John Hardy Roberts, a 59-year-old white male, was found dead on March 15, 1994, in his Daytona Beach home. Roberts, an insurance adjuster, was the first known victim of Gary Ray Bowles, a serial killer who preyed on older gay men. Bowles, a 35-year-old drifter, met Roberts and stayed with him under the pretense of needing a place to stay. On the night of the murder, Bowles struck Roberts on the head with a lamp.
When Roberts did not die from the initial injuries, Bowles stuffed a rag into his mouth and strangled him. Bowles then stole Roberts' car and used his bank card at an ATM.
The investigation into Roberts' death quickly led to Bowles as the prime suspect. Bowles left a probation document at the crime scene and was caught on an ATM camera attempting to withdraw money from Roberts' account. Bowles' killing spree continued for eight months, during which he murdered five other men along the Interstate 95 corridor, earning him the nickname "I-95 killer." His victims included David Jarman, Milton Bradley, Alverson Carter Jr., Albert Morris, and Walter Hinton.
Bowles was eventually captured and confessed to the murders. He pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in the case of John Hardy Roberts, as well as armed robbery and burglary resulting in battery. Bowles was sentenced to life in prison for Roberts' murder, with additional life sentences for armed robbery and burglary, and five years for grand theft. The sentences were to run consecutively.
In addition to Roberts' murder, Bowles was sentenced to death for the murder of Walter Hinton, his final known victim. Bowles' method of killing involved gagging his victims by stuffing objects into their throats, a signature move that helped investigators link the murders. Bowles was executed by lethal injection on August 22, 2019.
