![This photo of Gibson's tattoo was made public on July 30, 2014. The tips of his handlebar mustache are visible on either side of his neck. (Source: Indiana Office of the Courts]](http://WAVE.images.worldnow.com/images/4353650_G.jpg "This photo of Gibson's tattoo was made public on July 30, 2014. The tips of his handlebar mustache are visible on either side of his neck. (Source: Indiana Office of the Courts]") |
| This photo of Gibson's tattoo was made public on July 30, 2014!! |
NEW ALBANY, IN
(WAVE) - An image of a disturbing -- and inaccurate -- tattoo on serial
killer William Clyde Gibson's head was made public on Wednesday. The tattoo, which reads "Death Row X3," covers much of the back of
Gibson's head and is an obvious reference to his convictions in three
murders; however, Gibson can only be sentenced to death twice. He was
given the death penalty for killing his mother's best friend,
75-year-old Christine Whitis, in 2012. After making a plea deal in the
2002 murder of Karen Hodella, he received a 65-year prison term for her
death. The sentencing phase of the third murder case currently is
underway. Although Gibson pleaded guilty to Stephanie Kirk's 2012
murder, he could be sentenced to death for her killing.
A picture that a representative for the Indiana Department of
Corrections said was taken in December 2013, shortly after Gibson
arrived at the Indiana State Prison's Death Row, shows Gibson with short
hair. When he returned to the Floyd County Jail on March 14, 2014, his
hair was even shorter -- closely shaven -- and the tattoo was visible."He left our facility without it and returned with it," said Floyd County Jail Commander Andrew Sands in a March interview.
Indiana
Department of Corrections staff members said the tattoo was not noted
when Gibson arrived on death row. A spokesperson for DOC speculated that
perhaps the tattoo was covered by hair. The Floyd County sheriff
disputed that assertion.
"When they took him to corrections and
released him over to [DOC], his head was completely shaved at that
point, and no tattooing was visible at that time," said Sheriff Darrell
Mills in March. Floyd County Prosecutor Keith Henderson wants to
know how an inmate who is supposed to be segregated 23 hours a day could
get such an elaborate tattoo.
"Quite frankly, I think there needs
to be some explanation from the Department of Corrections on how that
could occur when somebody's on Death Row in Indiana Department of
Corrections," Henderson said in March. DOC says if anyone had
noticed a new tattoo on Death Row, Gibson would have been written up for
disciplinary action. Because he wasn't, a DOC spokesperson suggested
Gibson got the tattoo at another facility, such as the Floyd County
Jail.
"This didn't occur in our facility," said Mills. "He was in a
single cell by himself the whole time [he was here]. One person could
not have obtained those tattoos doing it themselves."
To date, the mystery of Gibson's tattoo remains unsolved.
Copyright 2014 WAVE 3 News. All rights reserved.
![This photo of Gibson's tattoo was made public on July 30, 2014. The tips of his handlebar mustache are visible on either side of his neck. (Source: Indiana Office of the Courts]](http://wave.images.worldnow.com/images/4353650_G.jpg "This photo of Gibson's tattoo was made public on July 30, 2014. The tips of his handlebar mustache are visible on either side of his neck. (Source: Indiana Office of the Courts]")
