Reynaldo “Ray” Rivero, a Hispanic male, was murdered on February 27, 1986, during a violent crime spree in South Florida. He was one of nine victims killed by Manuel Pardo, a former police officer turned serial killer. Pardo claimed he was eliminating drug dealers and criminals, but his actions were brutal and methodical. Rivero, like the other victims, was executed by gunshot. Pardo justified his actions as a form of vigilante justice, asserting that he was ridding society of undesirables.
The investigation into Rivero's death and the other murders led authorities to Pardo through ballistic evidence and items stolen from the victims found in his possession. He was arrested in 1986 and stood trial in 1988. Despite his claims of targeting criminals, the court found him guilty of multiple counts of murder. Pardo was sentenced to death and was executed by lethal injection in 2012.
