In early 1978, the life of 21-year-old Brenda Gail Faison, a Black woman also known by the aliases Gail Jackson and Gail Bogen, was tragically cut short in Columbus, Georgia. Her body was discovered in April of that year, approximately six weeks after she was last seen alive in late February. The investigation into her death would uncover a brutal murder and a bizarre attempt by her killer to mislead law enforcement.
The man responsible for Faison's death was William Henry Hance, a
soldier stationed at the nearby Fort Benning. Hance encountered Faison at a local bar in February 1978. He drove her to a secluded wooded area where he launched a savage attack, ultimately beating her to death with a tire iron. The violence of the assault was extreme, resulting in her decapitation.
In a strange and calculated effort to divert attention from himself, Hance began sending letters to the Columbus police and military police under the guise of a group called the 'Forces of Evil.' In these communications, he threatened the lives of other Black women unless the 'Stocking Strangler,' another serial killer active in the area at the time, was apprehended. Hance even made phone calls and ransom demands, falsely claiming Faison was being held hostage, despite having already murdered her weeks prior.
Hance's web of deception began to unravel when he was questioned in connection with the murders of two other women, Irene Thirkield and Karen Hickman, whose bodies were found on the military base. During this questioning, he confessed to the murders of both Faison and Thirkield. He was subsequently court-martialed for the murders of Thirkield and Hickman and sentenced to life in prison. Following this, he was tried for the murder of Brenda Gail Faison, convicted on December 16, 1978, and sentenced to death. After a series of appeals and retrials, William Henry Hance was executed for his crimes.
