William Gravlin

William Gravlin was born on June 4, 1934, in the United States. By adulthood, he was living in southeastern Michigan and working as a firefighter in Royal Oak, having joined the department in June 1959. He was married to Bette Jean Bentley (née Mettetal), who had previously been married and had five children from her first marriage to John Joseph Bentley. Together, William and Bette had one child, Betty Sue Gravlin, born in 1961.

Gravlin’s history of violent behavior preceded the 1964 murders. In August 1961, he attacked his cousin’s wife at her home in Troy, Michigan, forcing her and her young daughter out of the house at knifepoint before slashing the woman behind the ear. The wound required medical treatment, and Gravlin was arrested the following day after being found wandering barefoot along a roadway. He later stated that he had been drinking heavily and did not remember the attack. The knife used in the assault had been purchased earlier that same day.

Following the 1961 incident, Gravlin was sentenced to probation and committed to Pontiac State Hospital for psychiatric treatment. He was released on convalescent leave in April 1962 but lost his firefighting position as a result of the incident. He later worked on an assembly line at Temprite Products Corporation in Birmingham, Michigan, where supervisors described him as a reliable worker. After another episode involving intoxication, his wife arranged for his return to the hospital in February 1963. He was again released on convalescent leave in July 1963 and formally discharged from psychiatric care in July 1964.

Neighbors later reported that Gravlin frequently consumed alcohol and exhibited unpredictable behavior when intoxicated. Several recalled that his wife appeared fearful of him. Approximately one week before the killings, Bette Gravlin requested a divorce. Gravlin subsequently moved out of the family home and began staying with his mother in Clawson, Michigan.

During the late evening of Sunday, September 27, 1964, William Gravlin traveled by taxi from Clawson to Troy, Michigan. He asked to be dropped off roughly 250 yards from the family residence on Garson Street, arriving at approximately 11:00 p.m. In the early morning hours of Monday, September 28, 1964, he entered the home and carried out the killings.

Gravlin used a large double-bladed axe to murder six members of his household, including his wife and five stepchildren. His biological daughter, Betty Sue Gravlin, age five, was killed with a shotgun. A forensic pathologist later estimated the time of death at approximately 2:00 a.m. The axe, bearing blood and hair, was found beneath the house, while a blood-stained hammer was recovered from a bathroom. Each of the victims’ bodies had been covered with blankets.

The victims were discovered in multiple rooms of the house. Three of the children were found in the living room, while Gravlin’s wife and two stepchildren were found in bedrooms. His daughter was found in the bathroom beside a Bible, with the bathtub partially filled with water that had become heavily bloodstained.

Gravlin left handwritten apology notes on torn paper towel scraps placed on each body. One note addressed to his daughter expressed affection, while the note to his wife included statements of remorse and apology. According to press accounts, the notes conveyed variations of love, regret, and the belief that the acts could not be avoided.

After the killings, Gravlin walked to a gas station located approximately half a mile away. An attendant later testified that Gravlin arrived around 6:30 a.m., used the telephone, and consumed several bottles of soda. He then took another taxi back to Clawson at approximately 8:00 a.m.

Later that day, Gravlin made several attempts to end his life. He ingested sleeping pills and alcohol, which did not prove fatal. He then purchased a corrosive cleaning chemical with the intention of drinking it but instead poured it on his chest, causing chemical burns. Eventually, Gravlin was encountered by a passing motorist, to whom he stated that he had killed his family and asked that the police be contacted. When officers arrived, Gravlin repeated his confession and requested to be taken into custody.

Police entered the Troy residence and discovered the bodies. Senior officials and forensic personnel later stated that the scene was among the most extreme they had encountered outside of wartime conditions.

Gravlin was arraigned on September 28, 1964, and initially entered a guilty plea. The presiding judge entered a plea of not guilty on his behalf pending psychiatric evaluation. Multiple competency hearings followed, with conflicting testimony from psychiatrists regarding Gravlin’s mental state and ability to assist in his defense.

In January 1965, Gravlin was formally committed to Ionia State Hospital for the Criminally Insane after being found incompetent to stand trial. He remained there for nearly three years. In late 1967, hospital officials reported that his condition had improved sufficiently for trial, and the court ruled him competent.

In January 1968, Gravlin waived his right to a jury trial. A bench trial was held in Oakland County Circuit Court, focusing on the killing of his stepdaughter Judith Ann Bentley. Expert testimony concluded that while Gravlin suffered from mental illness, he understood the nature of his actions and knew right from wrong at the time of the killings.

In April 1968, Gravlin was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to mandatory life imprisonment. In 1974, the Michigan Court of Appeals ruled that the time he spent in psychiatric confinement prior to trial must be credited toward his sentence.

William Glen Gravlin died on March 1, 1994, while serving his life sentence. The cause of death was not publicly reported as suspicious.