Introduction

David Alan Gore (August 21, 1951-April 12, 2012) was a Florida resident best known for committing six murders. Gore “was on death row for nearly three decades” (Stebner). His murders were said to have “[shaken] the quiet Florida town of Vero Beach” (Stebner). Throughout the time it took him to commit his murders, it was said that he seemed as if he did not feel guilty; however, when issuing his last statement, it seemed he was a changed man (Stebner).

Family History

David Alan Gore, born August 21, 1951, is a United States, Florida citizen who was a convicted serial killer.^[1] In his youth he had two major obsessions: firearms and women. His obsession for women lead 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 (Park).

Victims

David’s first victim was Ying Hua Ling, a 17-year-old award-winning math student at Vero Beach High School (Lemmon). On February 19, 1981 Ying Ling was on the bus heading home after school. Once off the bus Gore managed to lure Ying Ling and her mother Hsiang Huang Ling, 48 years old (who was waiting for her daughter) into his truck by presenting himself as a sheriff. He told police that he raped them both and then put a bullet into the head of Hsiang (Lemmon). After doing so, he demanded that his cousin Fred Waterfield rape and kill Ying.^[1]

His second victim, Judy Kay Daley, was a 35-year-old a former Fort Pierce resident visiting from California (Lemmon). After days of stalking, on July 15, 1981 Gore disabled Judy’s car parked in Round Island Park in Indian River County. Judy, seeking assistance, reaches out to Gore who was pretending to help her. He lures her into his truck and handcuffs her. She was then raped and strangled to death in his trailer (Park).  On June 3, 1984, police discovered body parts in a garbage bag dug in a hole near Vero Beach.^[1]

Gore and his cousin Fred Waterfield found 14-year-old, Orlando runaways Angelica LaVellee and Barbara Ann Myer hiking on May 20, 1983 by Interstate 95 in Brevard County (Lemmon). They become Gore’s third murder after he lured both girls into his truck and tied them up. He managed all of this by putting a gun to their head. They headed south toward Vero Beach where Gore killed the girls by shooting them in the head.^[1] After doing so he then dismembered them (Stebner).

David Alan Gore’s final victims were Lynn Elliot and Regan Martin, both 14 years of age and seniors at Vero Beach High School. Gore and Waterfield picked them up on July 26, 1983 (Stebner). They took both girls to Gore’s parents’ vacation home. Upon arrival at the police station, Gore told officers that he raped both girls. Lynn Elliot with her hands tied, managed to escape the house but only got as far as the driveway until she lost her footing. Gore, in panic, tells police, “I kept running after her then she tripped and fell and then I caught up to her” (“A killer with”). Gore, realizing he was losing control of the situation, says in his sworn statement, “I started dragging her back and she was trying, like, resisting, fighting me, so I throwed her to the ground. That’s when I shot her in the head” (“A killer with“). Gore shot her twice and realized that a neighbor had seen the whole incident (Whisper). The neighbor called the police, which led to a 90-minute standoff between the cops and Gore. Cops arrested Gore and took him to prison where he was later convicted of first-degree murder. Police later report that they found Elliot’s naked body in the trunk of a car and were able to rescue Martin who was found in the attic, naked, handcuffed, and with electrical cords tied around her legs.^[1]

Police searched for the remaining victims’ bodies, but with no success. On December 7, 1983, Gore led police to three of his six murder victims that were buried. These victims were Babara Ann Bayer, Hsiang Huang Ling and her daughter, Ying Hau Ling. He also admitted to killing three other girls and two women.^[1]

Case Information

On August 10, 1983 a grand jury charges Gore with first-degree murder with two counts of kidnapping and two counts of sexual battery.^[1]

On January 6, 1984 Gore’s trial is moved from Vero Beach to St. Petersburg. Two months after on March 16, 1984 the jury convicts him of first-degree murder and after a 11-1 vote he receives the death sentence.^[1]

On August 22, 1985 The Supreme Court confirms Gore’s first-degree murder and death penalty.^[1]

On March 3 1988 Governor Bob Martinez signs Gore’s death warrant.^[1]

On July 5, 2007 The Florida Supreme Court confirms Gore’s death sentence.^[1]

Last 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” (Stebner).

Death

After being in death row for since 1984, Gore was executed on Thursday, April 12, 2012 (Beth). He tried to appeal to the U.S Supreme Court, but to no surprise, he was rejected and later that day David Alan Gore, 58 years old, was pronounced dead at 6:19 PM by lethal injection. His last meal consisted of fried chicken, French fries, and butter pecan ice cream (Stebner). David’s last words were simply his final statement, which he dedicated only to the Elliot family (“Relatives of Victims Happy”).