David Alan Gore

Gore's crimes shocked the quiet coastal community. He confessed to the killings after his 1983 arrest, leading authorities to hidden graves. Sentenced to death for the murder of Lynn Elliott, he spent 28 years on death row before his execution by lethal injection in 2012, while Waterfield received life sentences.

David Alan Gore was born on August 21, 1953, in Florida. He grew up in a working-class family in the Vero Beach area, with a father who worked in the citrus industry and as a hunter. Gore had one sister and appeared to have a relatively normal upbringing without notable physical or severe psychological abuse reported, though he developed intense obsessions with firearms and women from a young age.

As a teenager, Gore was fired from his first job at a gas station after his boss discovered a hole he had drilled to spy into the women's bathroom. He later became an auxiliary sheriff's deputy, a role he abused to facilitate crimes by flashing his badge to approach women. He also worked as a caretaker at a secluded citrus grove, which provided isolated locations ideal for his later offenses. Prior to the murders, in 1976, he and Waterfield were questioned but not charged after a woman accused them of rape at gunpoint.

Gore's killing spree began in February 1981 with the abduction of 17-year-old Ying Hua Ling, whom he lured using his auxiliary deputy badge. He took her home, where he encountered and also kidnapped her mother, Hsiang Huang Ling. The pair were raped and murdered, with their bodies later dismembered and buried in oil drums in citrus groves. Over the next two years, Gore and Waterfield targeted young women and hitchhikers, including 35-year-old Judy Kay Daley, 14-year-olds Barbara Ann Byer and Angelica LaVallee, and others.

The cousins operated as a team, with Gore often taking a more dominant, sadistic role. Victims were typically sexually assaulted, sometimes tortured, and killed by shooting or other means. Bodies were disposed of in remote areas, swamps, or groves, with some never fully recovered. Gore confessed to six murders, though he had targeted more women who escaped.

Gore and Waterfield preyed primarily on young women and teenagers, often hitchhikers or those accessible in public areas like bus stops or beaches. They used Gore's official-looking vehicle and badge to gain trust, posing as helpful authorities. Once isolated, victims were abducted at gunpoint, taken to secluded spots like the citrus grove or family properties, and subjected to repeated sexual assaults, often involving both men.

Killings involved shooting or strangulation, followed by dismemberment and concealment of remains in drums, groves, or waterways to evade detection. Gore's knowledge of local terrain and law enforcement tactics helped prolong their activities. The pair sometimes used a "good cop/bad cop" dynamic, with Waterfield attempting to calm victims before Gore escalated the violence.

On July 26, 1983, Gore and Waterfield picked up 17-year-old Lynn Elliott and 14-year-old Regan Martin, who were hitchhiking. They took the girls to Gore's parents' home, where the assaults occurred. Lynn Elliott managed to escape naked and handcuffed down the driveway but was shot and killed by Gore in view of a neighbor. The witness alerted police, leading to a standoff. Gore was arrested after surrendering, and Regan Martin was rescued alive from the attic.

This botched crime provided the breakthrough. Evidence and survivor testimony linked Gore to prior disappearances, prompting his confessions.

Gore was convicted in 1984 of first-degree murder, kidnapping, and sexual battery in the Lynn Elliott case and received a death sentence. He later pleaded guilty to the other murders, receiving additional life sentences. He initially tried to blame Waterfield but eventually took responsibility. Waterfield was convicted of two murders and received life sentences.

After appeals and a resentencing, Gore remained on death row for 28 years. He was executed by lethal injection on April 12, 2012, at Florida State Prison.

Gore had a history of voyeurism and prior sexual offenses. He claimed a religious awakening in jail and provided details leading to the recovery of remains. His letters from death row revealed disturbing insights into his urges, comparing the compulsion to kill to sexual arousal. He is remembered as "The Eyes of the Devil" due to his intense stare.