Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall issued a statement following the execution of Keith Gavin, who was convicted of murder, at the William C. Holman Correctional Facility in Atmore, Alabama.
"Tonight, Keith Gavin was executed by lethal injection after having been convicted by a jury of his peers for the murder of William Clinton Clayton, Jr. in Centre, Alabama," stated Marshall. "There is no doubt about Gavin’s guilt for this heinous offense."
In 1998, four witnesses identified Gavin as the individual who approached a Corporate Express van outside a Regions Bank and shot driver William Clayton before stealing the vehicle. Among these witnesses was Gavin's cousin.
William Clayton, described as a devoted father of seven, had just finished his workday and stopped to withdraw cash when he was killed. "I cannot imagine the shock, pain, and frustration that William’s family has endured over the last 26 years," said Marshall. "I pray his family finds solace in the long-awaited justice by the State of Alabama."
The execution commenced at 6:15 p.m. CT and Gavin's death was pronounced at 6:32 p.m. CT.
Gavin had previously been convicted of murder in Illinois on June 9, 1982. Following his release from prison in February 1998, he traveled with his cousin Dewayne Meeks to Fort Payne, Alabama. In March 1998, during another trip to Fort Payne with Meeks and other family members, they ended up in Centre where Gavin committed the crime.
Meeks testified against Gavin during his capital murder trial. He recounted how Gavin approached a van under the pretense of asking for directions before shooting its driver twice and driving away with him inside.
Danny Smith from the District Attorney’s Office for the Ninth Judicial Circuit pursued Gavin after hearing about the incident over police radio. Smith identified Gavin as having fired at him before fleeing into nearby woods where he was later apprehended by law enforcement officers using search dogs.
Despite not being questioned or solicited for information by officers upon capture, Gavin claimed innocence regarding possession or use of a firearm during arrest processing; however authorities found both weapon used near scene alongside ballistic evidence confirming its involvement throughout events detailed within trial proceedings presented overwhelmingly demonstrating Keith Gavins' culpability leading towards unanimous jury conviction sentencing capital punishment ratified court agreement reflecting severity crimes committed