A Colorado man has been arrested in Yellowstone National Park in connection with what an FBI agent described as a 2018 “murder for hire” plot in Vermont.
Federal documents filed in U.S. District Court in Cheyenne show Jerry Banks was arrested Wednesday in Yellowstone National Park and charged with kidnapping in the death of a man identified in court documents only as “GD.”
The Caledonian-Record, a Vermont newspaper, identified “GD” as Greg Davis, 49, whose body was found partially covered in snow in northern Vermont in early January 2018. He had been shot six times.
Davis was last seen alive the night before his death, when a man identifying himself as a U.S. Marshal visited Davis’ home in Danville, Vermont, and said he had a warrant for Davis’ arrest on racketeering charges. Davis left with the man.
According to an affidavit filed in support of an arrest warrant for Banks, the U.S. Marshal’s Service confirmed it had not arrested Davis and had no active warrant for his arrest.
The Caledonian-Record reported that after Davis’ body was found, all court records related to his death were sealed.
The affidavit filed by FBI Special Agent Patrick Hanna on March 30 said an investigation into the murder by multiple law enforcement agencies led to the identification of Banks as a suspect.
About 15 minutes before Davis was kidnapped, a phone call was made to 911 services from a location a short distance from his home. The caller reported he had shot his wife and planned to kill himself.
Police were unable to find the person making the call, but investigators eventually determined the phone used to make the call was purchased by Banks.
“I believe Banks used the … phone to facilitate the victim’s kidnapping and murder,” Hanna wrote.
The affidavit also detailed work by investigators to trace Banks’ movements in the days leading up to the murder.
Also examined were Banks’ purchases in the weeks before the murder, which included a marshal’s badge, a U.S. Marshal shoulder patch, handcuffs and emergency lights for a vehicle.
Hanna concluded that since Banks had no contact with Davis, he must have been hired to kidnap and kill the man.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Kelly Rankin ordered Banks held pending a bail hearing on Tuesday.
