Barbara Ann Byer, a 14-year-old girl, tragically lost her life on May 20, 1983, in a horrifying incident that shocked the community. Barbara, along with another 14-year-old girl named Angelica LaVallee, was hitchhiking along Interstate 95 in Brevard County, Florida, when they were picked up by David Alan Gore and his cousin Fred Waterfield. The two men, later infamously known as 'The Killing Cousins,' were responsible for a series of heinous crimes in the area during the early 1980s.
Gore and Waterfield abducted Barbara and Angelica at gunpoint, tying them up and taking them to a secluded location. The details of their ordeal are harrowing, as both girls were subjected to unspeakable violence. Ultimately, Barbara Ann Byer and Angelica LaVallee were murdered by the two men. Their deaths were part of a string of six murders committed by Gore and Waterfield between 1981 and 1983.
David Alan Gore was apprehended in July 1983 and later confessed to the murders, including those of Barbara and Angelica. He was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to death. Gore spent 28 years on death row before being executed by lethal injection in 2012. His cousin, Fred Waterfield, was also convicted and is serving two consecutive life sentences for his role in the crimes.
The case of Barbara Ann Byer and Angelica LaVallee remains a chilling reminder of the dangers faced by vulnerable individuals and the devastating impact of violent crime on families and communities. The legal proceedings and eventual convictions of Gore and Waterfield brought some measure of justice, but the loss of these young lives continues to resonate deeply.
