In the quiet of her Coweta County home, 79-year-old Kate Furlow's life came to a violent and tragic end in December of 1985. She was a female who was last seen by her daughter-in-law on the evening of December 4th. The following day, a sense of unease prompted her son to try and reach her by phone. When his calls went unanswered, he went to her residence, only to be met with a scene of disturbance and violence. The glass of the front door was shattered, and the living room was in disarray, signaling that something was terribly wrong.
Upon entering the home, investigators made a grim discovery. Kate Furlow was found in her bed, the victim of a fatal gunshot wound to the head. The scene suggested a brutal struggle and a horrific violation of her personal sanctuary. As law enforcement began to piece together the events of that fateful night, a picture of the perpetrator started to emerge from the shadows. A neighbor reported a strange encounter in the early morning hours of December 5th, when a young man had inexplicably appeared in her kitchen, uttered the name "Ronnie," and then quickly departed. She later identified this man as William Anthony Lipham.
The investigation quickly gained momentum. A man named Ronnie Simon came forward, telling police he had given Lipham a ride on the night of the murder and had dropped him off near Kate Furlow's home. Critically, Simon noted that Lipham was carrying a. 25 caliber pistol. The next morning, Simon's girlfriend saw Lipham with the gun and a small bag containing change and costume jewelry. He chillingly remarked to her, "Not bad for a night's work." The final piece of the puzzle fell into place when police recovered a. 25 caliber pistol from Lipham's brother, which ballistic tests confirmed as the murder weapon.
William Anthony Lipham was arrested on January 14, 1986, in Douglasville, Georgia. The evidence against him was overwhelming. He was subsequently tried and convicted for the murder, rape, armed robbery, and burglary of Kate Furlow. For his heinous crimes, he was sentenced to death.
