Inspector Austin Dewey Gay, aged 61, tragically lost his life on April 14, 1979. He was an inspector with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, specifically working in the Office of Agricultural Law Enforcement. On the day of his death, Inspector Gay was abducted from his inspection station located on U.S. 441, just south of the Florida-Georgia border. His body was discovered seven days later on a farm in Brooks County, Georgia.
He had suffered a single gunshot wound to the head, and his body had been stripped of his uniform and duty weapon.
The investigation into Inspector Gay's death revealed a complex and disturbing series of events. The previous month, another inspector at a nearby station had been abducted after uncovering a load of marijuana being smuggled by a group of corrupt police officers from Chicago, Illinois. These officers had handcuffed the inspector to a tree in a remote area and left him for dead. Fortunately, he was found about eight hours later, unharmed. To prevent this inspector from testifying, the corrupt officers hired a hitman to murder him. However, the hitman mistakenly targeted Inspector Gay instead.
In 1983, six corrupt Chicago police officers were convicted of charges related to Inspector Gay's murder. Despite the convictions of these officers, the alleged hitman was acquitted of the charges. Inspector Gay had served with the Florida Department of Agriculture for 14 years and was a military veteran. His death was a significant loss to the community and highlighted the dangers faced by law enforcement officers in the line of duty.
