Sins of Henry County: After Two Wrongful Convictions & the Death of Jerry Banks, a 35-year-old Cold Case is Reinvestigated

The biggest murder case in the history of Henry County, Georgia, began on November 7, 1974. Jerry Banks, a 23-years-old black man, claimed he found two bodies in the woods while rabbit hunting. The only problem for Mr. Banks ... the three shotgun shell casings found at the crime scene were determined by the GBI to have been fired from his shotgun. Jerry Banks was charged in the murder of a 35-year-old male high-school teacher and a 19-year-old female student. The Atlanta Constitution Editor, Hal Gulliver, wrote “Jerry Banks was tried twice, convicted twice and sentenced to die twice.” The only problem for the Henry County Sheriff’s Department ... Jerry Banks was innocent. This story tells how I, a total stranger, knew Jerry Banks was innocent the day he was arrested. Fear for my life, kept me silent for 35 years. The Jerry Banks story tells of one of the most reprehensible cases of injustice in the United States. Justice must be served.