In the early morning hours of September 28, 1964, William G. Gravlin, a former Royal Oak fireman, killed seven members of his family at their home at 2121 Garson in Troy, Michigan. The victims were his wife, Bette Gravlin, 40; his five-year-old daughter, Betty Sue Gravlin; and his five stepchildren, Benson John Bentley, 17, Judith Ann Bentley, 16, Dorrie Oral Bentley, 15, Paula Allene Bentley, 12, and Walter Johnson Bentley, 10. Six of the victims were killed with a double-bladed axe and a hammer; Betty Sue was killed with a shotgun. A pathologist estimated the time of death at approximately 2 a.m. Gravlin left handwritten apology notes, torn from paper towels, on each of the bodies.
Gravlin had a documented history of violence and psychiatric hospitalization. In August 1961, he slashed his cousin's wife with a knife at her home in Troy, an attack that required five stitches; he was arrested the next day, sentenced to three years' probation, and committed to Pontiac State Hospital. He was released on convalescent leave in 1962, briefly rehospitalized in 1963 after an incident involving drinking, and officially released in July 1964. A week before the murders, Bette Gravlin asked him for a divorce, and he moved out to live with his mother in Clawson, Michigan.
On the night of the murders, Gravlin took a taxi from Clawson to a point near his family's home. After the killings, he walked to a nearby gas station, later returned to Clawson, and made unsuccessful suicide attempts using sleeping pills, whiskey, and a corrosive cleaning product. A passing motorist and, subsequently, a Madison Heights police officer encountered Gravlin, who told them he had killed his family. Police then discovered the bodies at the home.
Gravlin pleaded guilty at his arraignment, but the judge entered a not-guilty plea. Competency proceedings extended over several years, with conflicting psychiatric testimony about his mental state; he was ultimately found incompetent in January 1965 and committed to the Ionia State Hospital for the Criminally Insane. In November 1967, hospital staff reported he had become capable of understanding the charges against him, and a judge found him competent to stand trial in December 1967.
In January 1968, Gravlin waived his right to a jury trial. His bench trial before Judge James Thorburn in Oakland County Circuit Court, limited to the death of stepdaughter Judith Ann Bentley, lasted more than three weeks. A psychiatrist testified that Gravlin knew the difference between right and wrong. Judge Thorburn ruled that although the killings were a product of Gravlin's mental disease, he was legally sane, and sentenced him to mandatory life imprisonment in April 1968. Gravlin later appealed on the issue of credit for time served in the mental hospital; in March 1974, the Michigan Court of Appeals ruled he was entitled to credit for the years spent in custody there.
Key facts
- Victims
- Judith Ann Bentley, Walter Johnson Bentley, Paula Allene Bentley, Bette Gravlin, Betty Sue Gravlin, Dorrie Oral Bentley, Benson John Bentley
- Date
- 1964
- Location
- 2121 Garson, Troy, Michigan
- Case status
- solved
Case timeline
1961-08
Gravlin slashed his cousin's wife with a knife in Troy, Michigan; he was arrested the next day and committed to Pontiac State Hospital.
1962-04
Gravlin released from Pontiac State Hospital on convalescent leave.
1963-02
Gravlin returned to the mental hospital after a drunken incident.
1963-07
Gravlin released again on convalescent leave.
1964-07
Gravlin officially released from Pontiac State Hospital.
1964-09-27
Gravlin took a taxi from Clawson to near his family's home in Troy on Sunday night.
1964-09-28
Gravlin killed his wife, five stepchildren, and his daughter at their Troy, Michigan home; he was later found by police after confessing to a motorist and a police officer.
1964-10-29
Judge James Thorburn ruled Gravlin competent to stand trial, pending further psychiatric examination.
1964-11-19
The Gravlin home was damaged by arson fire.
1965-01
Gravlin attempted suicide in jail by cutting his wrists on a broken window.
1965-01-14
Judge Thorburn ordered Gravlin committed to Ionia State Hospital for the Criminally Insane after being found not competent to stand trial.
1967-11
Ionia State Hospital's medical superintendent reported Gravlin capable of understanding the charges against him.
1967-12
Judge Thorburn ruled Gravlin competent to stand trial.
1968-01
Gravlin's bench trial began at Oakland County Circuit Court in Pontiac, Michigan.
1968-04
Gravlin was sentenced to mandatory life imprisonment.
1974-03
The Michigan Court of Appeals ruled Gravlin was entitled to sentencing credit for time spent in the mental hospital.
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People
Judith Ann Bentley
VICTIMGravlin's stepdaughter, age 16, killed in the September 1964 murders; her death was the subject of Gravlin's 1968 trial.
Walter Johnson Bentley
VICTIMGravlin's stepson, age 10, killed in the September 1964 murders.
Paula Allene Bentley
VICTIMGravlin's stepdaughter, age 12, killed in the September 1964 murders.
Bette Gravlin
VICTIMGravlin's wife, age 40, killed in the September 1964 murders.
Betty Sue Gravlin
VICTIMGravlin's daughter, age 5, killed by shotgun in the September 1964 murders.
Dorrie Oral Bentley
VICTIMGravlin's stepdaughter, age 15, killed in the September 1964 murders.
William G. Gravlin
CONVICTEDConvicted in 1968 of murder in the death of stepdaughter Judith Ann Bentley and sentenced to mandatory life imprisonment; found responsible for killing seven family members in September 1964.
Benson John Bentley
VICTIMGravlin's stepson, age 17, killed in the September 1964 murders.
Roles reflect public records and court outcomes at the time of writing — supporting citations are on file under Sources.
Places
Common questions
- What happened to the victim?
- In September 1964, William G. Gravlin killed his wife, five stepchildren, and his own daughter at their home in Troy, Michigan, using an axe, hammer, and shotgun. He was found guilty after a lengthy competency dispute and sentenced to life in prison in 1968.
- Where did the murders happen?
- 2121 Garson, Troy, Michigan.
- Who was convicted?
- William G. Gravlin (Convicted in 1968 of murder in the death of stepdaughter Judith Ann Bentley and sentenced to mandatory life imprisonment; found responsible for killing seven family members in September 1964.).
- What is the current status of the case?
- Status: solved. Last verified July 2026.
Related cases
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Sources
- Troy axe murderswikipedia · Wikipedia · 2026-07-07
- Contemporaneous coverage — archive.btpl.orgnews · archive.btpl.org · 2026-07-07
- Contemporaneous coverage — casemine.comnews · casemine.com · 2026-07-07
Last verified JUL 2026