“After all I am guilty,” William Clyde Gibson, age 59, of New Albany, Indiana, stated two months after pleading guilty and being sentenced to death for the murder of three women. Gibson’s victims included Karen Hodella age 44 of port orange, Florida in 2002, Stephanie kirk age 35 of Charlestown, Indiana in March 2012, and Christine Whitis, age 75 of Clarksville, Indiana in April 2012. Gibson was classified as a sadist and rapist. His preferred method being strangulation, stabbing with a knife and mutilation. Gibson was arrested April 2012 after the murder of Christine Whitis, Gibson’s sisters found Whitis in the home of their late mother where Gibson lived 24 hours after she had been murdered. Whitis was a friend of Gibson 's mother, out
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Prosecution was seeking the death penalty, and “Under Indiana law it must be proven beyond reasonable doubt that at least one aggravating circumstance, such as ; rape, burglary, or arson occurred during the killing.” (Courier Journal) dismemberment and sexual assault were considered aggravated circumstances in this case. The defense argued that dismembered should not be considered aggravated circumstances under Indiana state law. The prosecutor had pointed out that Whitis had been found next to a chain saw and garbage bags with one of her breast cut off, which gives them reasonable doubt that Gibson had intended to dispose of the body or at least some parts of the body. It was during this trail Gibson admitted guilt for the murder of Florida woman in …show more content…
Susan Orth the judge on this case told the prosecutor not to bring up his past cases. After forensic pathologist 's, Doctor Amy Burrows-Beckan, testimony identified hemorrhages on the neck and fractured bones in neck proved the Whitis died 24 hours before Gibsons sisters found her by strangulation. Cuts, scrapes, bruises, and what are believed to be bite marks on her genital area, proven sexual assault. Autopsy report shows that Whitis’s lower spin and ribs were fractured as well, most likely caused by great force. Blunt forced trauma to the head was also discovered, likely caused by hitting the concrete floor. Burrows-Beckman suspected that whitis’s breast was cut off while she dying or after she was already dead. It also had showed to believe that Gibson had continued to perform oral sex and shoved his fist in her vagina several times after she was dead. After all the evidence were presented the jury only deliberated for seventeen minutes and found Gibson guilty of the murder of Christine Whitis, and later received the death penalty. Florida woman Karen Hodella’s, 44,murder was just as violent as Stephanie Kirk 's murder. Gibson admitted to stabbing the woman multiple times before moving her body from the crime scene to be dumped into the Ohio River. Hodellas body was found 3 months after her murder, but the case went unsolved till the arrest of Gibson in 2002. Gibson denied a jury
Prosecution was seeking the death penalty, and “Under Indiana law it must be proven beyond reasonable doubt that at least one aggravating circumstance, such as ; rape, burglary, or arson occurred during the killing.” (Courier Journal) dismemberment and sexual assault were considered aggravated circumstances in this case. The defense argued that dismembered should not be considered aggravated circumstances under Indiana state law. The prosecutor had pointed out that Whitis had been found next to a chain saw and garbage bags with one of her breast cut off, which gives them reasonable doubt that Gibson had intended to dispose of the body or at least some parts of the body. It was during this trail Gibson admitted guilt for the murder of Florida woman in …show more content…
Susan Orth the judge on this case told the prosecutor not to bring up his past cases. After forensic pathologist 's, Doctor Amy Burrows-Beckan, testimony identified hemorrhages on the neck and fractured bones in neck proved the Whitis died 24 hours before Gibsons sisters found her by strangulation. Cuts, scrapes, bruises, and what are believed to be bite marks on her genital area, proven sexual assault. Autopsy report shows that Whitis’s lower spin and ribs were fractured as well, most likely caused by great force. Blunt forced trauma to the head was also discovered, likely caused by hitting the concrete floor. Burrows-Beckman suspected that whitis’s breast was cut off while she dying or after she was already dead. It also had showed to believe that Gibson had continued to perform oral sex and shoved his fist in her vagina several times after she was dead. After all the evidence were presented the jury only deliberated for seventeen minutes and found Gibson guilty of the murder of Christine Whitis, and later received the death penalty. Florida woman Karen Hodella’s, 44,murder was just as violent as Stephanie Kirk 's murder. Gibson admitted to stabbing the woman multiple times before moving her body from the crime scene to be dumped into the Ohio River. Hodellas body was found 3 months after her murder, but the case went unsolved till the arrest of Gibson in 2002. Gibson denied a jury