Murder in Coweta County

Some of you may remember a television movie back in 1983 with this title. It starred Johnny Cash and Andy Griffith. One of the funny things about that movie is that Andy Griffith, someone who was known first by “wholesome” television from the series carrying his name and later as the lawyer “Matlock” played the “bad guy” here while Johnny Cash, known for his rebelness (is that a word? Spell check does not think so.), was the “good guy.”

One of the strange things about this case is that while we have a victim, and a perpetrator was brought to justice, and I can tell you that the perpetrator, John Wallace was executed on November 3, 1950, the best that I can tell you is that the victim, William “Wilson” Turner, was murdered in April of 1948.

John Wallace has been described as a “wealthy landowner” in Meriwether County Georgia in 1948. By most accounts despite anyone else who may or may not have held any power title, it was Wallace who ran and controlled things in that county. People simply rarely crossed him. It was said he had law enforcement in his pocket, including the sheriff, Hardy Collier.

William “Wilson” Turner was described as a “share cropper tenant.” Basically this means that he worked land belonging to John Wallace for room, board and other things. It was said that he had “attempted to do extra bootlegging work without Wallace's permission” and was fired for this. It was said that in retaliation for his firing Turner stole two of Wallace's cows. He was found and arrested and while the official version was that he was released due to lack of evidence, the rumored version was he was released so that John Wallace could show Turner his form of justice. As Turner walked out of the jail he found Wallace and his men. Too bad for Wallace however Turner got into his truck and attempted to escape. I gander to guess that they allowed Turner to make it to his truck because of a deal made with the sheriff. I would bet money on the fact that the sheriff let him out, knowing Wallace planned to get his revenge but to save face did not want it on the property or too super close to the jail. But, Wallace and his men knew what they were doing... sort of. They had drained Turner's truck of gasoline so he did not get far.

The problem for Wallace is he got just a little TOO far. Turner's truck made it over the county line in to Coweta County where Wallace's power did not reach. Multiple witnesses would report that they saw Wallace “pistol whip” Turner so hard that the gun had discharged. When Turner's body went limp Wallace and his men put him in one of the vehicles they had used to chase him down. The body was taken back to Wallace's body and hidden for a period of time. Later it was burned and the later bones and ashes were gathered and placed in a stream. Wallace had “forced” two men, Albert Brooks and Robert Lee Gates to assist him in destroying Turner's body.

The Sheriff of Coweta County, Lamar Potts was informed of what had occurred inside his county and he began investigating. An informant led Potts to Brooks and Gates and they took Potts to where the body had been burned in a fire pit apparently on Wallace's property. It was said that bone fragments were found and identified as being human. It was also said that “brain tissue” was found in a well but information was sparse.

While Wallace was indicted with three other men for the murder, Wallace had a separate trial. “It was reported that Wallace's eccentric testimony led to his conviction.” Now, if you have read a few of my last several blogs you have seen me use the word eccentric and discuss it at some length as to the description in this era of time. What I find interesting here is that in this instance it was solely referring to a man. In one of my previous cases a man was described that way but in conjunction with a woman who was also described in that manner. In other cases in which this word was used it was in reference to a woman. And, in all of those cases the women were recluses and essentially hoarders. The word is to define “strange behavior” and while nothing was specific on what Wallace had done that was “strange” it is my opinion that the word was misused. It is more likely that he expressed a superior attitude, while not necessarily “strange” or odd in any way. Regardless the jury convicted him and sentenced him to death. A 1949 appeal was denied and the conviction and sentence were upheld. John Wallace went to the electric chair on November 3, 1950.

However his legend did not end there. It appears that even to this day John Wallace is thought to have been wronged in Coweta County. Roads and monuments have been dedicated to him. The debate goes on it seems.