Sam Joseph Gibson III, a 48-year-old African American male, passed away on May 13, 2020, in Mount Vernon, Illinois. He was born on June 10, 1971, in Chicago, Illinois, to Sam Joseph Gibson Jr. and Barbara Jean Gibson. Sam was survived by his mother, Barbara Gibson, and his siblings, Marilyn Levy and Donna Hall. He also left behind nine children and eight grandchildren. Sam worked for R.J. Corman Switching Co. at the Toyota Manufacturing Plant in Princeton, Indiana.
On the afternoon of May 13, 2020, a distraught woman entered the police department lobby in Mount Vernon and reported that Sam Gibson had been shot at a home in the 1800 block of Cherry. She also mentioned that another man at the residence had attacked her and stolen her phone. When officers arrived at the scene, they witnessed Traviel Gibson, Sam's 31-year-old son, running into the home. They found Sam Joseph Gibson III deceased on the front porch.
Traviel Gibson was subsequently arrested and charged with the murder of his father. A Jefferson County jury found him guilty of first-degree murder for the shooting death of Sam Joseph Gibson III. In addition to the murder charges, Traviel was also found guilty of Class 2 felony robbery. The charges were enhanced due to the use of a firearm. Traviel Gibson was sentenced to 70 years in prison for the murder charges and an additional 5 years for the theft charge, to be served consecutively.
The case raised questions about Traviel Gibson's mental fitness, but an examination concluded that he was mentally fit to stand trial. The sentencing was a result of a few hours of deliberation by the jury, and the judge ordered a pre-sentencing investigation before finalizing the sentence. The tragic incident left the community in shock and mourning for the loss of Sam Joseph Gibson III.
