In a dramatic turn of events, Jerry Banks, a 35-year-old man from Colorado, admitted his guilt in a Vermont U.S. District Court on Friday.
Banks was accused of executing a murder-for-hire plot that killed a Vermont man. After making his confession, he now faces potential lifetime imprisonment.
The court session saw Banks reversing his previous not-guilty plea, acknowledging his role in the chilling events that led to the death of Gregory Davis from Danville, Vermont, in January 2018. Following the admission, the court is yet to schedule a date for Banks’s sentencing hearing.
Davis’s lifeless body was discovered abandoned on a desolate, snow-clad Vermont backroad, leading to a thorough investigation. Prosecutors revealed that Banks had been involved in an elaborate conspiracy that began after a fraudulent deal had gone wrong.
Davis threatened to expose the scam to the FBI, leading to a dangerous murder-for-hire plot against him. The scheme involved other key players, including Los Angeles resident Serhat Gumrukcu, also accused of the murder-for-hire charge tied to this case.
The legal proceedings concerning Gumrukcu and Berk Eratay, another suspect facing similar charges, are still in progress. Both individuals have pled not guilty to their accusations.
Adding another layer to the intricate plot, Aren Lee Ethridge from Las Vegas is the fourth accomplice in this case. Ethridge admitted his guilt earlier in July and is currently awaiting his sentencing.
Following Davis’s murder, a meticulous four-year-long investigation helped weave together the connections between the four suspects.