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Thread: William Clyde Gibson III - Indiana Death Row

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    William Clyde Gibson III - Indiana Death Row


    Stephanie Kirk (left) and Christine Whitis (right)


    William Clyde Gibson


    At a press conference on Monday, prosecutors said they are looking to other law enforcement agencies to send information about missing persons cases.

    They are waiting on reports to see how Stephanie Kirk died to find out if she is connected to the current charges against William Clyde Gibson.

    Prosecutors are saying the case is death penalty eligible.

    On Saturday, human remains found in the backyard of murder suspect William Clyde Gibson were identified as belonging to 35-year-old Stephanie Kirk, who had been reported as missing from Charlestown, Indiana since March 25.

    The registered sex offender is charged with the murders of 75-year old Christine Whitis, who he is accused of strangling in his home on April 19, and 44-year old Karen Hodella, who police say he admitted to killing following his arrest.

    http://www.whas11.com/news/New-infor...149535815.html


    Prosecutor says William Gibson implicated himself in new, old cases


    • Christine Whitis
    • Karen Hodella



    NEW ALBANY — A New Albany man is facing two murder charges, one from a recent case and another from a 2002 cold case.

    William Clyde Gibson III, 54, was charged in Floyd County Superior Court on Tuesday with two counts of murder in the deaths of 75-year-old Christine Whitis, of Clarksville, and 45-year-old Karen Hodella, of Jeffersonville. He is also charged with being a habitual offender.

    Whitis was found Thursday strangled in Gibson’s home in the 800 block of Woodbourne Drive, near University Woods Apartments off Grant Line Road, in New Albany, according to Prosecutor Keith Henderson. Henderson said her body was discovered in the garage of the home by a relative of Gibson’s.

    Gibson was named as a person of interest in that case early on. He was found driving Whitis’ van and was initially arrested in the Walmart parking lot along Grant Line Road for operating while intoxicated and resisting law enforcement.

    Henderson said during questioning, Gibson not only implicated himself in that crime, but also in the murder of Hodella, who was reported missing in October 2002. Her body was found in Clark County in January 2003.

    Henderson said bloody clothes were found in Corydon, but he believes Hodella’s murder happened near University Woods Apartments, but added that he doesn’t think it happened in Gibson’s home. Hodella’s case became cold until just a few days ago.

    Clarksville Police Department Maj. Darrell Rayborn had worked the case from the beginning.

    “You think about these cases all the time and I haven’t forgotten about it,” he said. “We had no place to go. Then we got a call from New Albany with some information that leads us to this.”

    Henderson said both victims were with Gibson voluntarily. He said Hodella had met him at a bar.

    FAMILY’S CONNECTION

    Mike Whitis, Christine’s son, said his mother and Gibson’s mother were close friends for decades. He said Gibson’s mother passed away recently. He said Gibson was like a close cousin, since the families spent so much time together.

    “My mother loved them all very much and would have done anything she could for any of them,” he said.

    Mike Whitis said he isn’t sure why his mother went over to Gibson’s home that night, but said he is sure he will find out she was there to help him.

    “There’s no good that comes from something like this — ever. But finding out today that this case was linked to another homicide that is almost 10 years old, I think my family will take some solace in knowing that somehow my mother’s death may have put some closure to some other family grieving and help bring a monster to justice where he will never plague the community again.”

    Mike said his mother is survived by himself, his wife Julie, four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. He described his mother as a “saint on Earth,” who was young-spirited and loved to travel.

    Henderson said investigators are having difficulty contacting family of Hodella.

    If convicted, Gibson faces 45 to 65 years in prison for each murder charge and an additional 30 years for the habitual offender charge.

    Gibson has previously been convicted of the following felonies: second degree assault; first degree wanton endangerment; second degree robbery; first degree sexual abuse; receiving stolen auto parts; auto theft (two cases); receiving stolen property (two cases); and theft.

    Gibson does not have an attorney at this time, but will be appointed a public defender.

    Henderson said the OWI and resisting law enforcement charges are on hold right now.

    Gibson’s trial on the murders is scheduled for Aug. 27. He is being held in the Floyd County Jail on no bond.

    http://newsandtribune.com/local/x164...murder-charges
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    Expert: More victims likely

    Clarksville police investigating if William Clyde Gibson III is tied to another case


    • Stephanie Marie Kirk

    A world-renowned serial killer expert said the New Albany man charged in two murders with a third victim found buried in his backyard likely had more victims.

    William Clyde Gibson III, 54, has been charged with the deaths of 75-year-old Christine Whitis, of Clarksville, and 45-year-old Karen Hodella, whose family is from Florida and was visiting Jeffersonville at the time of her death.

    Whitis was found strangled in Gibson’s garage April 19. Hodella’s body was found in a wooded area near the Ohio River in January 2003. The body of Stephanie Kirk, 35, of Charlestown, was found buried in his backyard in the 800 block of Woodbourne Drive, in New Albany, on Friday night.

    Floyd County Prosecutor Keith Henderson has not yet filed charges against Gibson for the third victim.

    Ron Holmes, emeritus professor at University of Louisville, has written 28 books on crime, with many focusing on serial killers. He has also completed more than 500 psychological profiles for police departments across the United States.

    “I would feel certain there’s more victims,” Holmes said. “I would feel certain that he’s done something in-between 2002 and his second victim. That’s a long time. They don’t stop that long. They may stop for a few months or something like that, but not ... 10 years.”

    Holmes said serial killers are people who have killed three or more people in a more than 30-day period. He said they typically have cooling off periods between kills. Holmes said they tend to kill with their hands, such as by strangulation. He said Gibson is “definitely” a serial killer.

    Holmes said there are four basic types of serial killers, and he feels that Gibson fits the third — the hedonistic type, who kills for fun, with often a sexual motivation. He said the first two victims, who met Gibson at a downtown New Albany bar, fit that description.

    Whitis, who was a long-time family friend, doesn’t fit that description, he said.

    “It’s very unusual,” he said of serial killers attacking someone close to them. “Something happened where he felt threatened by her. It might have been the risk of discovery. It might have been she suspected something. She was so much different than the other two.”

    Holmes, who has met 20 serial killers, said none of them ever want to get caught.

    “They get sloppy. They stop paying attention to details,” he said, explaining that they get away with it for a while, and they feel powerful, like they can’t get caught.

    http://newsandtribune.com/clarkcount...victims-likely
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    ABOUT WILLIAM CLYDE GIBSON III

    • Moved to New Albany at 2 years old and has lived there since
    • Youngest of four children
    • 1976 New Albany High School graduate
    • Has an associate’s degree in fine arts from Lindsey Wilson College (while in prison)
    • Married in June 1980 in New Albany; divorced 12 years later
    • Long history of alcohol and cocaine abuse
    • Has used acid and heroin
    • In the military from 1976-80
    • Arrested for stealing a car in Germany while in the service
    • IQ considered “low average”
    • Lacked basic social skills
    • Has blackout episodes that can last up to a week when under the influence of alcohol and drugs

    — Jefferson County, Ky., court records
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    Gibson investigation remains NAPD’s

    FBI spokesperson said they are assisting, but will not take over multiple murder case

    By TARA SCHMELZ
    The News and Tribune

    NEW ALBANY — Although the New Albany Police Department is looking to the FBI for help in the case of a man charged in multiple murders, the federal agency is not taking the lead in the investigation.

    “We wouldn’t start taking over and we’re not taking over this case,” said FBI Special Agent Media Coordinator Wendy Osborne from her Indianapolis office. “That’s not our job and that’s not our role. Our role is to assist.”

    Floyd County Prosecutor Keith Henderson previously said that 54-year-old William Clyde Gibson III implicated himself in the murders of 75-year-old Christine Whitis, of Clarksville, and 45-year-old Karen Hodella, who had been visiting Southern Indiana from Florida, according to family.

    Whitis was found strangled in Gibson’s garage in April. Hodella’s remains were found in a wooded area along the Ohio River in January 2003. A third victim, 35-year-old Stephanie Kirk, of Charlestown, had been missing since March 25. Her body was found April 27 in the backyard of Gibson’s New Albany home along Woodboune Drive. Kirk’s preliminary cause of death is strangulation, according to Floyd County Coroner Leslie Knable.

    NAPD Chief Sherri Knight said NAPD reached out to the FBI. However, she said no one from the FBI is in town.

    “We don’t know if they will come here or not,” she said, adding that NAPD has been talking with special agents over the phone. “If they choose to come and be directly involved ... we haven’t reached that point yet.”

    Knight said the FBI is helping identify other potential victims and tracking Gibson’s activity. She said the time lapse between the discovery of Hodella in 2003 to the recent victims is a “huge concern.”

    “There’s a potential for more victims,” she said. “We don’t want to exclude that possibility.”

    Osborne said the special agents with FBI Behavioral Analysis Unit 2 — the Virginia-based group that is assisting — are specially trained to assist in investigations. She said that they may offer interview techniques, profiles of unknown subjects, access to expert testimony and more. She said that sometimes having a new set of eyes on the case can help. However, she said she cannot comment on this specific case, since it is ongoing.

    On Wednesday, a large trailer was parked in Gibson’s driveway and investigators loaded it with various items from Gibson’s home, including a couch, end tables and boxes of items. Knight said investigators will likely be searching Gibson’s home for several days.

    Floyd County Chief Public Defender Patrick Biggs has been appointed as Gibson’s attorney. His office said he could not comment on this case, but did say that he is certified to defend someone in death penalty cases. Henderson has said this is a death penalty eligible case, but didn’t say whether he would pursue that punishment.

    If convicted, Gibson faces 45 to 65 years in prison for each murder count or life without parole.

    Knight and Ron Holmes, a crime expert and professor emeritus at University of Louisville, have both said that Gibson fits the definition of a serial killer.

    http://newsandtribune.com/floydcount...remains-NAPD-s
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    Connection investigated between Spierer disappearnce and murder suspect

    Officers are looking into whether there's a connection between a missing Indiana University student and a 54-year-old murder suspect.

    20-year-old Lauren Spierer disappeared back in June after a night of partying with friends.

    According to NewsCenter 16's NBC affiliate in Louisville, a detective has been assigned to investigate a possible connection between Spierer's disappearance and New Albany murder suspect named William "Clyde" Gibson III.

    He's already charged in two other murders. Officers discovered the remains of a 35-year-old woman named Stephanie Kirk in his backyard back on April 27. She'd been missing for a month.

    http://www.wndu.com/indiana/headline...150025765.html
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    Custody of Stephanie Kirk’s daughter given to grandfather

    He says result a ‘good ending,’ but still awaits charges for daughter’s death


    By TARA SCHMELZ
    The News and Tribune

    JEFFERSONVILLE — A Jeffersonville judge has ruled in favor of giving custody to the grandfather of the child of the Charlestown woman who was found buried in the backyard of a New Albany home.

    Stephanie Kirk, 35, was found dead, buried in the yard of William Clyde Gibson III, 54, who is charged in the murders of 75-year-old Christine Whitis, of Clarksville, and 45-year-old Karen Hodella, whose family said is from Florida and was visiting the area. Whitis was found strangled in Gibson’s garage in the 800 block of Woodbourne Drive, in New Albany, last month. Hodella’s body was found in January 2003 in a wooded area along the Ohio River. Her cause of death is unknown. The preliminary cause of death for Kirk is strangulation, according to Floyd County Coroner Leslie Knable.

    On Thursday, Kirk’s father, Tony Kirk, asked a judge for custody of Stephanie’s 13-year-old daughter, Sabrina Kirk. Sabrina has lived with her grandfather on and off for years. Tony Kirk said Stephanie and Sabrina had been living with him for the past 6 years.

    Tony Kirk said Sabrina’s father, George V. Tuell, has not seen his daughter in 9 years.

    “This is what my daughter wanted,” Tony Kirk said. “She wanted me to take care of her daughter.”

    “I’m not trying to take her away from her grandfather,” Tuell said. “I want to make sure she has decent living conditions ... I didn’t want her to be in a foster home or something.”

    Tuell argued that the conditions at Tony Kirk’s Charlestown home may not have been clean enough, due to a 2011 Child Protective Services investigation that said there was animal feces in the home. However, Tony Kirk’s lawyer, Larry Wilder, provided the News and Tribune with a copy of the report, which says the family got rid of their pet cat and put their dog outside, eliminating that issue. It also said the family agreed to clean the home. The report said that the allegation of neglect was “unsubstantiated.”

    Wilder said the judge told Sabrina that it would be up to her if she would like to see her father. Sabrina said Tuell gave her his cell phone number, but she does not want to contact him right now.

    Meanwhile, Gibson still has not been charged in Kirk’s death. Floyd County Prosecutor Keith Henderson said he is awaiting toxicology results on Kirk, before deciding whether to charge Gibson with a third murder count. Tony Kirk said the wait is hard.

    “I’ll be glad when they charge him,” he said.

    Tony Kirk said he knew something happened to his daughter when she hadn’t called. He said he heard from her on Sunday morning, March 25, that she would be back that evening. He said when he didn’t hear back or see her by the next day, he was worried.

    “I knew about the second or third day that something was drastically wrong. I couldn’t sleep,” Tony Kirk said.

    Stephanie Kirk’s body was found April 27.

    He said finding Stephanie has brought closure to his family. He said Thursday’s hearing was a “good ending.”

    http://newsandtribune.com/local/x158...to-grandfather
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    The trail of an accused murderer

    Records show significant jail time for Gibson

    Police are working on tracking the steps of a New Albany man, charged in two murders and connected to a third.

    William Clyde Gibson III, 54, has been charged with the murders of 75-year-old Christine Whitis, of Clarksville, and 45-year-old Karen Hodella, whose family said she is from Florida and was visiting Jeffersonville at the time of her death. Whitis was found strangled in Gibson’s garage April 19. Hodella’s body was found in a wooded area near the Ohio River in January 2003. She had been missing since October 2002. The body of Stephanie Kirk, 35, of Charlestown, was found buried in Gibson’s backyard in the 800 block of Woodbourne Drive, in New Albany, on April 27. She had been missing since March 25. Prosecutor Keith Henderson has not yet filed charges against Gibson on the third victim.

    “We’re trying to track his timeline at least for the last decade,” said Maj. Keith Whitlow, with the New Albany Police Department. “Things like employment and travels and anything like that that would put him in another location besides New Albany, Indiana, we’re looking at that.”

    Gibson’s incarceration history in Indiana and Kentucky shows he spent a lot of time behind bars for various crimes, including sexual assault, auto theft, possession of stolen property and more. However, there are many weeks, months and, in some cases, years between charges. For example, Hodella went missing in October 2002. Gibson was free at that time, but was arrested on Nov. 1, 2002. His last arrest, prior to being arrested in connection to the murders, was on March 6, 2007. He was released on Sept. 8, 2009.

    Police haven’t released any information on additional victims since Kirk’s body was found. However, Whitlow said they are still investigating.

    “We’re going to make sure this thing is thoroughly investigated and if there is any more victims out there, we can discover them,” he said.

    When asked if Gibson is being taken out of the jail to help in the investigation, he said he could not say. Floyd County Jail officials said they could not reveal if Gibson has been in the facility 24-7.

    “We’re going to do everything morally, legally and ethically possible to investigate this case and determine if any other crimes have been committed,” Whitlow said.

    He said the FBI is helping the department with that effort, by connecting them to a databank on missing persons and recovered remains. However, he said that the rumor that Gibson may be connected to Lauren Spierer, an Indiana University student who disappeared in June of 2011, is purely “media speculation.” He added that it would be remiss of the department to not investigate every lead and every missing person in proximity to where Gibson could have been.

    GIBSON’S HOME

    Investigators have been seen at Gibson’s home, using technology to scan what could possibly be located underground. They have also been searching inside his home, loading many items, including a couch, end tables and more, to a large storage trailer, parked in the driveway. Until recently, an officer has been keeping watch on the property. On Thursday, citizens were seen crossing the police tape to take a closer look at the home and backyard.

    “That was an unexpected event that people would actually start going onto the property,” Whitlow said. “We’re going to re-evaluate and possibly put someone out there to keep an eye out.”

    Neighbor Susie Ledbetter said she can’t wait for police to be finished with the home, since so many people are making it a tourist location.

    “It’s getting a little old,” she said.

    She said Gibson was always friendly and would say hi, until around August 2011, when his mother was put in a nursing home. His mother died Jan. 18 of this year.

    “He just quit talking to everybody and wouldn’t have anything to do with anybody around here,” she said.

    http://newsandtribune.com/local/x164...cused-murderer
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    Police: No information links Gibson to Lauren Spierer at this time

    On Thursday, May 17, investigators from the New Albany Police Department were in Monroe County, Indiana, in connection with the ongoing investigation involving William Clyde Gibson III.

    Police are working in conjunction with law enforcement officials from that county to follow-up on investigative leads developed in the Gibson investigation. The information developed was not connected to the homicides in Floyd County for which Gibson has already been charged, or to the ongoing investigation into the death of Stephanie Kirk.

    As of this time, none of the information developed and shared with Monroe County officials relates to the June 2011 disappearance of Lauren Spierer.

    The Investigation of Gibson continues by the New Albany Police Department. No further information is available for release at this time.

    http://www.whas11.com/news/local/Pol...152088995.html
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    Death penalty sought for New Albany murder suspect William Clyde Gibson

    The Floyd County Prosecutor’s Office announced Wednesday that they will seek the death penalty for William Clyde Gibson III, a New Albany man charged in the murders of three women.

    Gibson was charged Wednesday in the murder of Stephanie Kirk, 35, whose remains were unearthed in his backyard April 27.

    Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty against him in that case as well as in the slaying of Christine Whitis, 75, of Clarksville, who was found strangled in his home last month.

    Gibson also has been charged in the 2002 killing of Florida resident Karen Hodella, whose remains were found in 2003 near the Ohio River in Clarksville.

    Floyd Superior Court Judge Susan Orth, after listening to evidence presented in court Wednesday morning by Prosecutor Keith Henderson, found probable cause to charge Gibson in Kirk’s murder on Wednesday morning.

    Kirk, who lived in the Charlestown area, had been missing since late March.

    http://www.courier-journal.com/artic...yssey=nav|head
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    Court records reveal prosecutor's plan to try William Gibson

    Confessing to three murders will not be enough to put accused serial killer William Clyde Gibson to death.

    Prosecutor Keith Henderson tells WDRB News he's going to great lengths to make sure that happens: "General cases, there's talk of whether things can be solved or offers made, but in a capital case that will not be the case. We are preparing for trial."

    Gibson could face separate trials for each of the three alleged victims. Habitual offender charges could pile up an extra 30 years, in essence making it life behind bars. It's all uncovered in audio and court records just released by the judge. Henderson says, "We look forward to that methodical preparation and getting things in line to ultimately get to a trial."

    The recordings reveal Gibson's sisters found 75-year-old Christine Whitis raped, maimed, and strangled in a car in his New Albany home.

    Police interviews with Gibson in the following days triggered several searches. Lead detective Kerry East testified that Gibson admitted to murder on his 45th birthday

    She says, "He has a knife tattoo on his right lower arm and the date October 10, 2002. I asked if he tattooed that on there on the day he killed Karen Hodella and he told me, 'Yes.'"

    Gibson also admitted to killing Stephanie Kirk, who was found raped and buried in his backyard.

    The habitual offender charge is a backup to a possible mental health defense. As Henderson puts it, "I'm sure there will be, in capital cases we always see mental health motions filed."

    Gibson's record shows ten felony convictions over 20 years. Those include a sexual assault conviction in Louisville, theft charges in Floyd County, and similar charges in both Clark and Floyd counties.

    "We've dealt with our share of appeals here," Henderson says, "and we want to do everything we can to have a clean record here and to seek a conviction, and if we do get a conviction, that that's upheld."

    Gibson's first trial is set for August 27th.

    http://www.wdrb.com/story/18647558/p...-death-penalty
    An uninformed opponent is a dangerous opponent.

    "Y'all be makin shit up" ~ Markeith Loyd

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