Christopher Davis is charged in the murder of his boyfriend, 56-year-old Barry Schmalbach, who disappeared in July 2023. Although Schmalbach's body hasn't been found, prosecutors are pursuing a second-degree murder conviction based on circumstantial evidence, including witness testimonies, financial records, and suspicious behavior by Davis. Schmalbach was last heard from on July 19, 2023, at his home in Cape Coral when he left a voicemail for his friend Miguel Blanco on July 19. Davis reported him missing three days later. A neighbor said she heard what sounded like a tarp being moved early on July 21 and saw Davis dragging something. When questioned, Davis gave police a false identity and was found to have outstanding arrest warrants from Georgia and South Carolina for probation violations related to fraud and larceny. Surveillance and transaction records showed Davis used Schmalbach’s credit card for Botox and to buy a shovel and pickaxe at a Clewiston hardware store. Davis was arrested on August 1, 2023, because of a South Carolina warrant for a 2018 probation violation tied to a 2013 conviction for grand larceny and credit card fraud. He was returned to Florida in June 2024 to face charges related to the disappearance of Schmalbach of second-degree murder, tampering with evidence and nine counts of fraud.