Justice After 34 Years: How a Georgia Prosecutor Took Down a Murderer Before She Was Even Born
It was a crime so brutal it sent shockwaves through Griffin, Georgia. On October 9, 1983, Timothy Coggins, a young Black man, was found savagely murdered. His body was discarded beneath a sprawling oak known as “the Hanging Tree,” a grim symbol of racial terror. He had been dragged, stabbed, and marked with “X” carvings—his killers’ grotesque tribute to the Confederate flag.
That night, Coggins, 23, had been at the People’s Choice bar, unknowingly stepping into the crosshairs of hate. Witnesses later recalled that a group of white men had come looking for him. Hours later, he was dead.
The investigation barely lasted two weeks before going cold, leaving his killers free for over three decades. It wasn’t until 34 years later that a Georgia Bureau of Investigations (GBI) agent reopened the case, uncovering a suspect that had been overlooked—or ignored—from the very start: Frank Gebhardt. A mill worker with a violent past, Gebhardt had once been questioned but never charged. This time, there would be no escape. He and his in-law, William Moore Sr., were arrested, finally bringing justice within reach.
At the helm of the prosecution was Marie G. Broder, a tenacious assistant district attorney who took on the case despite being born years after Coggins’ murder. In 2018, she delivered a masterful prosecution that resulted in Gebhardt’s conviction and a life sentence plus 30 years. Moore, sensing his fate, took a plea deal for 20 years. Now the District Attorney for the Griffin Judicial Circuit, Broder reflects on the case that defined her career and exposed the ugly past of a town still grappling with its history.
A Murder Fueled by Hate
“In 1983, there were unspoken rules in Griffin,” Broder explains. “A Black man didn’t step into certain areas, and he certainly didn’t socialize with white women. Timothy Coggins broke those rules. And for that, he was murdered.”
Witnesses recalled that Coggins had been seen dancing with Ruth Guy—a woman involved with Gebhardt in an undefined, turbulent relationship. It was enough to set off a racist rage that led to Coggins’ horrifying death.
Lost Evidence and the 34-Year Cover-Up
Decades passed, and crucial evidence disappeared. A wooden club, possibly used to beat Coggins, went missing. Files and notes vanished. Was it carelessness, or something more sinister?
“I have my suspicions,” Broder says.
In 2016, Sheriff Darrell Dix and his team stumbled upon a chilling discovery: a notebook from a former deputy who had infiltrated the Ku Klux Klan. His notes suggested that the KKK had infiltrated local law enforcement as well. Had Coggins’ murder been buried on purpose?
A Well of Secrets
With little physical evidence left, Broder and investigators turned to rumors that Gebhardt had disposed of key evidence in a well on his property. What they found was shocking.
“I was sick that morning, just waiting,” Broder recalls. “Then, we started seeing trash come up—burned trash. And I knew. We were going to find something.”
Among the items retrieved: sneakers similar to those Coggins wore that night, a tattered T-shirt with slashes, and a knife. No DNA could be recovered—the water had washed it away over the decades. But Broder didn’t need DNA; she had something even more damning.
The Murderer Who Couldn’t Keep Quiet
Gebhardt had spent years bragging about the murder, openly telling people how he had “gotten rid of that Black guy.” His arrogance sealed his fate. Witness after witness came forward, from convicted felons to known white supremacists, recounting Gebhardt’s detailed confessions.
“Frankie was not ashamed,” Broder says. “He wore it as a badge of honor.”
The Verdict That Shook Griffin
The courtroom was silent as the jury delivered their verdict: guilty. Broder felt the weight of history in that moment. “It was overwhelming. It was justice finally served for Timothy.”
The Coggins family had waited 34 years for this moment. They had even refrained from placing a headstone on Timothy’s grave for fear that his killers would desecrate it. But now, they stood victorious, their resilience unshaken.
Griffin, Georgia: Then and Now
Griffin still bears the scars of its past. “There’s progress, but segregation lingers,” Broder admits. “Housing, representation—it’s slow, but it’s changing.”
Timothy’s family remains rooted in Griffin, choosing to fight for a better future rather than flee its troubled history. His niece, Heather, now owns a successful restaurant—a symbol of strength and perseverance.
A Case That Changed Everything
For Broder, this trial wasn’t just about one conviction—it was about making a statement. “Justice isn’t bound by time. And no matter how long it takes, the truth will find its way out.”
Timothy Coggins’ murder was meant to send a message of fear. Instead, it became a testament to the resilience of a family, a town, and a prosecutor who refused to let history stay buried.
