United States of America

GIBSON
William Clyde III

Active from 2002-2012 in Indiana

DID YOU KNOW...

Criminal Fact

Gibson had more than 10 different criminal charges, excluding murder, between the times he killed Hodella and Kirk.

Boozy Fact

Gibson was drunkenly driving his last victim's car when he was arrested

Confession Fact

Gibson claimed his confession to Kirk's murder was coerced - after he had already made a plea deal

THE DISPATCH

The Murders

Karen Sue Hodella

Karen Sue Hodella, 44, disappeared on or about October 10, 2002. She met William Clyde Gibson in a Jeffersonville, Indiana bar, hit a couple of more bars with him, and spent the night with him. They ended up at an apartment complex in New Albany, where they began to argue while parked in Gibson’s car in the parking lot. Hodella accused Gibson of stealing some prescription medication, and during the argument, Gibson punched Hodella in the face. He then took out a pocket knife and stabbed her multiple times in the throat. After driving around with her for a while, he dumped her body.

Hodella was found on January 7, 2003 on Emery Crossing Road, near the Ohio River, in Clarkville. It took fingerprints, DNA and her tattoos to eventually identify her.

October 10 was Gibson’s birthday and, after stabbing Hodella to death, he got a tattoo with that date, and a knife.

Stephanie Marie Kirk

Thirty-five year old Stephanie Marie Kirk had met Gibson on March 24, 2012, and accepted an offer to ride on his motorcycle the next day. When they met again on March 25, Gibson raped and strangled her, sexually assaulting her dead body, and burying her on his property.

Christine Whitis

Christine Whitis had the misfortune of being the best friend of William Gibson’s mother.

Whitis was a retired widow who was active in her church. She was 75 years old when she was killed by Gibson on April 18, 2021. She was sexually assaulted, strangled and mutilated. Gibson had cut her breast off. Gibson put her in the garage, surrounded by garbage bags.

Arrest & Trial

Gibson Arrested

After the recent passing of their mother, Gibson’s sister attended their mother’s home where Gibson was staying. She needed information about the car, for the settling of the estate. Instead, on April 19, she walked into the garage and found Whitis’s body. She immediately notified police. Gibson was arrested. He was picked up April 19, 2012, while driving Whitis’s car, and initially held on drunk driving. He was charged with her death on April 24. Gibson had also implicated himself in Hodella’s murder, although he had not previously been a suspect.

Kirk Found At Killer's Home

Gibson was charged with the murders of Whitis and Hodella on April 24, 2012. Over the next few days of questioning, Gibson told police he had murdered Kirk and buried her body in the backyard. At that time, police were unaware Kirk was deceased.

On April 27, 2012, police finally located Kirk’s body. Police dug up Kirk’s decomposed body on Gibson’s property. On May 23, 2012, Gibson was charged for murdering Kirk. A request for the death penalty was filed for both the Whitis and Kirk murders.

Gibson Found Guilty of Killing Whitis

On October 25, 2013, Gibson was found guilty of the murder of Whitis. On November 26, 2013, he was sentenced to death for her murder.

Gibson Pleads To Hodella's Murder

Gibson was scheduled in October, 2014 to be tried for killing Hodella. On March 20, 2014, Gibson entered into a plea deal. The crimes against Hodella could not be used against Gibson in any other trials. Neither the fact of her murder nor his conviction could be used as an aggregator in any other case. US authorities often cite “aggravating circumstances” as justification for death sentences. Gibson was sentenced on April 17, 2014, to 65 years.

Gibson Pleads Guilty to Kirk Murder

On June 2, 2014, Gibson pleaded guilty to murdering Kirk right before the beginning of the murder trial.

The court had already held discussions on what to do about Gibson’s jailhouse “death row x 3” tattoo. Not because it was incorrect (he was never tried for 3 death penalty cases), but because it could prejudice the jury against him and prevent a fair trial. The prison was told not to cut his hair – allowing the tattoo to be covered.

He surprised authorities with his admission of guilt. Under an agreement, Gibson waived his right to a jury trial for the penalty phase and agreed the court alone could determine his sentence.

Gibson Second Death Sentence

On August 15, 2014, after the penalty phase deliberation was complete, Gibson was sentenced to death for the murder of Kirk. Multiple appeals have failed. As of March 2022, Gibson remains on Indiana’s death row.

WHERE IT HAPPENED

An interactive map of where things happened

VIDEOS & PODCASTS

YouTube video and podcasts on William Clyde Gibson

Where the Bodies are Buried

I-Scream – Single Scoop

THE STATS

Age of the oldest victim

Year spent in military jail

Years spent in jail between 2002 and 2012

Statistical table for William Clyde Gibson

Killer Name	GIBSON, William Clyde III
Gender	M
Arrest Date	April 19, 2012
Conviction Date	October 25, 2013
Sentence	Death sentence; 65 years
Birth Date	October 10, 1957
Status	Alive or Unknown
School Grade	graduated high school
Caused Problems in School	became a bully
Teased	yes, bullied
Military Service	US Army
Job Types	tree trimmer
Labour Type	Blue
Sexual Preference	Straight
Marital Status	Divorced/Separated
Killer Type	Sexual/Sadistic, Wanderer
Drug Abuse	Yes
Alcohol Abuse	Yes
Psychology	yes, shy, dull-witted, manipulative
Psych Diagnosis	bipolar
Total Dead Victims	3
Victims (Convicted)	3
Victim Gender	F
Victim Race	White
Victim Age	75, 44, 35
Victim Type	friends, strangers
Method of Killing	strangled, stabbed
Weapon	knife
Sex Assault	Yes
Mutilation	Yes
Washing/Water	Yes
Body - Left, Not Hidden	Yes
Body - Left, Buried	Yes
Body - Moved, Hidden	Yes
Body - Stored Near Killer	Yes
Previous Crimes	Theft, robbery, sec assault etc. 10 charges;, registered sex offender; sexual assault and robbery 1991
Previous Prison Time	1991 - 7 years; 2007 - 2 years;

Killer Rating

 5/5

RESOURCES

Last updated on 11 March 2022 by E. Kelly Hemingway