Gary Michael Gibson is the youngest of Carol and William Gibson's three sons.

When his own father retired, William Gibson took over the family business, Gibson Motors Used Car Emporium in nearby Pontotoc, Mississippi. Over time he expanded, replacing the Chrysler dealership in Oxford with a second Gibson Motors.

With William firmly ensconced in the family business, Carol quit her job as a teller at the local bank with the arrival of their first son, in 1985. Their second son was born in 1987, and Gary came along four years later, on May 25, 1991.

Gary and his brothers grew up loving sports and outdoor recreation, and William faithfully took the boys on a hunting and fishing trip every year. The family was also active in the local First Baptist Church.

In 1993, the Gibsons moved into the same area as Caroline Jordan's family. Gary and Carly, two years his junior, were sometimes playmates even though they were in different grades in school.

Gary and his brothers grew up loving sports and outdoor recreation, and William faithfully took the boys on a hunting and fishing trip every year. The family was also active in the local First Baptist Church.

William intended for all three of his three sons to take over the family business one day, but by high school, it was clear that only his two older sons were close enough to work side by side.

The oldest Gibson boy was a standout athlete and won a scholarship to Ole Miss. The middle son was more of a troublemaker, twice racking up juvenile offenses for taking cars from his father's lot on joyrides, but he too managed to get into Miss and majored in business administration like his brother.

Gary, by contrast, preferred solitary activities to team sports, remaining an avid hunter. He also stayed more connected with the church than his brothers, continuing as a youth group leader through high school.

Although his grades were decent, Gary didn't apply to Ole Miss like his brothers. Instead, he worked part-time jobs at the local mall and attended classes at Northwest Community College (NWCC), where he reconnected with Carly. After she dropped out, they stayed in touch.

In his second semester at NWCC, Gary enlisted in the National Guard. He soon found himself deployed to Afghanistan and has served two more tours since then. When home, he picks up part-time jobs at local stores like Santa's Toy Shoppe, where his friend Carly works and remains active in church volunteer work.

Gary lives with his parents and has helped his mother adjust to her worsening visual impairment due to macular degeneration. He plans to go to college full time when he has fulfilled his obligation to the military.