Gerald Winston Surratt Jr. came from what most in the Shoals would call a privileged environment, yet his early life was far from perfect. Surratt’s father had substance abuse problems and wasn’t always there for the young man who called himself Gerry or Jerry. When the younger Surratt was 18, his father died. Two years later, Gerry was arrested in Lauderdale County on charges of Drug Possession, Breaking and Entering a Vehicle, and Burglary.
Between the years 2006 and 2019, Surratt was arrested at least 31 times. Most of these arrests were related to either drugs or theft, but some were more sinister. His 2006 arrest at the age of 20 garnered the young Florence man a sentence of 10 years, indicating he already had a juvenile record.
During Surratt’s stay in an Alabama Department of Corrections facility, he was denied parole. Gerry also lost correctional incentive time due to bad behavior and lacked two weeks serving five years on a sentence he could have completed in 40 months. Finally released in August 2011, the now 26 year-old Surratt returned to Florence and began work for Hensley Properties, a company founded by his great-uncle.
Shortly after his return to the Shoals, Surratt also acquired a live-in girlfriend. This unfortunate young woman later stated that the longer she knew Surratt, the more she feared him.
In March 2012, a young woman was kidnapped from the UNA parking garage and forced to take her armed abductor to the Bank Independent ATM on Pine Street. There the kidnapper had his victim withdraw the maximum amount allowed; together with what cash the young woman had in her billfold, the kidnapper netted just under $600.00. He then had his victim return to the parking deck where a nearby male student became suspicious of the situation. The kidnapper ran when confronted and has never been officially identified.
Yet Surratt’s girlfriend and others were convinced that Gerry was the wanted felon. The romantic relationship soured shortly thereafter, and Surratt began to date a young woman who resided in Sheffield.
In May 2012, Surratt was visiting his new girlfriend in her apartment where both consumed alcohol. When a second woman who lived in the apartment arrived, she was concerned, later telling police that she didn’t like Surratt. The roommate retired to her bedroom and locked the door.
According to the roommate, approximately two hours later, she awoke to find Surratt in her bed, fondling her sexually and kissing her neck. The terrified young woman managed to escape and call both her boyfriend and Sheffield Police. Surratt was arrested on charges of First Degree Sexual Abuse; however, an August 2012 Colbert County grand jury failed to indict Gerry.
Many asked at the time how Surratt could have entered the roommate’s locked bedroom? It may have been simple; friends of Surratt told stories of the Hensley Properties maintenance man having several master keys that fit many locks, not just the ones in the apartment complexes owned by Hensley Properties. After all, Gerald Surratt Jr. was nothing if not an accomplished burglar.
Surratt continued to live in Polynesian Village Apartments and work for his late uncle’s company; however, authorities say Gerry augmented his income by the occasional home or car burglary. After a long string of arrests that Surratt was always able to wrangle out of, his deviant sexual proclivities again landed him in jail. The then 30 year-old sometime maintenance man contacted at least two young teenage girls on Facebook, sending them live feeds of him masturbating.
One Place of the Shoals pieced together a case against Surratt, having him arrested in July 2016 on a charge of Electronic Transmission of Obscene Material. It would be a year before Gerry was indicted on the lesser charge of Indecent Exposure. Ultimately, Surratt again managed to avoid any real punishment for his crimes against an innocent young woman.
During this time frame, Surratt boasted that he was above the law. His family had money to pay for the best defense, and his second cousin Benjamin Graves was now a sitting Lauderdale County Circuit Court judge. While Graves was indeed Billy Hensley’s grandson, it’s doubtful that Surratt actually found this connection helpful. A good defense attorney and crowded state prisons were more likely reasons for Gerry’s continued freedom.
Perhaps emboldened by this lack of punishment, Surratt continued to exhibit anti-social tendencies against women. After several complaints, the University of North Alabama Police banned Gerry from the campus in May 2018. The university wasn’t the only entity to ban Surratt. The social pariah was also banished from Walmart Stores where he ostensibly made a second career of shoplifting electronics and other items to peddle on his Facebook page.
In November 2018, Florence Police announced that Gerald Surratt was a suspect in a rash of burglaries at and near Florence Mall. Authorities say Gerry broke into numerous residences, as well as retail establishments including Castner-Knott Beauty Shop.
It didn’t take long to apprehend Surratt, who was already on probation in several cases. Perhaps Gerry’s family saw the futility of continuing to assist him, especially since his younger brother Corey Taft Surratt had also now taken up the mantle of armed robber. Nevertheless, Gerry posted bond, but was soon re-arrested with the added charge of escape/absconding.
Gerry Surratt was convicted in Lauderdale County in August 2019 on a charge of Burglary. The court took Surratt’s record into consideration and ultimately sentenced the career felon to 15 years. He’s currently serving his time in the William E. Donaldson Correctional Facility, a maximum security prison.
According to Department of Corrections records, Surratt has not been a model prisoner. He currently has lost six months of correctional incentive time due to his behavior and is being held in “Close Custody,” the most secure status outside of solitary confinement or death row.
Gerry Surratt will end his sentence on November 19, 2023; however, he will be eligible for parole consideration on June 1, 2021. With his current record, it’s extremely doubtful that Surratt will even come close to making parole, but with the right attorney, it’s not to be ruled out.
If you have been a victim of Gerald Surratt, you may write a protest letter to the parole board here:
Alabama Board of Pardons & Paroles
Re: Gerald Winston Surratt Jr., AIS# 259912
100 Capitol Commerce Boulevard - Suite 310
Montgomery, AL 36117
The mandatory early release program is highly supervised, and Surratt lasted only a few months before violating the terms of his parole. He was taken into state custody in early December 2022 and remains awaiting transfer back to the state prison system as of February 2023. His new end of sentence date is February 19, 2024.
As news of his parole failure became known, one young local woman commented:
