In October 2014, the life of 23-year-old Darla LaDavia Gibbons was tragically cut short in a brutal act of violence that spanned multiple counties in Georgia. The harrowing discovery was made on October 22, 2014, when employees at a rock quarry in Athens found a car that had been completely ravaged by fire. Inside the trunk of the vehicle were human remains, which were later identified through dental records as belonging to Darla Gibbons. Investigators determined that she had been shot twice in the head before the fire was intentionally set. The car, a white Buick Century, had been a recent gift to Darla from her mother just nine days before her death.
The investigation into the death of the young woman, who was a graduate of Cedar Shoals High School and Albany State University, quickly became a multi-county probe involving the Athens-Clarke County Police Department, the Greene County Sheriff’s Office, and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. Authorities soon focused their attention on Rodricus Deuntae Ward, who was described as Gibbons' long-term, on-again, off-again boyfriend. The relationship between Gibbons and Ward had been a tumultuous one, marked by instances of domestic violence. Investigators believed that Gibbons was killed at Ward's home in Greensboro and then driven to Athens, where the car was set on fire in an attempt to conceal the crime.
Evidence gathered by law enforcement painted a grim picture of the events leading to Gibbons' death. A search of Ward's residence uncovered Gibbons' blood and a spent. 25-caliber shell casing, which was consistent with the bullets found in her skull. Initially, Ward was arrested on an unrelated firearms charge as a convicted felon. However, in June 2015, he was formally charged with malice murder, felony murder, and aggravated assault in connection with Darla Gibbons' death.
In 2016, Rodricus Deuntae Ward stood trial for the murder of Darla Gibbons. He was found guilty by a jury in Greene County on charges of malice murder, two counts of felony murder, aggravated assault, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Following his conviction, Ward was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, plus an additional five years. In February 2022, the Georgia Supreme Court unanimously upheld his conviction, ensuring that justice for Darla Gibbons and her family would be served.
