---

Physical Assault: Breaking Point (27:34–28:44)

• Violence Erupts: Mark attacks Charles physically, choking him for attempting to sell the lot.
  • "He lifts me completely off the ground...choking me." — Charles Montgomery [28:16]
  • "Listen, you need to reconsider my offer. Just sell your house to me." — Mark Davidson [28:33]
• Systemic Failure: Police encourage both to avoid each other rather than pursue charges.

---

The Final Straw: Armed Fear and Escalation (30:02–31:44)

• Constant Threat: Charles, now armed on advice from Carrie, lives in constant fear, altering his daily routine to avoid Mark.
  • "Anytime your girlfriend tells you you need to have this gun, you know that something is serious." — Charles Montgomery [30:51]
• Daily Life is Prison: Charles sends his family away for their safety, prepares to sell the house.

---

Deadly Confrontation: Fatal Consequences (31:59–36:02)

• April 15, 2019: Dispute over dumped garbage triggers violent argument.
  • "Who walks upon somebody with a gun on their hip?" — Charles Montgomery [34:12]
  • "I'm gonna come back and I'll burn this house down, and then I'm gonna kill you." — Mark Davidson [34:23]
• The Shooting: Mark attacks Charles. In the struggle, Charles shoots Mark seven times.
  • "Once I started shooting, man, I just didn't stop until he stepped." — Charles Montgomery [35:51]
  • Audio of frantic 911 call, neighbors praying over Mark in the street.

---

Aftermath: Investigation, Trial, and Reflection (36:02–40:24)

• Hospital & Charges: Mark succumbs to his injuries. Charles is arrested and charged with second-degree murder.
  • "I didn't find out that Mark actually passed away until I was being indicted." — Charles Montgomery [37:25]
• Trial Unfolds: Defense presents years of threats and documented harassment. Charles is acquitted on grounds of self-defense.
  • "This is a story of the neighborhood bully versus a choir boy." — Henry Sharg [37:58]
• Lasting Impact:
  • "You just wish that that had all happened earlier...even the man who defended himself...wished it didn't have to come to that." — James David Dixon [38:56]
  • "Mark's death...took a toll on the neighborhood." — Tanisha Lintes [39:33]

---

Notable Quotes (with Timestamps)

• "You keep poking the bear, you know you gonna wake the bear up." — Tanisha Lintes [18:58]
• "It feels like I'm living a nightmare. Feels like one of those dreams that you just can't wake up from." — Charles Montgomery [20:35]
• "If I could take it back or do anything differently to avoid all of this, I would." — Charles Montgomery [38:44]
• "My home feels essentially like a prison." — Charles Montgomery [30:20]
• "You're not viewing each other as people and neighbors anymore. You're adversaries." — James David Dixon [29:35]

---

Major Themes & Lessons

• How Minor Conflicts Escalate: What starts as a misunderstanding can, through stress and lack of intervention, spiral out of control.
• The Hidden Tolls of Isolation: Charles’ inability to rally community or institutional support isolates him, exacerbating danger.
• Systemic Failure: Police and neighbors alike shift blame and refuse proactive intervention.
• Tragic Irreversibility: Even self-defense leaves permanent scars, regret, and trauma for all involved.

---

Conclusion

"I'm Not Moving" is a chilling example of how community, pride, and desperation can intertwine to tragic effect. Through raw, first-person storytelling, listeners walk through each tension point—emphasizing that what seems unimaginable can all too easily become reality when empathy and communication collapse.

---

[End of Episode Summary]

Transcript

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[James David Dixon (Reporter)]

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[Henry Sharg (Attorney)]

Wish me luck.

[James David Dixon (Reporter)]

Me again. I put in the license plate. It gave me an offer. Unbelievable. Okay, I accepted the offer. They're picking it up Tuesday from the driveway. I haven't even left my chair. It's done. The car is gone. I'm holding a check anyway. Carvana.

[Charles Montgomery]

Give it a whirl. Love ya.

[Commercial Voice]

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[Narrator/Storyteller]

Sell your car today on Carvana.

[Commercial Voice]

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[Narrator/Storyteller]

Most violent crimes that capture the public's imagination are about serial killers, mass shooters, or crimes of passion. Yet some of the most shocking conflicts we encounter are between everyday neighbors and ordinary neighborhoods. What makes a good neighbor go bad? We may never truly know, but heed this warning about the terrible things that can happen when even the pettiest disagreements pass the point of no return. Today we're in the heart of the Motor City with two neighbors who at first seem destined to hit it off. But when a career opportunity sees one neighbor close up his home and leave the state, the other seizes the opportunity to set up a new space for his shop. The stage is set for a property takeover that, once the homeowner returns, will Backfire and lead to deadly consequence. This is fear thy neighbor. I'm not moving. Detroit's up and coming Five Points neighborhood sits at an important cultural crossroads just one block south of the legendary eight Mile Road. Here's attorney Henry Sharg to explain.

[Henry Sharg (Attorney)]

It's a changing neighborhood. It was at one time it was a white bastion. It's a diverse neighborhood.

[James David Dixon (Reporter)]

It's a proud neighborhood. People keep things up and, you know, it's their little piece of the city.

[Narrator/Storyteller]

That last voice was local reporter James David Dixon. And it's a sentiment echoed by many, like Tanisha Lintes, a resident on the street where our story unfolds.

[Tanisha Lintes (Neighbor)]

It was a quiet neighborhood, had a nice park around the corner, you know, for my kids.

[Narrator/Storyteller]

It's an ideal setting for mechanic Mark Davidson while he spends the day running an auto body shop nearby. He enjoys the evening tranquility of the street. And best of all, his neighbors offer companionship and a real sense of community.

[Tanisha Lintes (Neighbor)]

Mark was one of the first people that I met and befriended when I moved over there. He was a good guy.

[Henry Sharg (Attorney)]

If his neighbors were in need of auto repair or their lawn cut or a few dollars or any type of other services in the neighborhood, Mark was the go to guy.

[Narrator/Storyteller]

Mark has split custody of his two sons, Craig and Martin. While it's hard to raise two young boys as a single father and work full time, he gets by okay. And no small part of that is because he lives on the type of street where neighbors look out for each other.

[Tanisha Lintes (Neighbor)]

I think you just saved me 600 bucks.

[Mark Davidson]

Take the boys to school and we'll call it even.

[Tanisha Lintes (Neighbor)]

You got a deal. He was a single father. It was a struggle, but as a dad, you could see that he was stern and he had a good heart.

[Mark Davidson]

Let me go get him.

[Tanisha Lintes (Neighbor)]

He was a big guy, but he didn't want drama, you know?

[Narrator/Storyteller]

Another major perk of the neighborhood is that Mark's sons have their own secret playground right next door. Adjacent to their backyard is a sprawling empty lot. It's city owned and has so far managed to stay untouched by developers.

[James David Dixon (Reporter)]

So the side lot is pretty common in Detroit. Either a home was torn down or there was never a home built for whatever reason.

[Narrator/Storyteller]

One day when Mark's with his kids in the lot, they're joined by two girls roughly his boy's age along with their father.

[Mark Davidson]

Hi. Who are you?

[Narrator/Host]

Your new neighbors, Charles.

[Mark Davidson]

Mark.

[Narrator/Storyteller]

Charles Montgomery, also known as Chaz, has just bought the house next door with his girlfriend Carrie. As Charles explains, the new abode offers a promising new beginning for his young family.

[Charles Montgomery]

It was a great stepping stone for me and my family. It was a three bedroom home, Pretty good area. I wondered what you kids got up to.

[Commercial Voice]

Hi, I'm Carrie. I see our kids already met.

[Charles Montgomery]

I love the house. And when I did meet Mark, he seemed real friendly.

[Narrator/Storyteller]

Charles is an insurance agent, but his true passion is music. Carrie looks after their daughters, Linda and Anna. The couple have moved from the suburbs to be closer to Charles family, and so far they're quite taken by their new digs.

[Narrator/Host]

But this is cool though, eh?

[Mark Davidson]

Yeah, yeah.

[James David Dixon (Reporter)]

It's like an extra backyard.

[Narrator/Storyteller]

As neighbor Tanisha explains, the two households become fast friends.

[Tanisha Lintes (Neighbor)]

The kids, they would play outside and stuff. They became friends.

[Charles Montgomery]

Mark's kids were always great. They came over, played, and sometimes would ask if my kids would come outside and play. We're happy, we're ecstatic. We're meeting the neighbors, we're thinking, everybody's very good.

[Commercial Voice]

Seems like a really nice family.

[Mark Davidson]

Yes, the kids get along great.

[Tanisha Lintes (Neighbor)]

Yeah, it looked like, you know, everything was like, you know, neighborly and, you know, it was peaceful.

[Narrator/Storyteller]

But the copacetic flow of the street doesn't last long. In the summer of 2016, one year after moving into his new home, Charles, life is turned upside down when he's offered his dream job in Los Angeles.

[Charles Montgomery]

I get a call out the blue and they're asking me to come to California. I've been in music, you know, since I was a little kid playing in church. And at this point, I had already worked with proof, Eminem, D12. I mean, we worked with some big artists. Of course, you know, my girl was happy because she already knew how much I cared about music. She told me, go, you know, go.

[Narrator/Storyteller]

While Charles chases his dreams in Tinseltown, Carrie remains in Detroit to be near her family. Left on her own with the children, she soon finds the upkeep of the yard and house too much to manage alone. So she eventually takes the girls to live with her mom.

[Charles Montgomery]

Let's go, my darlings.

[Narrator/Storyteller]

With plans to check on the house from time to time. Next door, Mark faces his own struggles. His auto body shop has run into trouble over a zoning issue, and the city has shut it down.

[Tanisha Lintes (Neighbor)]

I think that was like real stressful for Mark to have to go through, you know, something that he's trying the way to provide for his children.

[Narrator/Storyteller]

Mark needs a new place to ply his trade. And the solution seems to be right under his nose. Charles Montgomery's now empty property. Now that Charles is flush with career success, Mark wonders if maybe he'll never return from la. And so he makes a fateful decision. Here's reporter James Dixon to explain.

[James David Dixon (Reporter)]

He sees this neighbor leave town. All right, let's make the most of it. Let's make the most out of this property.

[Narrator/Storyteller]

Mark has found the perfect spot to revive his business. As long as no one's living there. But 18 months after taking over both Charles Yard and the empty lot between their two houses, Mark's plan is about to go up in flames because Charles is on his way home for good.

[Charles Montgomery]

Feels good to be back, eh, California. It was a fun time, but in the back of my mind, I still have this house. And as much as I love my music career, my family comes first. My girlfriend told me I needed to come back. There's a lot of stuff going on that needs my immediate attention with my family.

[Narrator/Storyteller]

Charles plans to step back into his insurance job and his house just the way he left it. But he's about to find out there's an ugly surprise waiting for him.

[Charles Montgomery]

Oh, my God. I was not prepared for what I walked into. My complete driveway is blocked. There's garbage, debris, TVs, furnaces, hot water tanks.

[Narrator/Host]

What's happened here?

[Charles Montgomery]

The privacy fence that was once there is completely removed. There's pallets in the. In my backyard. There were cars, stoves, refrigerators, tools.

[Narrator/Host]

I thought you were checking on this place.

[Charles Montgomery]

I was. It didn't look like this the last time I was here. I just couldn't believe the transition that my property had taken. The entire exterior of the house, you know, in a matter of months had went to, you know, for lack of a better expression, it went to hell.

[Narrator/Storyteller]

Charles believes there's only one person in the neighborhood who could be responsible.

[Mark Davidson]

Hey, you're back.

[Charles Montgomery]

Mike, what is exactly going on here?

[Mark Davidson]

I can explain. Uh huh. I lost my shop. I don't have anywhere else to go.

[Charles Montgomery]

He essentially said, I thought you weren't coming back. I thought the house was abandoned. I took it over.

[Narrator/Storyteller]

Tanisha Lintes defends her friend Mark's actions.

[Tanisha Lintes (Neighbor)]

The situation with Mark being a single father, it got hard. He had to do what he had to do to provide for his children.

[Mark Davidson]

I honestly didn't think he'd be back.

[James David Dixon (Reporter)]

That's not my problem.

[Narrator/Storyteller]

But Charles is irate at the gall of his neighbor.

[Charles Montgomery]

I'm excessively shocked at this point. You know, at this point, you know, just get your stuff out, you know, clear out my driveway so I can get my car.

[Mark Davidson]

Look, I'm sorry. I'll clean it up.

[Charles Montgomery]

It looked like a junkyard. You Tell me it's going to take him a little while to do anything.

[James David Dixon (Reporter)]

All right, you've got one week.

[Narrator/Storyteller]

While Mark Davidson gets to work cleaning out the mountain of debris from Charles property, Charles and Carrie go to stay with family.

[Tanisha Lintes (Neighbor)]

I think that was, like, real stressful for Mark trying to deal with, you know, a neighbor that just seemed like he just got it out for you.

[Narrator/Storyteller]

When Charles returns days later to check on Mark's progress, he sees very little.

[Narrator/Host]

It took you a week to move

[Charles Montgomery]

a television leave, come back a third time like this is ridiculous.

[Mark Davidson]

I need a little bit more time.

[Narrator/Storyteller]

As reporter James David Dixon notes, the slow progress begins to take a real toll on the once close neighbors.

[James David Dixon (Reporter)]

When days become weeks, that's not really a quick time frame. It builds the tension between two people

[Tanisha Lintes (Neighbor)]

for you to keep hounding like you was just being unreasonable due to the circumstances that it's impossible for Mark to be able to just move the cars and things like that.

[Narrator/Storyteller]

Finally, a few weeks after Charles returns home, Mark contacts him to let him know the job is done.

[Charles Montgomery]

I'm thinking, okay, now I can finally start, you know, moving forward with my plans.

[Narrator/Storyteller]

The family drives up to their home and the newly immaculate front yard.

[Commercial Voice]

Look, we're here.

[Charles Montgomery]

We are home.

[Tanisha Lintes (Neighbor)]

Yay.

[Narrator/Storyteller]

But it turns out Mark isn't telling the entire story about his cleanup. And Charles is about to find out Mark's latest infraction.

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[Charles Montgomery]

Mom, can you tell Me a story?

[Commercial Voice]

Sure.

[Narrator/Storyteller]

Once upon a time, a mom needed a new car. Was she brave? She was tired mostly. But she went to Carvana.com and found

[Commercial Voice]

a great car at a great price.

[Narrator/Storyteller]

No secret treasure map required.

[Charles Montgomery]

Did you have to fight a dragon?

[Narrator/Storyteller]

Nope. She bought it 100% online from her bed, actually.

[Charles Montgomery]

Was it scary?

[Narrator/Storyteller]

Honey, it was as unscary as car buying could be.

[Charles Montgomery]

Did the car have a sunroof?

[Narrator/Storyteller]

It did, actually.

[Commercial Voice]

Okay, good story.

[Narrator/Storyteller]

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[Commercial Voice]

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[Narrator/Storyteller]

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[Narrator/Storyteller]

When Charles and his family walk through the rest of their property, they're horrified by what they see.

[Charles Montgomery]

Oh, my gosh.

[James David Dixon (Reporter)]

Unbelievable.

[Narrator/Storyteller]

Mark has only cleared the front of the property. Attorney Henry Sharg and reporter James Dixon

[Henry Sharg (Attorney)]

explain the vacant lot. And the backyard was still littered with wooden pallets with all types of garbage.

[James David Dixon (Reporter)]

So Chaz is able to move back in, but he's not able to use his own backyard.

[Narrator/Storyteller]

And that's not the only issue lingering on the property. The other is Mark's two pit bulls charging up on Charles family.

[Charles Montgomery]

Go, go, go, go. One dog was, you know, 80 something plus pounds. The dog doesn't just stop at my door. He comes, paws and hid in my window.

[Henry Sharg (Attorney)]

The dogs would be roaming outside, unleashed, and were barking and growling.

[Charles Montgomery]

And I'm just thinking, like, what am I supposed to do from here?

[James David Dixon (Reporter)]

So not only do you have the junk, now you have these dogs to deal with. For a person who moved back for family reasons, that's not the best circumstance.

[Charles Montgomery]

Mark, What? What's the problem?

[Mark Davidson]

Dogs are harmless. All the kids around there love them.

[Narrator/Storyteller]

Even Mark's friend and neighbor Tanisha Lintes agrees. The dogs have been scaring them neighborhood.

[Tanisha Lintes (Neighbor)]

You know, just how pit boys do, you know, somebody walk past something, you know, they bark, run back and forth. But yeah, I wouldn't mess with them. And I was not comfortable with my kids being out with them dogs.

[Mark Davidson]

Have your girls come over and play with them sometime.

[Narrator/Host]

My kids can play with your kids. When your junkyard is cleaned up and your so called pets are fenced in.

[Charles Montgomery]

Now, this is an environment where they cannot play in the backyard. It's becoming a very dangerous situation.

[Narrator/Storyteller]

The rift between the two neighboring men has been tearing the two families apart. And there's no escaping it. Even in bed after a hard day's work, there's no relief from the torment next door. What is that sound?

[Charles Montgomery]

Early on, I had no idea what was going on next door. You know, I'm thinking he's renovating. The only thing I know is that I'm losing sleep.

[Narrator/Storyteller]

The way Charles sees it, it's just another thing he has to deal with. So he attempts to find some middle ground.

[Narrator/Host]

Can you please keep your renovations to business hours?

[Mark Davidson]

It's just my shop. Some guys prefer the night shift, okay?

[Charles Montgomery]

That doesn't work for my family.

[Narrator/Storyteller]

But Mark isn't having any of it and instead offers a solution he thinks will solve things for everyone.

[Mark Davidson]

Let me make you a deal. Let me make you an offer.

[Charles Montgomery]

He eventually says, you know, you should just sell me the house for $1,000.

[Narrator/Host]

Is that a joke?

[Charles Montgomery]

You want me to sell you a house? Where? When the comps in this neighborhood are around 50,000 and we sell it to you for $1,000, I'll pay you cash.

[Mark Davidson]

Look, private sale, no agent, no commission.

[Charles Montgomery]

And of course, I declined.

[Mark Davidson]

Maybe I'll go to five.

[James David Dixon (Reporter)]

When someone offers you $5,000 for a home that's not for sale, that you occupy and that you've never said you don't want, maybe they're not actually asking.

[Narrator/Host]

After profiting off my land for months, you should be paying me back rent, not making some low ball offer.

[Henry Sharg (Attorney)]

Six.

[Mark Davidson]

I can do six.

[James David Dixon (Reporter)]

Come on.

[Narrator/Host]

What are you high?

[James David Dixon (Reporter)]

Come on.

[Mark Davidson]

You don't see a good deal when you can take it. Come on, you're just gonna walk away like that?

[Charles Montgomery]

I essentially told him, I'm not a crackhead. After a while, I just never allow my kids outside anymore.

[Tanisha Lintes (Neighbor)]

You keep poking the bear, you know you gonna wake the bear up.

[Narrator/Storyteller]

There's so much friction between neighbors Mark Davidson and Charles Montgomery. Everything begins to feel like a thread.

[Charles Montgomery]

So one day, just like I normally would, I try to get on the Internet and nothing. I look outside and the line has been clipped. You know, at this point, I'm getting very nervous.

[Narrator/Storyteller]

Charles calls the Internet company, but the repairman needs safe access to the side of the house.

[Charles Montgomery]

I tell Mark via text message, I need you to, you know, put your dogs up. I tell them the time that they gave me for the appointment, and I just leave it at that, you know? He never responds, never does anything. So I'm assuming that everything's good. He's gonna put his dogs up. I walk out into the backyard. There's no dogs. I'm thinking, everything's good.

[Narrator/Storyteller]

But the space between houses is still piled high with Mark's debris. And working in this giant mess won't be an easy job for the worker who shows up.

[Charles Montgomery]

At first, he said, I'm not doing it. I essentially begged the guy, like, man, please. He eventually says, yes. He climbs up the pallets and then starts climbing up the pole. I turn around, go in the house, and about 10 minutes later, I hear screaming, help. Somebody help. It's like, man, what the hell? What the fuck?

[Narrator/Storyteller]

Charles rushes outside to see the repairman standing atop a pile of Mark's stacked pallets, desperately trying to stay out of reach of Mark's dogs.

[James David Dixon (Reporter)]

Yo, what's going on here?

[Charles Montgomery]

Hey, what's going on? You know, the guy, he's yelling, what the hell's going on? Where these dogs come from? What the fuck? It feels like I'm living a nightmare. Feels like one of those dreams that you just can't wake up from.

[Narrator/Storyteller]

Both Charles and the repairman call 911. By the time police arrive, everything's quiet. But Charles is adamant in pleading his case to the responding officer.

[Charles Montgomery]

What seems to be the problem?

[Narrator/Host]

My neighbor sicked his dog from the Internet guy.

[Charles Montgomery]

That's true.

[Tanisha Lintes (Neighbor)]

Chaz was saying that, you know, Mark did it purposely, but I hope it wasn't purposely.

[Narrator/Storyteller]

Mark insists the dog's getting out was unintentional.

[Mark Davidson]

Sometimes my dogs get out, they nudge the screen door, and it happens by accident.

[Narrator/Storyteller]

He tells the police there's no cause for alarm, and they take his word. But Charles seizes the opportunity to plead his case.

[Narrator/Host]

Listen to me.

[Tanisha Lintes (Neighbor)]

You know what?

[Narrator/Host]

It's not just the dogs. He's filled my yard with junk. Come look at this.

[Mark Davidson]

Let's go.

[Charles Montgomery]

So they don't walk all the way into the backyard. They open up the fence, and he just told him to clean it up.

[Narrator/Host]

It's a real mess back there.

[Charles Montgomery]

All right, you gotta clean it up or that's a hefty fine.

[James David Dixon (Reporter)]

And mind the dogs.

[Mark Davidson]

Okay, officer.

[Narrator/Host]

That's it.

[Charles Montgomery]

And left. That was it.

[Tanisha Lintes (Neighbor)]

Unbelievable.

[Charles Montgomery]

Mark, when he was walking away, just said, man, you a snitch. I got you. I got you. And so that's when, of course, Everything starts to get really, really worse.

[Narrator/Storyteller]

Charles opens his front door one morning to see a dead rat laid out on his porch. Reporter James David Dickson explains the significance.

[James David Dixon (Reporter)]

Snitches get stitches. They get dead, killed rats, which in Detroit means you're a rat. And you can expect that similar will happen to you as happened to the rat.

[Tanisha Lintes (Neighbor)]

I heard about the dead rat being put on the porch. Didn't see that either.

[Charles Montgomery]

I'm between a rock and a hard place. I'm unsure what to do, how to move forward.

[Narrator/Storyteller]

For Charles and Carrie, there's no escape from the relentless stress.

[Charles Montgomery]

Oh, my God. Every freaking night, I would see lights and power tools closer to my home being ran all hours of the night, sometimes well into 3 and 4 in the morning. I think we should call the cops.

[James David Dixon (Reporter)]

Honestly, I don't think that's a good

[Charles Montgomery]

idea at this point with the police being caught out there. He pretty much told me that I was a rat and that I was trying to, you know, have him thrown in jail.

[Narrator/Storyteller]

Instead of calling police, Charles ventures out for a sneak peek at what his neighbor is up to and is disturbed by what he discovers.

[Charles Montgomery]

Now, where I can see everything and I'm looking at cars, you know, doors missing off cars, windshields gone.

[Henry Sharg (Attorney)]

It was very clear that Mark operated a illegal chop shop, which was to break down stolen cars and sell the parts on the black market.

[Narrator/Storyteller]

Not only is this revelation a shock for Charles, it's a dilemma.

[Charles Montgomery]

I can't be around this like I'm a licensed insurance agent. I'm legally bound to report this sort of activity.

[James David Dixon (Reporter)]

You can't have a chop shop and an insurance guy right next door. So at this point, the conflict really came to a head. So you have the alleged chop shop versus the insurance agent who can't be involved with this kind of thing. Even at the tacit wink, wink agreement

[Narrator/Storyteller]

level, Charles turns to other neighbors for help. Attorney Henry Sharg tells us he doesn't get the response he hopes.

[Charles Montgomery]

Hey, what's up, man?

[Mark Davidson]

Hey.

[Charles Montgomery]

Mark's chopping up cars, yo.

[Tanisha Lintes (Neighbor)]

You know, it's none of her business what he's doing.

[Henry Sharg (Attorney)]

Over the years, he had developed cred with credibility with his neighbors, repairing their cars, doing other neighborhood favors for them.

[Charles Montgomery]

Mark's a good dude once you get to know him.

[Tanisha Lintes (Neighbor)]

He's done nothing to me.

[Henry Sharg (Attorney)]

So he found a safe niche in that neighborhood.

[Narrator/Storyteller]

So Charles comes up with a solution.

[Charles Montgomery]

I said, look, I said, I'm going to get all of this squared away. I said, I'm just going to just buy the lots, just get all this headache done, I'm just going to buy the lot.

[Narrator/Storyteller]

Charles doesn't know it yet, but one neighbor quickly relays charles plans to Mark.

[James David Dixon (Reporter)]

They say loose lips sinks ships, and Chaz ends up telling his plans to someone he thinks is sympathetic. And then you end up giving information to your adversary.

[Mark Davidson]

That's my livelihood.

[James David Dixon (Reporter)]

Exactly what I'm saying.

[Narrator/Storyteller]

For Mark, this crosses a major boundary, one that he's not going to let slide. So he pushes the conflict one step further and past the point of no return.

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[Narrator/Storyteller]

As Charles explains, Mark is seething mad when he approaches him.

[Charles Montgomery]

So Mark appears from just out of nowhere. Hey, real aggressive. I Just say, hey, I can't do this right now. Like, I have a client on the phone.

[Mark Davidson]

I need to talk to you.

[Charles Montgomery]

I'm on the phone, still with the client, talking. I open up my door, try to get in the car. Mark rushes me from behind, pushes me up against my car. I struggle as much as I can to turn around, and I drop my phone. The guy lifts me off my feet. It's like a pit bull fight at Chihuahua. Like, this is not the type of fight that you want to see go down.

[Mark Davidson]

You think you're gonna get away with that?

[James David Dixon (Reporter)]

How long are you.

[Charles Montgomery]

He lifts me completely off the ground and, you know, hurt my back pretty bad and starts choking me.

[James David Dixon (Reporter)]

You, me, the six two, 230 guy walks up on the 57150 guy and basically grabs him by his neck.

[Mark Davidson]

Listen, you need to reconsider my offer. Just sell your house to me.

[Charles Montgomery]

He was like, you know, it'd be better for everybody if you just leave.

[Mark Davidson]

Think about it.

[Charles Montgomery]

The guy's physically assaulted me. Now I know that choking is a felony. You know, this guy just literally choked me. There's marks around my neck. You know, I want something done. I mean, you know, from the guy that I met initially, this guy was nothing like that. You know, at this point, I'm really fearing for my safety and my life. So I end up going into the police station and I tell them what happened. I said, hey, my neighbor just assaulted me. I give them his name, they file a report.

[Narrator/Storyteller]

But authorities don't seem interested in taking things farther than that.

[Henry Sharg (Attorney)]

It's not uncommon, especially in the city of Detroit, where two neighbors are fighting or bickering. The police try to encourage the party assaulted not to pursue criminal charges, saying, I have to live with this person. Why don't you just try to avoid them?

[James David Dixon (Reporter)]

You're not viewing each other as people and neighbors anymore. You're adversaries. That ends up being a very isolating experience, especially when the other person has been on the block longer, is more popular, has helped people out with their cars. You're kind of the only person with a problem, and this is a bad person to have a problem with.

[Narrator/Storyteller]

Charles finally reaches his breaking point. He confides in his girlfriend, Carrie.

[Narrator/Host]

We gotta get out of here.

[Charles Montgomery]

You know, my girlfriend, I had to tell her, like, I don't feel comfortable, you know, with you and my daughters being here. I originally thought this was, you know, a great neighborhood to grow a family up in and, you know, my kids would have the room to grow out and branch and now my home feels essentially like a prison.

[Narrator/Storyteller]

It's time for Charles to plan his escape. But before he can flee his neighbor, he needs to prep the house for market. For their own safety. Charles sends Carrie and the kids back to her mother's place.

[Charles Montgomery]

I'm like, I can't knowingly leave you in a situation where this is going on.

[Tanisha Lintes (Neighbor)]

Bye, guys.

[Charles Montgomery]

Bye.

[Tanisha Lintes (Neighbor)]

Be good, okay? Okay.

[Henry Sharg (Attorney)]

Love you.

[Charles Montgomery]

It was a very scary time in my life.

[Narrator/Storyteller]

Carrie fears for her partner, so she leaves something behind for him. A gun.

[Charles Montgomery]

Anytime your girlfriend tells you you need to have this gun, you know that something is serious. Michigan is an open carry state, so I got a holster for the gun. I carried the gun the legal way, but I never, never went anywhere without, you know, having that gun with me. I never came home without having that gun with me.

[Narrator/Storyteller]

Even though he's armed, Charles still does everything he can to stay out of Mark's sight.

[Charles Montgomery]

At this point, I'm like, what can I do? I would literally drive around the neighborhood before going home. If I saw his vehicles out there, if I saw that he was, you know, doing anything out there, I would just not stop. I would literally go home at hours to avoid him. I would go to friends houses. You know, it became a point where, you know, I just didn't want to go home. You know, I didn't feel safe being in my home.

[Narrator/Storyteller]

For the residents of Five Points, the evening of April 15, 2019, starts off like any other. Charles drives back from his job after an hour especially productive day.

[Charles Montgomery]

Had a great day at work. I remember because I had wrote some big policies and I was actually happy about it.

[Narrator/Storyteller]

He arrives home to a street full of kids playing. Tanisha Lintes children are among them.

[Tanisha Lintes (Neighbor)]

Like any other regular day, let my children go outside to play. You know, they went out and, you know, went to check, you know, out the window and look, check out on my kids and stuff. You know, see them. They were still outside playing, you know, running up the street and stuff.

[Narrator/Storyteller]

Charles sees no sign of Mark, but there are signs of trouble.

[Charles Montgomery]

As I'm pulling up, I notice that the neighbor's garbage, which is directly to the left of my home, is now at the tip. And in my driveway, bust open, just bags of garbage.

[Tanisha Lintes (Neighbor)]

I looked over Chaz. I seen him kick, you know, some garbage and stuff around. He on the cell phone, pacing back and forth.

[Charles Montgomery]

Hey, yeah?

[Narrator/Host]

Is this your garbage?

[Tanisha Lintes (Neighbor)]

No way.

[Charles Montgomery]

Mm.

[Tanisha Lintes (Neighbor)]

Mm.

[Narrator/Host]

Well, is it Mark's?

[Tanisha Lintes (Neighbor)]

I don't think so.

[Narrator/Storyteller]

Charles is determined to find out who dumped the trash in his driveway. Attorney Henry Sharg explains what happened next.

[Henry Sharg (Attorney)]

He went through the garbage, and he found the phone number for a neighbor who lived on the other side and called the neighbor. Mark saw Chaz on the phone and assumed that he was calling the police. And that triggered Mark to come over to Chaz's property and confront him about the. The phone call.

[Mark Davidson]

Hey, get off the phone. This is not my trash.

[James David Dixon (Reporter)]

Buddy. Buddy, I don't want to do this anymore.

[Henry Sharg (Attorney)]

What started out as, you know, just, hey, you know, I'm not talking to the police. Just be cool. Just let me alone.

[Tanisha Lintes (Neighbor)]

I hear them, like, yelling. I'm like, oh, they arguing. And it was kind of, like, intense. So I was like, kids go in the house, you know, mind your business. Don't look.

[Charles Montgomery]

I know you can see this guy, and you're still walking up on me like this. Like. Like, what type of guy is this? Like, who.

[Mark Davidson]

Who.

[Charles Montgomery]

Who walks upon somebody with a gun on their hip.

[Mark Davidson]

You're a rat and a liar.

[Charles Montgomery]

He keeps coming up, keeps coming up. I just keep standing there like, bro, just please leave me alone.

[Mark Davidson]

You know what I'm gonna do?

[Commercial Voice]

What?

[Mark Davidson]

I'm gonna come back and I' burn this house down, and then I'm gonna kill you.

[Charles Montgomery]

I'm just yelling at him. He's just still yelling. Fuck you, you little motherfucker. I'm gonna get your ass. You know this. I'm done with this bullshit. I'm done with this.

[Narrator/Host]

You know what? I'd like to see you try that, bud.

[Narrator/Storyteller]

Attorney Henry Sharg explains there might be more to blame for the escalating fight than just the rising tempers.

[Henry Sharg (Attorney)]

Mark had been drinking. He was agitated. He was in his aggressive mode, and he lunged toward Chas.

[Mark Davidson]

You're trying to spread lies about me, you rat.

[Narrator/Host]

Buddy, just get out of here. Buddy.

[James David Dixon (Reporter)]

Buddy.

[Narrator/Host]

I don't want to do this anymore.

[Henry Sharg (Attorney)]

Several of the neighbors from across the street looked through the window and saw Mark and Chaz in the driveway involved in a heated argument.

[Narrator/Storyteller]

Then Mark takes things past verbal threats. He attacks.

[Charles Montgomery]

Get the hell off me.

[Mark Davidson]

Come on.

[Charles Montgomery]

What the hell are you doing? What are you gonna do, huh?

[Tanisha Lintes (Neighbor)]

I probably took about maybe not even five steps into my living room, and it was like the gunshots.

[Narrator/Storyteller]

Three more shots follow in quick succession.

[Tanisha Lintes (Neighbor)]

Pow, pow, pow. And I'm like, so marquis. I hit the floor. Oh, come on.

[Mark Davidson]

Come on.

[Narrator/Storyteller]

Tanisha will soon discover Charles has shot Mark multiple times. Here's Charles to explain what was going through his mind the moment he pulled the trigger.

[Charles Montgomery]

Once I started shooting, man, I just didn't stop until he stepped. To be honest, I didn't know how many times I actually shot.

[Henry Sharg (Attorney)]

Mark was shot seven times. There were seven shots fired, but somehow

[Narrator/Storyteller]

Mark is still alive. What follows is an actual 911 dispatch recording.

[Tanisha Lintes (Neighbor)]

911 was the address of the emergency.

[Charles Montgomery]

My neighbor just shot my other neighbor. He landed in the street. Oh, my gosh.

[Tanisha Lintes (Neighbor)]

And I'm like, at this point, I'm crying, like talking to him. I'm like, you gotta fight Mark. You gotta breathe and stuff and, you know, you gotta think about your children. You know, I just started praying. I just started praying over, you know, like, Chad started praying with me.

[Narrator/Storyteller]

Tanisha kneels by Mark in the street in this captured recording, a warning. What you're about to hear is disturbing.

[Narrator/Host]

What happened to him?

[Charles Montgomery]

I don't know.

[Tanisha Lintes (Neighbor)]

Breathe. Can you hear me, Mark? Please,

[Charles Montgomery]

please don't die.

[Narrator/Storyteller]

Mark is rushed to the hospital, fighting for his life as Charles is placed under arrest.

[Charles Montgomery]

I'm thinking, I didn't do anything wrong here. I said, talk to him. I'm thinking he's going to tell. I'm thinking he's still alive. I said, all you gotta do is talk to Mark. He'll tell you what happened. Like, just talk to him.

[Narrator/Storyteller]

45 minutes later, Mark Davidson is pronounced dead. Charles Montgomery is charged with second degree murder and the possession of a firearm in the commission of a felony.

[Charles Montgomery]

I didn't find out that Mark actually passed away until I was being indicted.

[Henry Sharg (Attorney)]

The narrative of this case was from the, you know, and from the local news outlets was that this was an altercation over garbage and over a garbage can and that Chaz had shot his neighbor because of this disagreement or this argument over garbage, which was, you know, as we learned, was the furthest from the truth.

[Narrator/Storyteller]

Four months after Mark's passing, Charles faces a jury of his peers.

[Henry Sharg (Attorney)]

This is a story of the neighborhood bully versus a choir boy. And the evidence in this case supported our narrative. And when I say he was a choir boy, he really, really was a choir boy.

[Narrator/Storyteller]

At trial, eyewitness accounts support Charles claim of self defense.

[Henry Sharg (Attorney)]

The jury went out and deliberated for less than a day. Count one, second degree murder, not guilty. As to the felony firearm count, not guilty.

[Narrator/Storyteller]

As Charles Montgomery explains, his acquittal offers little solace.

[Charles Montgomery]

You know, it was the day that I rejoiced. But at the same time, now I walk with this heaviness with me. If I could take it back or do anything differently to avoid all of this, I would never in my wildest dreams did I ever want to or thought about ever hurting anybody.

[Narrator/Storyteller]

Reporter James David Dixon concurs.

[James David Dixon (Reporter)]

When you hear accounts and you read interviews where people say that as soon as he had neutralized the threat of his neighbor, Chaz did the right thing. He called 911, he prayed, he sat with the man. In some of his final moments, you just wish that that had all happened earlier. So I just hope people hear this and think, what could I do differently? What would I do differently? Because even the man who defended himself and did what he thought was right at the time regretted didn't have to

[Tanisha Lintes (Neighbor)]

come to that point. It shouldn't have came to that point. Mark's death, it took a toll, you know, on the neighborhood. I seen what kind of father he was. And that right there is like the toughest blow. I'm never gonna forget.

[Charles Montgomery]

Yeah, I moved on. I had to rebuild my life. After everything, it's been a slow building process. I didn't wait anymore for anything. I live my life differently now. I live every day in the moment now. I don't plan as much as far ahead. At any point, any one of us could die. So now I live in the moment. I try to make sure that I live every day to the fullest.

[Narrator/Storyteller]

This podcast is produced by Cream Productions in association with Fremantle Media and id. You can check out Fear Thy Neighbor on Max Discovery and id.

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