The charges he faces could result in a lifetime prison sentence.
Jerry Banks, a Colorado man accused of abducting and murdering a Vermont man as part of an international murder-for-hire scheme, pleaded guilty on Friday in federal court
Banks, 35, appeared in Vermont U.S. District Court where he changed his previous plea of not guilty to guilty. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled for a later date. Banks was indicted for his involvement in the murder-for-hire plot that led to the death of Gregory Davis from Danville, Vermont, in January 2018. He was charged with murder for hire and kidnapping. Davis’ body was discovered on the side of a snowy road in Vermont.
According to prosecutors, the conspiracy began when Davis threatened to report a fraudulent oil deal involving one of the co-conspirators, Serhat Gumrukcu from Los Angeles to the FBI. Gumrukcu also faces a murder-for-hire charge in relation to the case. The cases of Gumrukcu and Berk Eratay, who are also facing similar charges, are currently pending. Both Gumrukcu and Eratay have pleaded not guilty.
Another individual involved in the case, Aren Lee Ethridge from Las Vegas, pleaded guilty in July and is awaiting sentencing
Following Davis’ murder, investigators spent over four years piecing together the connections between the four suspects: Banks, who was acquainted with Ethridge, who in turn was acquainted with Eratay, who was employed by Gumrukcu.
The guilty plea by Jerry Banks marks a significant development in the murder-for-hire case, shedding light on the complex web of connections and motivations behind the crime. As the legal proceedings progress, further details are expected to emerge, potentially providing a clearer understanding of the extent of the conspiracy and the roles played by each individual involved.
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