Nathan Douglas Davin has admitted to killing his 74-year-old mother inside their East Hillside home, pleading guilty Monday to second-degree murder in a case that has rattled Duluth for nearly a year.
Davin entered the guilty plea in St. Louis County District Court and is set to be sentenced next month in the 2025 shooting death of his mother, Mae Dean Davin. Her body was found inside the family home last August.
According to KARE 11, Davin pleaded guilty to second-degree intentional murder and is scheduled to be sentenced on July 16, 2026. Public jail records list Davin as 47 and show he was booked into custody after his August arrest. St. Louis County records confirm his booking and the charge.
How Investigators Say the Shooting Unfolded
Police were called to a home on the 1500 block of North Ninth Avenue East on Aug. 16, 2025, where they found Mae Dean Davin with an apparent gunshot wound to the face, according to court filings and local reporting. Officers arrested her son at the scene after noticing blood on his hands, and court documents describe spray-painted messages and other signs of a disturbance throughout the house. Duluth News Tribune reported those details.
Prosecutors said investigators recovered a Glock 9mm handgun that appeared to have blood on it, along with ammunition that matched shell casings found near the victim. During an interview at the police station, Davin was recorded saying, "God damn it, I killed my mother," according to local coverage. WDIO noted the recording and evidence described in the court filings.
What Happens at Sentencing
Under Minnesota law, intentional second-degree murder carries a statutory maximum sentence of 40 years in prison. The actual sentence is guided by the state sentencing guidelines, which take into account a defendant's criminal history and other factors. Minnesota statutes set the maximum penalty, while data from the Minnesota Sentencing Guidelines Commission show how the ranges can shift based on criminal-history scores.
Court paperwork and local reporting indicate Davin will return to court for sentencing on July 16, 2026, following his guilty plea. KARE 11 reported on the plea and upcoming hearing.
Local coverage has pointed out that the killing was one of several violent incidents in Duluth over the past year, fueling ongoing conversations about public safety and resources as the community watches this case move toward its conclusion. Duluth News Tribune has followed the case since Davin's arrest in August.
