Biotech Executive Sentenced for Murder-for-Hire of Business Partner

A prominent biotech entrepreneur from California has been convicted of planning and executing a murder-for-hire to eliminate a former business associate following a failed oil deal.

Serhat Gumrukcu, 42, of Los Angeles, was found guilty of kidnapping and killing Gregory Davis in 2018. Davis, a father of six, was abducted from his Vermont residence and was later discovered shot at the base of a snowbank. Gumrukcu faces a life sentence due to the severity of the crime.

The investigation revealed that Gumrukcu, founder of Enochian Biosciences, orchestrated the murder after Davis threatened legal action over a broken oil transaction. Prosecutors stated that Gumrukcu recruited friends and intermediaries to hire the hitman, Jerry Banks, who impersonated a law enforcement officer to lure Davis out of his home before abducting and killing him.

Serhat Gumrukcu faces a life sentence in connection with a 2018 murder — Serhat Gumrukcu is facing a life sentence for his role in the 2018 kidnapping and murder.

Evidence, including emails, messages, and financial records, uncovered lies told by Gumrukcu during interviews and proved his involvement. Authorities also linked him to a 2017 effort to merge biotech companies based on a supposed HIV cure, highlighting that his legal troubles over Davis’s murder could jeopardize that high-stakes deal.

Gumrukcu was arrested in May 2022 and convicted in April on charges of conspiracy, wire fraud, and murder-for-hire. The investigation involved collaboration between federal and state agencies, including the FBI and Vermont State Police.

Jerry Banks, the hitman involved in Davis's murder — Hitman Jerry Banks was hired to abduct and murder Gregory Davis.

Bank and Ethridge, who facilitated the hit, were sentenced to lengthy prison terms. Banks received 200 months, while Ethridge was sentenced to 140 months, both with supervised release periods. Their arrests in early 2022 marked the culmination of a painstaking investigation that exposed the plot designed to silence Davis.

In a courtroom last month, Davis’s widow, Melissa, expressed her grief, condemning Gumrukcu’s actions and highlighting the devastating impact on her family. Her statement underscored the tragedy of a life lost and the lasting scars left on the children left behind.

Gumrukcu’s sentencing has been postponed to November, with a mandatory life term likely in store for him for his crime.