In the spring of 1940, a violent act shattered the peace of the small city of Moultrie, Georgia. On April 24th, a White male named Pete Merritt was shot and killed, his life brought to an abrupt and tragic end. The incident marked the beginning of a dark chapter in the town's history, one that would not see a resolution for more than a decade. The man responsible for Merritt's death was Tom Williams, a native of Colquitt County, born in 1909.
For fourteen years, the murder of Pete Merritt remained a cold case, a painful memory for those who knew him. It wasn't until May of 1954 that the specter of violence once again loomed over the community, and the name Tom Williams would resurface. In a shocking spree, Williams claimed four more victims over two days, employing both a firearm and a blade in his brutal attacks. This sudden eruption of violence finally led to his capture later that year, and the full scope of his crimes began to come to light.
With Williams in custody, the investigation into the 1954 murders quickly linked him back to the unsolved killing of Pete Merritt. He was ultimately convicted of first-degree murder for all five slayings. For the murder of Merritt, Williams had initially been sentenced to life in prison. However, the subsequent atrocities he committed in 1954 resulted in a sentence of death. On April 15, 1955, Tom Williams was executed by electric chair at the Georgia State Prison in Reidsville, closing a long and painful chapter for the community and the families of his victims.
