Sharon Mary Wimer, a 14-year-old girl from Titusville, Florida, was tragically murdered on November 5, 1973. Her body was later discovered strangled, wearing only a St. Christopher's necklace, with her shirt and sweater found nearby. Her murder was part of a series of killings committed by Bernard Eugene Giles, a convicted serial killer and rapist who preyed on young girls and women in the Titusville area during late 1973.
Giles, born in 1953, was a married man with a young daughter at
the time of his crimes. He targeted hitchhikers, luring them into his vehicle before driving them to isolated locations where he sexually assaulted and murdered them. His victims included Nancy Gerry Paula Hamric Carolyn Bennett Kristi Melton and Sharon Wimer. The bodies of these victims were found in orange groves or wooded areas, often showing signs of strangulation or gunshot wounds.
Giles was apprehended on December 10, 1973, after two underage hitchhikers managed to escape his attack and provided police with his name and vehicle description. Upon his arrest, Giles was charged with assault and attempted rape. Investigators soon linked him to the disappearances and murders of multiple young women in the area. In 1974, Giles confessed to the killings and was sentenced to multiple life imprisonment terms, avoiding the death penalty by admitting his crimes.
The case of Sharon Wimer and Giles' other victims remains a chilling reminder of the dangers faced by young women during that time. Giles' crimes were later spotlighted in media coverage, including documentaries and crime series examining his actions and the impact on his victims' families.
