The chilling details of an international murder-for-hire plot that led to the abduction and killing of a Vermont man in 2018 continue to unfold as one of the last suspects in the case pleaded guilty on Wednesday.
Berk Eratay of Las Vegas, who was set to stand trial in September alongside key suspect Serhat Gumrukcu of Los Angeles, changed his plea to guilty on charges of wire fraud and orchestrating the kidnapping and murder of Gregory Davis, 49, of Danville, Vermont.
Prosecutors revealed that Davis had threatened to go to the FBI with information about Gumrukcu’s fraudulent activities in a multimillion-dollar oil deal that he and his brother had engaged in with Davis in 2015. This revelation ultimately led to the deadly plot.
Davis’ wife recounted the harrowing events of January 6, 2018, when a masked man arrived at their home claiming to have an arrest warrant for Davis on racketeering charges. The couple left together, only for Davis’ lifeless body to be discovered the following day on a desolate Vermont back road.
Over the course of four years, investigators painstakingly pieced together the connections between the four suspects involved in the murder-for-hire scheme. Jerry Banks of Colorado, who had knocked on the couple’s door, was linked to Aron Lee Ethridge of Las Vegas, who in turn was connected to Eratay, who worked for Gumrukcu.
Ethridge had previously pleaded guilty to his role in the kidnapping and killing of Davis in 2022, while Banks admitted to murder-for-hire and kidnapping conspiracy last year. Both await sentencing as the case continues to unravel.
The shocking nature of this heinous crime serves as a stark reminder of the lengths some individuals will go to in pursuit of their nefarious goals. The guilty plea of Eratay marks another step towards justice for the victim and closure for his loved ones.
