Tom Williams: The Moultrie Killer
A Deadly Crime Spree in Colquitt County
Tom Williams was a Georgia murderer whose crimes culminated in one of the most notorious homicide investigations in the history of Moultrie and Colquitt County. Williams had previously been convicted of murder, released on parole through the efforts of a former prison official, and within a few years was accused of carrying out a series of brutal attacks that left four people dead and two others seriously wounded over the course of two days in May 1954. The killings shocked the rural south Georgia community and triggered an intense manhunt that ended only after Williams surrendered as bloodhounds closed in on his hiding place.
The First Murder Conviction
Williams' violent history began years before the Moultrie killings. In 1940, he was convicted of murdering Pete Merritt in neighboring Miller County, Georgia, for a homicide committed in 1939. He received a life sentence and was sent to prison.
While serving that sentence, Williams came to know W. C. Rowland, who served as Colquitt County prison warden. Shortly before Rowland retired in 1949, he personally appeared before the Georgia Prison Board to recommend that Williams be paroled. After Williams was released, Rowland and his wife, Gladys, took him into their home, gave him employment on their farm, and attempted to help him establish a new life.
The Double Homicide of May 14, 1954
The violence that terrorized Moultrie began on May 14, 1954. During the overnight hours, J. D. Croft, a night watchman employed by a local motor company, and E. T. Norman, an employee at a nearby drive-in and all-night grocery, were murdered.
A Colquitt County grand jury later jointly indicted Tom Williams and fellow ex-convict Sylvester Freeman for both killings. According to Sheriff Eddie Gordon, Freeman admitted acting as a lookout while Williams carried out the murders. Williams, however, denied any involvement in the deaths of Croft and Norman.
The two murders immediately unsettled the community, but residents had no way of knowing that an even more shocking crime would occur before the following day had ended.
The Murders of Walter and Gladys Rowland
On May 15, 1954, Williams arrived at the Rowland farm where he had previously lived and worked. According to investigators, an argument developed after Walter Rowland criticized Williams about his farm work. Williams later reportedly told investigators that he killed the Rowlands because they "fussed at me about milking chores."
According to Sheriff Eddie Gordon, Williams struck the 70-year-old Walter C. Rowland in the head with a shovel before dragging him to a nearby tobacco barn. There, he tied Rowland's hands, cut his throat with a knife, and concealed the body beneath burlap sacks.
Williams then returned to the house and attacked Gladys Rowland. Investigators said she suffered numerous stab wounds before Williams slashed her throat. The brutality of the attack horrified investigators and quickly transformed the case into one of Georgia's largest manhunts of the year.
Two Survivors
The attack nearly claimed two additional lives. Hearing Mrs. Rowland's screams, local storekeeper L. C. Norman and John Bailey rushed into the home to help.
- L. C. Norman — Stabbed in the chest near the heart while attempting to rescue Mrs. Rowland. He was critically wounded but survived.
- John Bailey — Stabbed during the same attack. He recovered from his injuries and later identified Williams as the assailant.
Williams later claimed he could not remember stabbing either man. Both survived after receiving medical treatment.
The Investigation and Manhunt
The discovery of four homicide victims in less than two days left residents fearful throughout Colquitt County. Officers from local agencies and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation launched an extensive search for Williams. Bloodhounds tracked him through wooded areas near the Rowland farm.
As the search closed in, Williams surrendered while the bloodhounds approached his hiding place. He was initially taken to the Valdosta jail before later being transferred to Tattnall State Prison near Reidsville.
Lieutenant W. E. McDuff of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation reported that Williams admitted killing Walter and Gladys Rowland. Sheriff Eddie Gordon stated that Williams attributed the murders to an argument over milking duties on the farm.
Victims
- Pete Merritt — Murdered in Miller County, Georgia, in 1939. Williams was convicted in 1940 and sentenced to life imprisonment.
- J. D. Croft — Murdered on May 14, 1954, in Moultrie, Georgia. A night watchman employed by a local motor company. Tom Williams and Sylvester Freeman were jointly indicted for his murder.
- E. T. Norman — Murdered on May 14, 1954, in Moultrie, Georgia. An employee at a drive-in and all-night grocery. Tom Williams and Sylvester Freeman were jointly indicted for his murder.
- Walter C. Rowland — Murdered on May 15, 1954, at his farm near Moultrie, Georgia. He was struck with a shovel, dragged to a tobacco barn, bound, and had his throat cut.
- Gladys Rowland — Murdered on May 15, 1954, at the Rowland home near Moultrie, Georgia. She suffered multiple stab wounds before her throat was slashed.
Sylvester Freeman's Role
As the investigation progressed, prosecutors concluded that Williams had not acted entirely alone during the May 14 double homicide. On July 22, 1954, a Colquitt County grand jury returned joint murder indictments against Tom Williams and Sylvester Freeman for the deaths of J. D. Croft and E. T. Norman.
According to Sheriff Eddie Gordon, Freeman admitted serving as a lookout while Williams committed the killings. Williams denied participating in the murders of Croft and Norman despite the indictments. The Rowland murders, however, were attributed solely to Williams, who admitted responsibility for those killings after his arrest.
Trial and Execution
Williams was separately indicted for the murders of Walter and Gladys Rowland. He was ultimately convicted and sentenced to death for those killings. Although he also faced indictments in connection with the deaths of Croft and Norman, it was the murders of the Rowlands that resulted in his execution.
Tom Williams was executed in the electric chair at Georgia State Prison in Reidsville on April 15, 1955. His crimes left five known homicide victims across two separate murder cases spanning more than a decade, including the earlier Miller County murder that first sent him to prison. The irony that one of his final victims had personally secured his release from prison has remained one of the most tragic and enduring aspects of the case, while the May 1954 killings continue to rank among the most infamous criminal episodes in the history of Moultrie and Colquitt County.
