On Tuesday, Frankie Gebhardt was convicted of brutally murdering a black man. Gebhardt killed Timothy Coggins in the 1980s for his alleged relationship with a white woman.
Gebhardt stabbed Coggins body and dragged it to a grassy area. Nearly three decades later, Gebhardt became a suspect in the case after boasting about killing a "Ni**ger."
Investigators were able to verify evidence such as a knife and clothing that connected Gebhardt to the case. Jurors in Georgia, convicted him on charges of felony murder, aggravated assault, aggravated battery, and concealing the death of another.
Defendants attempted to argue that the evidence was not strong enough and that witnesses were not a reliable source. However, prosecutors fought back by saying a proper investigations should have been done in the 1980s, but blamed the racial climate for the delay in the conviction.
Gebhardt will face life in prison. Heather Coggins, the victim's sister, said she is relieved the case is finally over.
"At this point now we can move on. Now we can live in peace," she told Fox News. "We don't have to tell anyone else this story that Tim was from a small town where no one cared and no one was brought to justice for this murder. It wasn't just a murder, it was a brutal, heinous killing. And now we don't have to tell our kids or our grandkids anymore that no one cared for your uncle Tim."
