Cause of death Lethal injection Span of killings 1981–1983 Victims 6 Date apprehended July 26, 1983 | Conviction(s) Murder Name David Gore Other names The Killing Cousins | |
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Died April 12, 2012, Florida State Prison, Florida, United States | ||
Criminal penalty Capital punishment | ||
David Alan Gore (August 21, 1953 – April 12, 2012) was an American serial killer who confessed to, and was convicted of, six murders in Vero Beach and Indian River County, Florida in the 1980s. Gore was executed by lethal injection in 2012, having been on Florida's death row for 28 years.
Contents
- David alan gore executed
- Background
- Victims
- Hsiang Huang Ling and Ying Hua Ling
- Judith Kay Daley
- Barbara Ann Byer and Angelica LaVallee
- Lynn Elliot and Regan Martin
- Case timeline
- Final statement
- Death
- References
Gore had an accomplice, his cousin Fred Waterfield, and the pair were dubbed the "Killing Cousins". Waterfield was convicted of two murders, and is currently serving two consecutive life sentences.
In 1976 (prior to their committing any murders), police jailed and questioned both Gore and Waterfield after Angela Hommell Austin (age 20) accused them of raping her at gunpoint. The cousins insisted the sex was consensual, and they were not charged in her case. Gore targeted at least four additional women who escaped with their lives.
David alan gore executed
Background
David Alan Gore was born on August 21, 1953 in Florida. In his youth he had two major obsessions: firearms and women. His obsession for women led him to lose his first job as a gas station attendant after his boss found a hole that allowed Gore to look into the women’s bathroom. Gore was an auxiliary sheriff's deputy and used his badge to commit some of his crimes. Gore also worked as a caretaker of a citrus grove that provided a secluded area in which to rape and murder his victims.
Fred Waterfield was born on September 29, 1952 in New Jersey. He was a former high school football player.
Gore and Waterfield came to an arrangement, namely that Gore would spot, stalk, and secure potential victims for himself and Waterfield, in exchange for cash payments from Waterfield.
Victims
Their first rape victim was Fred's sister. David helped hold down the victim and watched as Fred raped his sister.
Hsiang Huang Ling and Ying Hua Ling
Gore's and Waterfield's first two murder victims were Ying Hua Ling (age 17) and her mother Hsiang Huang Ling (age 48). On February 19, 1981, Gore accosted Ying Ling and brandished his auxiliary police badge to lure the teenager into his truck, after which he drove her to her own home. Once there, he encountered Hsiang Ling and kidnapped both women. Gore later claimed that the mother, tied to a tree, slowly choked to death while he and Waterfield raped the daughter. The pair dismembered the two women and stuffed their body parts into oil drums, which they buried.
Judith Kay Daley
The pair's third victim was Judith Daley (age 35), a former Fort Pierce resident visiting from California. On July 15, 1981, Gore disabled Daley's car at the beach, and then offered her a ride to the nearest telephone. Gore drove Daley to a secluded area and met Waterfield, whereupon both men raped Daley. Gore claimed to have disposed of Daley's body in a swamp.
One week after Daley's murder, Gore unsuccessfully attempted to abduct a teenaged girl using his auxiliary badge. The girl's father filed a complaint, and Gore was stripped of his badge. Days later, police spotted Gore hiding in the backseat of a woman's car, carrying a police scanner, handcuffs, and a pistol. Gore was convicted of armed trespassing and sentenced to five years in prison, but was released on parole in March 1983.
Barbara Ann Byer and Angelica LaVallee
On May 20, 1983, Gore and Waterfield encountered Orlando hitchhikers Angelica LaVallee and Barbara Ann Byer (both age 14) and picked them up. Gore and Waterfield raped, killed and dismembered both girls. These are the only two crimes for which Waterfield was convicted; he was sentenced to two consecutive life sentences for the two murders.
Lynn Elliot and Regan Martin
Lynn Elliot (age 17) and Regan Martin (age 14), students at Vero Beach High School, were hitchhiking to Wabasso Beach when Gore and Waterfield picked them up on July 26, 1983. They took both girls to a house owned by Gore’s parents. Waterfield soon left, spooked by having seen his sister during the drive. Gore later told police that he bound and placed the girls in different rooms prior to raping them. As he was assaulting Martin, Lynn Elliot—nude, with her hands tied behind her back—escaped to the driveway, until she lost her footing. According to Gore, “I kept running after her then she tripped and fell and then I caught up to her”. Gore told police “I started dragging her back and she was trying, like, resisting, fighting me, so I threw her to the ground. That’s when I shot her in the head”. Gore shot her twice at point-blank range only to realize that a neighbor boy riding his bicycle had witnessed the entire incident. The neighbor boy alerted police, which led to a 90-minute standoff between Gore and law enforcement. Cops arrested Gore and rescued Martin, who was found in the attic naked, handcuffed, and with electrical cords tied around her legs.
On December 7, 1983, Gore led police to the remains of three of his six murder victims. These victims were Barbara Ann Byer, Hsiang Huang Ling and her daughter, Ying Hua Ling. He also admitted to killing three girls and two women.
Case timeline
On August 10, 1983 a grand jury charges Gore with first-degree murder with two counts of kidnapping and two counts of sexual battery.
On January 6, 1984 Gore’s trial is moved from Vero Beach to St. Petersburg, Florida. Two months after on March 16, 1984 the jury convicts him of first-degree murder and after an 11-1 vote he receives the death sentence.
On August 22, 1985 The Supreme Court affirms Gore’s first-degree murder conviction and death penalty.
On January 21, 1985, Waterfield was convicted of the murders of Byer and LaVellee, receiving two consecutive life sentences.
On March 3, 1988 Governor Bob Martinez signs Gore’s death warrant.
On July 5, 2007 The Florida Supreme Court confirms Gore’s death sentence.
Final statement
"I would like to say to Mr. and Mrs. Elliott that I am truly sorry for my part in the death of your daughter. I wish above all else my death could bring her back. I am not the same man today that I was 28 years ago. When I accepted Jesus Christ as my Savior I become a New Creature in Christ and I know God has truly forgiven me for my past sins. I am able to face today because I know Christ lives in me. The Apostle Paul said 'for to die is to gain.' So I do not fear today but truly look forward to spending Eternity with Christ. Mr. and Mrs. Elliott, I have prayed for you both and pray y'all can find the peace that only Christ can give. Last, I just want to say I have had a tremendous amount of remorse and pray you and your family can forgive me. God bless all of y'all".
Death
Gore was executed by lethal injection at 6:19 p.m. on Thursday, April 12, 2012, having exhausted all legal appeals. His last meal consisted of fried chicken, French fries, and butter pecan ice cream. As Gore lay strapped to a gurney in the death chamber, he said: "I'm sorry. I've had remorse....I'm not the man I was back then. I don't fear death."