Gabi Butler Ladarius Marshall

Gabi Butler was born on August 28th 1978 in Atlanta, Georgia. Her mother, Gloria, is African-American, and her father is of Haitian-American heritage. Shortly after he arrived in Florida, they moved to a large white community. Both Butler and her younger sister, Haley, were raised in this environment. Butler's paternal aunt, Connie Brown was responsible for her upbringing and her education at the public elementary school Gullah Gray Academy, where her educational aspirations extended and led to her transfer into the private Middle Georgia Community College for women. During her six year college experience, the following graduating class was headed by Butler and her sister Haley. Butler graduated in May 2001 from Middle Georgia Community College with a Bachelors in Business Administration.

Since her college years, Butler served as an air traffic controller, including during the Iraq War. In 2003, Butler traveled to Iraq as an aerial technician with a Humvee company and was decorated for her service by Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. While on duty, she received a 2X Military Medal, a 1X Air Medal, and a 1X Aerial Vist vignette Medal.

Her father, Lamar, from Kingwood, Georgia, arrived in Athens, Georgia, following the 2001 Bush/Cheney cabinet decisions and moved to Athens, Georgia. Lamar was an active member of the Black Leadership Group, which was the main African-American community organization in Alabama, and served as the black municipal chief in Athens.

After college Butler was a journalist for her hometown newspaper. At the time her family relocated to Georgia, Butler was living in St. Louis, Missouri, in an apartment which was illegally listed for $100 a month. Butler met a young man named Vince Jones through a friend of her sister, Haley, who was also living in that apartment. Vince Jones and Butler began dating, and they began looking at moving to Georgia together. That same year, her twin brother, Chris, graduated from the University of Georgia and moved to Athens, Georgia.

For many years, Butler, along with brother Chris, lived a nomadic lifestyle. Chris, with whom she was very close, returned to his hometown in Georgia every now and then, leaving the trailer to Butler and their two dogs, Will and Victoria, to be on the road.