Louis Gaskin

On the night of December 20, 1989, Gaskin walked up to the home of 56-year-old Robert and 55-year-old Georgette Sturmfels with a .22 Caliber rifle, and wearing a full black ninja outfit to avoid identification. Gaskin circled the home until he stumbled across the back window, where Robert was sitting in a recliner and Georgette sat of the sofa. Gaskin fired his gun, shooting Robert five times, killing him, and shooting Georgette once.[3] Georgette was still alive on the first shot, so Gaskin reloaded his gun and shot Georgette in the head, killing her.

A few hours later, Gaskin drove up to the home of Joseph and Mary Rector. As the Rector's watched the television, Gaskin unloaded his rifle into the home, hitting Joseph. Thankfully, Joseph was able to run out of the room. Mary and Joseph took coverage in a closet until they heard Gaskin smash the back window, So they ran out to the car, where Gaskin started firing at them from inside the house. All the bullets missed and the Rectors were able to get in their car and drive away to a nearby hospital. The police were called and after a search of the home, it was clear the perpetrator had ransacked it.

When the murders became public, Gaskin became a suspect almost immediately, after the cousin of his girlfriend implicated Gaskin in the killings, saying that Gaskin came home soon after the killings, and said he was wrapping some ‘presents’.[3]

Gaskin was arrested on December 30, and soon confessed to the murders. After a search of Gaskin’s home, the ‘presents’ were determined to be originally from the Sturmfels property. He also confessed to killing a coworker back in 1986, though unconfirmed. After a two month trial, in July 1990, Gaskin was found guilty in two counts of first degree murder and two counts of attempted murder, and he was given two death sentences. He is currently incarcerated at the Union Correctional Institution in Raiford, Florida.[1]

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