Keith Edmund Gavin was born on March 30, 1960, in Chicago, Illinois. He was the second of 12 children in his family. Gavin grew up in a neighborhood that faced many challenges, including drug activity and gang violence. His father had a strict and harsh way of disciplining him, which made his early life difficult. Because of this environment, Gavin struggled in school and dropped out in the 11th grade.

Gavin's first encounter with the law came in 1979 when he was convicted of burglary. This marked the beginning of his criminal history. A few years later, in early 1982, at the age of 22, he shot an unarmed man in Cook County, Illinois. This incident led to his conviction for murder on June 9, 1982, for which he received a 34-year prison sentence.

While in prison, Gavin made efforts to improve himself. He completed his GED and also took some college courses. After serving less than 16 years, he was granted parole in December 1997. However, his release was short-lived as he committed murder again just a few months later.

On March 6, 1998, William Clayton Jr., a 68-year-old contract courier, was murdered in Centre, Alabama. At that time, Clayton was using an ATM to withdraw money for a dinner date with his wife. Simultaneously, Keith Edmund Gavin, who was almost 38 years old, was in town with his cousin Dewayne Meeks. They had traveled from Chicago to Alabama to find someone Gavin knew in the past.

As Clayton was at the ATM, Gavin approached him with a handgun. The gun belonged to his cousin, Meeks. Gavin opened the door of Clayton's van and shot him twice. Witnesses saw this happen. After shooting Clayton, Gavin took control of the van and drove away. Gavin's cousin fled the scene in fear.

An investigator, Danny Smith, spotted the van and began to chase it. Gavin eventually stopped the van and ran into the nearby woods, firing at the officer as he escaped. Despite his attempt to flee, Gavin was soon found and arrested by the police. Upon arrival at the hospital, Clayton was declared dead from his injuries.

Following the shooting, a manhunt was organized to capture Gavin. He was found hiding in a creek by police dogs. After his arrest, he initially gave a false name to the authorities.

In the trial that followed, Gavin faced serious charges, including murder. On November 7, 1999, a jury found him guilty. The jury recommended a death sentence for Gavin, and on January 5, 2000, he was officially sentenced to death by Circuit Judge David A. Rains.

Gavin went through multiple appeals claiming that he was innocent and that he was wrongly convicted due to racial bias. However, all of these appeals were dismissed. Over the years, Gavin continued to fight his conviction, but in 2024, the Alabama Supreme Court authorized his death warrant.

On July 18, 2024, Gavin was executed by lethal injection at Holman Correctional Facility. Before his execution, he expressed his love for his family and said prayers. He was pronounced dead shortly after the procedure began.