The Permon Gilbert cold case

Hamersville, Ohio is a small blip on any Ohio map. A 2010 census reported that the town had just over 500 residents. True crime programs often feature unsolved homicides from large cities such as Chicago, Los Angeles or even Atlanta. In fact, you are unlikely to see the Discovery Channel or Nancy Grace cover anything out of Hamersville. Despite the town's small size, they have an unsolved murder from forty years ago. If someone was murdered in such a small town, you might think it would have been solved. Besides, how many possible suspects could there be?

On May 23, 1982, a teenager came across a dead nude man on Swope Road in Clermont County, Ohio. An unidentified man had been beaten to death and dumped alongside a road. According to authorities, Permon Gilbert was the deceased.

When law enforcement looked into Gilbert's background, they learned Gilbert didn’t exactly lead a dangerous lifestyle that could have led to such a brutal death. His profession was repairing appliances. He made repairs for a company during the week. For extra money, he also repaired appliances on the side.

He was described as a regular guy by those who knew him. He did not stand out in any way. His body was found within ten miles of his home. However, rumors of organized crime, drug dealing and a jealous husband began to surface. Permon Gilbert was a husband and father of four. Besides repairing appliances, he loved flying his small plane whenever he could.

His wife Joanne told authorities that Gilbert had shared some concerns about leaving for work on the Saturday he died. Despite not wanting to leave, he left at 8:30 that morning.

His calls took him to Mount Orab, Georgetown, and Aberdeen. He lived within a few miles of these small Ohio towns. He was last seen in Maysville, Kentucky. A cashier said he was friendly and didn’t seem to have a care in the world. Gilbert then went to the flower shop next door. After leaving Maysville, his whereabouts are unknown.

He was supposed to be home by 3 p.m., but he never showed up. After he failed to arrive home, his wife called the police. The next day, she would learn what happened to her husband.

There were two shots in his chest. According to reports, he was wearing nothing above the waist when he died. There is evidence that Gilbert's killer stole his clothing. The police located Gilbert's van over 20 miles away from the scene of his death on Ebenezeer Road. Gilbert's tools and appliance parts were found inside the van. A hair sample and fingerprints were also found inside the van. Unfortunately, law enforcement has not been able to match the evidence with a donor.

Who would kill such an unassuming man? His wife Joanne told law enforcement that her husband was approached by unsavory people who wanted to hire him to transport drugs on his plane. Aside from transporting drugs, two other theories were also proposed.

Another theory involved Gilbert's younger brother Vernon. They were close to each other. Vernon Gilbert had agreed to testify against some members of organized crime before Permon Gilbert's homicide. Could Permon have been killed to send a message to his brother? Did his younger brother share some information about criminal activity?

An extramarital affair was also a theory. Sadly, Permon Gilbert has been forgotten. I haven't seen any news coverage relating to this mystery, and I've not seen any Facebook groups trying to solve it. Throughout the years, I have followed this story and looked for updates on this case. Unfortunately, law enforcement hasn’t arrested anyone for killing Permon Gilbert.

Who killed this family man? Do you know what happened to his personal belongings? The killer took his clothing, cowboy hat, boots, and Masonic items. If you have any information about Permon Gilbert’s homicide, please contact the Clermont County Sheriff’s Office at 513-732-7545.

Marc is a longtime resident of Clermont County and an avid reader. Contact him through his website at www.themarcabe.com or through Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Catchmykiller. Marc also has a podcast called Catch my Killer, where he interviews family members seeking justice for their murdered loved ones. You can listen at www.catchmykiller.com.