In a chilling case that has gripped the nation, Serhat Gumrukcu, a 42-year-old biotech tycoon from Los Angeles, has been convicted of orchestrating a murder-for-hire plot that resulted in the brutal killing of Gregory Davis, a father of six, in 2018. The motive stemmed from a failed oil deal that soured their business relationship, leading Gumrukcu to devise a deadly scheme to silence Davis, whose threat of legal action jeopardized a high-stakes biotech merger. The conviction, announced by the US Attorney’s Office, carries a mandatory life sentence for Gumrukcu, marking a dramatic fall for the founder of Enochian Biosciences.
The tragic events unfolded on January 6, 2018, in Danville, Vermont, when Jerry Banks, a 37-year-old hitman hired through a chain of intermediaries, arrived at Davis’s home. Posing as a Deputy US Marshal, Banks used a vehicle equipped with flashing red and blue lights to deceive Davis, claiming he needed to come in for questioning. Unaware of the danger, Davis complied, only to be abducted from his home. Prosecutors revealed that Banks then murdered Davis, whose body was discovered the following day, January 7, 2018, in a snowbank near his home in Barnet, Vermont. The discovery of Davis’s body sent shockwaves through the small community and set the stage for a complex investigation that would unravel a web of deception and greed.
Gumrukcu’s motive was rooted in a failed oil deal with Davis, who was not only a business partner but also a father whose wife was pregnant with their seventh child at the time of his death. The tension between the two men escalated when Davis threatened to sue Gumrukcu over the soured transaction. This legal threat posed a significant risk to Gumrukcu’s ambitions, particularly his efforts to broker a multimillion-dollar merger with Enochian Biosciences, a biotech company he founded. The merger was built around Gumrukcu’s claims of developing a potential HIV cure, a venture that promised immense financial and professional rewards. Prosecutors argued that Davis’s potential lawsuit could have derailed this high-stakes deal, prompting Gumrukcu to take drastic measures to eliminate the threat.
To execute his plan, Gumrukcu enlisted the help of his friend, 38-year-old Berk Eratay, who acted as a key intermediary. Eratay, in turn, recruited Aron Ethridge, a 45-year-old accomplice, who ultimately hired Jerry Banks to carry out the killing. This layered conspiracy was designed to distance Gumrukcu from the crime, creating a chain of intermediaries to obscure his involvement. However, the meticulous work of investigators from the US Attorney’s Office, the FBI, and the Vermont State Police unraveled the plot, exposing the roles of Gumrukcu and his co-conspirators.
The investigation gained traction when authorities discovered emails and messages that highlighted the strained relationship between Gumrukcu and Davis over the failed oil deal. These communications led to Gumrukcu being interviewed twice by the FBI, during which he provided false statements in an attempt to cover his tracks. Despite his efforts to mislead investigators, a trove of evidence—including cellphone data, purchase records, bank documents, emails, and messages—ultimately revealed the truth. This evidence not only implicated Gumrukcu but also connected Eratay, Ethridge, and Banks to the crime, dismantling the carefully constructed layers of their conspiracy.
Gumrukcu’s arrest in May 2022 marked a turning point in the case. In April, he was convicted of murder-for-hire, conspiracy, and wire fraud, sealing his fate with a mandatory life sentence. His co-conspirators faced justice as well: Banks was sentenced to 200 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, while Ethridge received 140 months in prison with the same period of supervised release. Eratay, the intermediary who linked Gumrukcu to the hitman, was sentenced to 110 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. The sentences reflect the gravity of their actions and the devastating impact of their crime on Davis’s family.
The emotional toll of the murder was laid bare during a court appearance on September 25, when Melissa Davis, Gregory’s widow, confronted Gumrukcu. In a powerful statement reported by Vtdigger, Melissa condemned Gumrukcu for shattering her family’s life. “I stand here today not only as a widow, but as the mother of seven children whose lives were shattered the night Gregg was taken from us,” she said, addressing the man responsible for her husband’s death. “You thought you could silence my husband, but your lies die here in this courtroom.” Her words underscored the profound loss felt by her family, who were left to grieve the loss of a husband and father while raising seven children, including the youngest, born after Davis’s death.
Acting United States Attorney Michael P. Drescher praised the relentless efforts of the investigative team, stating, “Serhat Gumrukcu tried to hide his role in the murder of Greg Davis by paying one man to pay another man to pay the hitman, who shot and killed Greg Davis on a January night in Vermont.” He emphasized the years of determined work by the US Attorney’s Office, the FBI, and the Vermont State Police, whose collaboration was critical in bringing Gumrukcu and his accomplices to justice.
Gumrukcu’s sentencing, originally scheduled for September, was postponed to November, prolonging the wait for closure for Davis’s family. The case serves as a stark reminder of the lengths to which greed and ambition can drive individuals, even to the point of orchestrating a cold-blooded murder. For Gregory Davis’s loved ones, the conviction offers a measure of justice, but it cannot undo the pain of his loss. The community of Barnet, Vermont, continues to mourn the tragedy, while the legal proceedings against Gumrukcu and his co-conspirators stand as a testament to the perseverance of law enforcement in holding those responsible accountable.
This case also casts a shadow over the biotech industry, where Gumrukcu’s once-promising career has been irrevocably tarnished. His actions not only ended a life but also exposed the dark underbelly of high-stakes business dealings, where the pursuit of wealth and power can lead to unimaginable consequences. As the legal process moves toward Gumrukcu’s sentencing, the focus remains on the enduring impact of his crime on Davis’s family and the community left to grapple with the aftermath of this heinous act.
