Their names appear on stone.  Their photos are hung in the hallway.  They belong to a club that no one wants to join, but far too many are members of.  They are three officers killed in the line of duty 52 years ago. 

The Gwinnett County Police Department has come to identify this tragic event as “The Dark Days.”  Those who worked here at that time are long gone.  What we have left are a couple of boxes, photos, and some notes as reminders.  The fine details are a bit faded now.  But, let us not forget the tragic circumstances that led to the murders of three of our police officers on April 17, 1964. 

In the early morning hours of that fateful day, Officer Marvin Jesse Gravitt (age 52) suddenly fell ill during his shift and needed to go home.  Partner Officers Jerry Everett (age 28) and Ralph Davis (age 49) picked him up around 1am to drive him to his house.  On their way to Gravitt’s residence, the three officers were diverted to a “suspicious activity” call on Arc Way in unincorporated Norcross.  They were in patrol car #29.

The officers activated their flashing red light and traveled upon the dirt road between Beaver Ruin and Pleasant Hill Roads.  When they arrived at the location, they saw three men gathered around a maroon Oldsmobile and a Chevrolet parked in the woods.  What the officers didn’t know at the time was that the Oldsmobile had been stolen in Atlanta.  The three officers interrupted the three suspects in the act of concealing their crime. 

Wanting to avoid a confrontation with the cops, one of the men got into the Chevrolet and sped away from the scene.  Officers Gravitt and Davis immediately chased after the suspect, while Officer Everett stayed at the scene with the two remaining men.  The driver of the Chevrolet, Wade Levi Truett, was captured nearby and returned back to the scene.  Once they got back, they found Officer Everett in the driver’s seat of the Oldsmobile with Alex Evans (suspect) seated on the passenger side.  Evans had formerly been the Chief Deputy under Sheriff Dan Cole of the Gwinnett County Sheriff’s Office.  It appeared as though Officer Everett trusted Evans. 

As Officer Everett was getting out of the car, Evans exited as well and drew a pistol upon the officers.  He told Truett to disarm Everett, Davis, and Gravitt and handcuff them to one another.  Feeling nervous about what had just happened, Evans wondered out loud what should be done with the officers.  Venson Eugene Williams, the other remaining suspect, expressed his hatred for those who wear a police uniform.  Truett suggested that the cops be handcuffed to a tree and left in the woods.

Evans and Williams put the officers in the backseat of the Oldsmobile and drove them further into the woods, while Truett moved the police car from public view.  After moving the police car, Truett got into the Chevrolet to move it closer to the other cars.  As he was driving up, he thought he heard the sound of “firecrackers.” 

Truett got out of the car and saw Evans and Williams standing over the three fallen officers with guns in their hands.  The sound of firecrackers was actually gunshots.  One officer was still moaning in pain.  Truett shot the moaning officer until the sounds stopped.  The officers were killed with their own firearms.  

Following the assassination, the Oldsmobile was set on fire.  Williams and Truett drove the Chevrolet to South Carolina, and they disposed of their clothing in a creek. 

Detectives would later learn that Venson Williams (age 43) was changing ignition switches in the Oldsmobile, Alex Evans (age 38) was going through the glove compartment, and Wade Truett (age 33) was changing the license plate when the officers originally found them. 

Around 8:30am, a babysitter in the home of the original reporting party noticed the police car in the woods and notified the homeowner.  The homeowner called police, and the officers bodies were discovered by the responding units. 

On Sunday, April 19 (two days after the murders), sightseers found a pistol near the road.  A search was initiated and police officers along with Civil Defense volunteers combed the area.  They soon discovered another pistol and a flashlight.  All the recovered items belonged to the fallen officers and were thrown out as the killers fled the area. 

On Monday, April 20, 1964, the News-Herald published a headline that read, “Gwinnett County Shocked, Stunned, Grieved.”  The publication highlighted a $6,500 reward.  Photos of the officers along with crime scene photos were displayed for all to see.  Donations were collected for the families of the fallen officers. 

The case was investigated by the Georgia Bureau of Investigations (GBI) and Georgia State Patrol (GSP).  The Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) assisted with the investigation.  Dekalb County Vice Lt. John Crunkleton was among those who had taken an interest in the case and assisted.  Crunkleton was able to develop credible leads in the case that ultimately led to indictments against Williams, Truett, and Evans. 

At the time of the indictments, Evans was in a Federal Prison in Illinois on a charge involving liquor.  He was later brought to the Atlanta Federal Penitentiary and testified later that he was not involved in the murders.  Venson Williams had lived in Alabama, Dawsonville, and Atlanta before being arrested for the hijacking of a trailer loaded with liquor.  Wade Truett was a truck driver from South Carolina who helped operate a body shop before he was convicted of stealing an interstate shipment of liquor. 

Truett was granted immunity for his testimony against Evans and Williams.  The trials began in the summer of 1965.  Upon the conclusion of the trials, Evans and Williams received the death penalty.  Their sentences would later be commuted to life sentences.  Truett died in 1983.  Williams was paroled in 1989.  And Evans, who has been denied parole several times, is currently incarcerated at Augusta State Medical Prison.  He is about 90 years old. 

John Crunkleton would later become the chief of the Gwinnett County Police Department between 1969 and 1985. 

Jesse Gravitt’s granddaughter was a civilian employee at GCPD between 1983 and 2009. 

The next (and final) in the line of duty death occurred on May 23, 1993.  Officer J. Chris Magill was in waiting for a tow truck on I-85 when he was struck by another motorist.  He later died of his injuries. 

To obtain copies of the photos included in this Media Release, please click on the following link: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/g7h7gz354t0yir6/AABDE3_eyQHaYah0rTSPCSTLa?dl=0

Lest we forget…