Tom Williams - Serial Killer from Georgia
Background
Tom Williams was a Georgia killer whose known crimes stretched across fourteen years, beginning with a murder in Moultrie, Georgia, in 1940 and ending with a violent series of killings in Colquitt County in May 1954. He was born in Colquitt County, Georgia, around 1909, and his crimes were centered in and around the Moultrie area. Williams was first convicted after the killing of Pete Merritt in 1940, but after serving time he was released, and years later he became linked to another wave of fatal violence that shocked the same region.
The 1940 Murder of Pete Merritt
The first known killing tied to Tom Williams occurred on April 24, 1940, in Moultrie, Georgia. The victim was Pete Merritt, who was shot and killed. Williams was convicted in connection with Merritt's death and received a life sentence. The case became even more disturbing in hindsight because Williams was later released, allowing him to return to the community where he would eventually be connected to more murders.
The 1954 Moultrie Killings
In May 1954, a new outbreak of violence unfolded in Colquitt County. On May 14, 1954, two men, Edward T. Norman and Jefferson Davis Croft, were killed in an all-night diner. Norman was reported to have died from slashing injuries, while Croft was shot. The double killing created fear in the Moultrie area because of its suddenness and brutality, and Williams was later suspected in those deaths.
The violence continued the next day. On May 15, 1954, Walter Cleveland Rowland and his wife, Gladys Harvey Rowland, were murdered in their home in the Moultrie area. Walter Rowland was 68, and Gladys Rowland was 48. Their deaths became the central case that led to Williams receiving a death sentence. Records identify Williams as having been executed for the murders of Walter C. Rowland and Gladys H. Rowland, while also noting suspicion surrounding the earlier diner double murder.
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