Gerald Eugene Stano

Serial Killer

Gerald Eugene Stano: A Detailed Account of His Crimes

Early Life

Gerald Eugene Stano, born Paul Zeininger on September 12, 1951, in Schenectady, New York, endured severe neglect in his infancy. His biological mother abandoned him at six months old, leading to his adoption by Norma and Eugene Stano, who renamed him Gerald Eugene Stano. Despite a nurturing environment, Stano exhibited behavioral issues throughout his youth, including poor academic performance, compulsive lying, and petty theft. He graduated high school at the age of 21 and struggled to maintain steady employment thereafter.

Criminal Activities

Stano's criminal activities spanned from 1969 to 1980, during which he confessed to the murders of 41 women, although he was convicted of 22 homicides. His victims were primarily young women, often hitchhikers or individuals he encountered in vulnerable situations. Stano's methods varied, including stabbing, strangulation, and shooting. His crimes occurred across several states, notably Florida, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania.

Notable Victims

• Janine Marie Ligotino, 19 - Found stabbed to death in a vacant lot in Gainesville, Florida, on March 21, 1973.
• Ann Eugenia Arceneaux, 17 - Discovered alongside Ligotino in Gainesville, Florida, on March 21, 1973, both victims having been fatally stabbed.
• Barbara Anne Bauer, 16 - Abducted from a shopping mall in Holly Hill, Florida, and found strangled in Bradford County, Florida, on September 6, 1973.
• Cathy Lee Scharf, 17 - A hitchhiker from Port Orange, Florida, her body was found on January 19, 1974, in the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge near Titusville, Florida; she had been stabbed and strangled between December 1973 and January 1974.
• Nancy Jean Heard, 24 - Last seen hitchhiking on Atlantic Avenue, her strangled body was discovered near Bulow Creek Road, north of Ormond Beach, Florida, on January 2, 1975.
• Diana Lynn Valleck, 18 - Found shot to death in an empty lot in Wesley Chapel, Florida, on May 19, 1975.
• Susan Basille, 12 - Last seen in Port Orange, Florida, on June 10, 1975; according to Stano's confession, he strangled her and left her body in a wooded area, which was never recovered.
• Linda Ann Hamilton, 16 - Last seen walking down Atlantic Avenue, her body was found buried in the sand of a beach near Turtle Mound State Park in New Smyrna Beach, Florida, on July 22, 1975; she had been strangled, drowned, and buried.
• Emily Branch, 21 - Her strangled body was found floating in Spruce Spring Creek, Florida, in December 1975; she had been murdered earlier that month.
• Susan Bickrest, 24 - An aspiring cosmetologist who had recently moved to Daytona Beach from Ohio, she was kidnapped by Stano from her workplace on December 20, 1975; her case gained media attention in 2020 due to its connection to a fabricated story by a true crime writer.
• Bonnie Williams Hughes, 25 - Found beaten to death near her car south of County Road 546, near the intersection with U.S. Highway 27, on February 11, 1976.
• Ramona Cheryl Neal, 18 - Discovered concealed with branches in Tomoka State Park, Florida, on May 29, 1976.
• Joan Gail Foster, 18 - Found shot to death in Pasco County, Florida, on September 28, 1977.
• Emily Grieve, 39 - Discovered shot to death in Pasco County, Florida, on October 21, 1977.
• Phoebe Winston, 23 - Reported missing from her home in Plant City, Florida, on October 28, 1977; her car was recovered on March 3, 1978, off Cleveland Heights Boulevard in Lakeland.

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Confirmed Victims: (15)

Janine Marie Ligotino Age: (19), Date of Death: 1973-03-21

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Gerald Stano - Wikipedia

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