A Clarksville, Indiana man is accused of decapitating a woman, cutting off other parts of her body, and setting her apartment on fire in an attempt to destroy the evidence.
In a news conference Wednesday morning, Major Joe Demoss said 36-year-old Brian Montez Williams was arrested just hours after the attack on Kensington Drive. He has been charged with murder and arson. The victim has been identified as 67-year-old Melody Gambetty.
Demoss said investigators believe Gambetty was killed Monday afternoon, but it’s not clear whether Williams returned to the apartment and set the fire Tuesday morning. Police do not believe Williams knew the woman, and think the brutal attack may have happened after a burglary gone wrong or a home invasion. Demoss says, “In reference to an arson, when the fire dept. arrives, they found Ms. Gambetty, she was decapitated, our investigation started from there.”
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Police were called after a fire at the apartment about 8 a.m. Tuesday. When firefighters entered the apartment, they found the Gambetty, who had been decapitated. Demoss said the woman’s fingers had also been cut off, and there were signs she was stabbed. An exact cause of death for Gambetty won’t be known until after an autopsy on Thursday morning.
“Yesterday’s crime scene in my 23 years is one of the most horrific we’ve been involved in,” said Demoss.
Demoss said police pinpointed Williams as a suspect very quickly by canvassing the area and getting surveillance video from nearby residents that allegedly showed Williams with a suitcase. He had also reportedly been going door to door in the neighborhood asking people questions, attempting to solicit community service work.
In the Probable Cause Affadavit, investigators say surveillance footage shows Wiliams entering the apartment complex at 12:42pm. Then at 3:51pm, he exit the building, “through the main entry door holding 2 suitcases, one in each hand. The male is observed taking the suit cases to the victim’s vehicle.”
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After getting a search warrant for Williams’ home, investigators found enough evidence to charge him with murder, including suitcases with body parts, Gambetty’s car and credit cards.
The PCA says “located inside one of the victim’s suitcases was a human cranium, with full facial tissue to include hair attached,” believed to belong to the victim (deceased).” The PCA says, “in a suitcase was a plastic container with a lid, containing multiple human digits (fingers and toes), also believed to belong to the victim (deceased).” Investigators say they also found a small handsaw with blood on the blade in one of the suitcases.
Prosecutor Jeremy Mull says, “The victim did suffer a violent death. It was a gruesome crime scene and it’s very important to me as the prosecutor that the perpetrator be held responsible.”
“I had a conversation with her son this morning on the way to work and tried to explain to him what happened before it was in the media, but these cases are hard,” said Demoss.
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Clarksville Police say fire crews were called about 8:15 a.m. on Tuesday to the 400 block of Kensington Drive, which is off Eastern Blvd. near Lewis and Clark Parkway. When the fire was out, they found a woman’s body on the floor. July 27, 2021
The are multiple crime scenes, including the victim’s apartment, and the suspect’s home. Indiana State Police is helping with processing evidence. The Clark County Sheriff’s Department helped with neighborhood interviews, and the Jeffersonville Police Department also offered to help.
In court, Williams’ attorney pushed for him to be released from jail under supervision, but the judge decided to take the Prosecutor’s recommendation of being held in the Clark County Jail without bond. His next court date is on September 1st with his trial scheduled for January 18th, 2022. Williams did not make any comments as he entered and left the courtroom. In court, he was calm and answered the judge’s questions. He says he is not employed and doesn’t own any property or having any savings. When the judge asked him if he understood the charges against him, he said, “I completely understand.” He also said he has family and friends who will hire a defense attorney for him.
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