In the quiet, rural community of Fowlstown, Georgia, the afternoon of April 12, 1976, unfolded like any other Monday for Clifford Floyd. At 46 years old, the male insurance collector was a familiar sight, making his regular rounds to collect weekly premiums from his clients. His day, however, was destined for a tragically violent end, orchestrated by two men who had been plotting to rob him for weeks.
The plan was set in motion by Ivon Ray Stanley and his accomplice, Joseph Thomas.
Overhearing conversations for at least a month prior, others were aware of their intentions to rob the 'insurance man' to get some money. They had chillingly concluded that they would have to 'get rid of him' after the robbery to avoid being identified. On that fateful Monday, after Clifford Floyd had collected a premium from Thomas's house, the two men saw their opportunity. Stanley was sent to lure Floyd back to the residence under a pretext.
Once Floyd returned, he was confronted by Stanley, who was armed with a. 22 caliber pistol provided by Thomas. After being robbed of the cash he was carrying, Floyd was forced into the nearby woods. The violence that followed was brutal and merciless. He was struck in the head with a hammer by Thomas and then tied to a tree. While one of them moved his car, the other stood guard. The two men then dug a shallow grave. After being untied, a piece of his own shirt was stuffed into his mouth to silence him. As he was forced towards the grave, Thomas fired five shots into his head. Still alive, he was then beaten with a shovel by both men before they began to bury him. The cause of his death was ultimately determined to be a horrific combination of suffocation from inhaling a mixture of blood and dirt.
The investigation into the disappearance and murder of Clifford Floyd moved swiftly. Joseph Thomas was arrested just two days after the crime and provided a detailed confession, which was later tape-recorded. His accomplice, Ivon Ray Stanley, was also taken into custody. Both men were tried for the kidnapping, armed robbery, and murder of Clifford Floyd. They were subsequently convicted of their heinous crimes. For his role in the brutal slaying, Ivon Ray Stanley was sentenced to death and was executed by electrocution on July 12, 1984. Joseph Thomas also received three death sentences for his part in the murder.
