On July 22, 1975, the body of 16-year-old Caucasian female Linda Ann Hamilton was discovered by a fisherman on a beach near Turtle Mound State Park in New Smyrna Beach, Florida. She had been strangled, drowned, and buried in the sand.
The case remained unsolved for several years. Eventually, serial killer Gerald Eugene Stano, born Paul Zeininger, confessed to the murder of Linda Ann Hamilton.
Stano was active between 1969 and 1980, primarily in Florida, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. He was convicted of nine counts of first-degree murder and sentenced to death plus eight life sentences.
In addition to Linda Ann Hamilton, Stano confessed to numerous other murders, with authorities confirming 23 victims and suspecting as many as 88. His victims were predominantly young Caucasian females between the ages of 16 and 25.
Stano was apprehended on April 1, 1980, after attacking a woman who managed to escape and identify him to the authorities. He was executed by electrocution on March 23, 1998, at Florida State Prison.
