In the quiet evening of January 22, 1985, a shadow fell over Bibb City, Georgia, forever altering the lives of a young family. Cheryl Alleen Hadaway Williams, a 29-year-old woman, was working her part-time shift at the Premium Oil Service Station on River Road. Her husband, Danny, had joined her after tucking their four young sons into bed, a typical act of a supportive spouse. The ordinary evening, however, was destined to take a horrific turn, leaving a community in shock and a family shattered.
Later that night, the couple was discovered inside the service station, both having sustained two gunshot wounds to the head. The scene was grim, with evidence suggesting they were lying on the floor when they were shot. Forensic analysis indicated that Cheryl had been shot from a distance of less than two feet. The motive for this brutal act appeared to be robbery, with approximately $482.79 in cash and Danny's knife missing from the scene.
The tranquility of the small city was shattered by the cold-blooded nature of the crime.
The investigation into the double homicide led law enforcement to two brothers, David Loomus Cargill and his brother, Thomas Philip Cargill. A stolen pickup truck seen near the service station on the night of the murders was traced back to them. David Cargill's then-wife later testified that he had spoken of committing a 'big one' and leaving no witnesses because 'dead men don't talk.' Following his arrest on February 13, 1985, David Cargill confessed to shooting both Cheryl and Danny Williams.
In July 1985, David Cargill stood trial for two counts of murder and two counts of armed robbery. A Muscogee County jury found him guilty on all charges. The jury recommended the death penalty for the murder of Cheryl Williams, citing the aggravating circumstance that it was committed during an armed robbery. For the murder of Danny Williams, the death penalty was recommended on the basis that it occurred during the commission of another capital felony—the murder of his wife. The court upheld the jury's decision, and David Cargill was sentenced to death. His convictions and death sentence were affirmed on appeal in March 1986.
