Fred Waterfield: One of Florida’s “Killing Cousins”
Background
Fred Waterfield was born on September 29, 1952, in New Jersey and later lived in Florida. He became notorious through his association with his cousin, David Alan Gore, a convicted serial murderer who admitted killing six women and teenage girls in Indian River County between 1981 and 1983. The cousins became known as the “Killing Cousins” because Gore identified Waterfield as his accomplice in several abductions, sexual assaults and murders.
Waterfield and Gore had known each other since childhood. As adults, they reportedly developed an arrangement in which Gore searched for vulnerable women or girls, abducted them and delivered them to secluded locations where Waterfield could participate in their abuse. Gore later claimed that Waterfield sometimes paid him to obtain victims. Although prosecutors connected Waterfield to the broader series of crimes, he was ultimately convicted only of the murders of 14-year-old Barbara Ann Byer and 14-year-old Angelica Jean LaVallee.
Early Allegations and Escalating Violence
Waterfield and Gore came to the attention of law enforcement before the known murders began. In 1976, a 20-year-old woman accused the cousins of raping her at gunpoint. Both men claimed that the encounter had been consensual, and criminal charges were not filed. The allegation nevertheless foreshadowed the methods later associated with the pair: the use of weapons, isolation and cooperation between the two cousins.
Gore possessed an auxiliary law-enforcement badge and sometimes used it to make potential victims believe that he was a police officer. He also worked around secluded citrus groves near Vero Beach, providing locations where women could be held without attracting attention. According to Gore’s later confessions, Waterfield joined him during several attacks and helped conceal the victims’ remains.
The Murders of Hsiang Huang Ling and Ying Hua Ling
On February 19, 1981, Gore approached 17-year-old Ying Hua Ling and displayed his auxiliary police badge. He used the appearance of authority to persuade or force the teenager into his vehicle and then drove her to her home. There, he encountered Ying’s 48-year-old mother, Hsiang Huang Ling. Both women were abducted and taken to an isolated area.
Gore later alleged that Waterfield participated in the attack. Hsiang Ling was restrained against a tree while her daughter was sexually assaulted. Gore claimed that Hsiang died from strangulation or suffocation while bound. Ying was also murdered. The women’s bodies were dismembered, placed inside containers and buried in a citrus grove. Their remains were not recovered until Gore led investigators to the burial location in December 1983.
The Murder of Judith Kay Daley
Judith Kay Daley, a 35-year-old former Fort Pierce resident, was visiting Florida from California when she disappeared on July 15, 1981. Gore interfered with or disabled her vehicle near a beach and then offered to take her to a telephone. Instead, he drove her to an isolated location.
Gore claimed that Waterfield met him there and participated in Daley’s sexual assault. Daley was murdered, and Gore said that her body had been discarded in a swamp. Human remains associated with her case were located near Vero Beach on June 3, 1984. Waterfield was not convicted of Daley’s murder, and his alleged role depended largely upon statements made by Gore.
Gore’s Imprisonment and Return to Killing
Shortly after Daley’s disappearance, Gore attempted to abduct another teenage girl while using his badge. Her father reported the incident, and Gore lost his auxiliary credentials. Police subsequently discovered Gore hiding in the back seat of a woman’s vehicle with a handgun, handcuffs and a police scanner. He was convicted of armed trespassing and sentenced to prison.
Gore was paroled in March 1983 after serving only a portion of his sentence. Within approximately two months, he and Waterfield committed the two murders that would result in Waterfield’s convictions.
The Murders of Barbara Ann Byer and Angelica Jean LaVallee
On May 20, 1983, Barbara Ann Byer and Angelica Jean LaVallee, both 14 years old and from the Orlando area, were hitchhiking along Interstate 95 in Brevard County. Gore and Waterfield stopped and offered the girls a ride. Once the teenagers were inside the vehicle, the cousins used a firearm to control them and drove south toward the Vero Beach area.
The girls were taken to a secluded citrus grove, where prosecutors established that both Waterfield and Gore participated in their sexual assaults and murders. The victims were shot and their bodies were dismembered in an effort to prevent identification and conceal the crimes. Portions of Barbara Byer’s remains were later recovered after Gore directed investigators to a burial site. Angelica LaVallee’s remains were never conclusively recovered.
Unlike the other murders attributed to the cousins, the evidence concerning Barbara and Angelica was sufficient to convict Waterfield directly. Gore provided statements describing Waterfield’s involvement, and investigators assembled corroborating evidence concerning the abduction, transportation and disposal of the victims.
The Final Attack and the Capture of David Gore
On July 26, 1983, 17-year-old Lynn Elliott and her 14-year-old friend, Regan Martin, were hitchhiking toward Wabasso Beach when Gore and Waterfield picked them up. They were driven to a residence owned by Gore’s parents. Waterfield reportedly became nervous after seeing his sister during the trip and left before the violence escalated. His exact knowledge of Gore’s intentions during this final attack remained disputed.
Gore separated and restrained the girls. Lynn Elliott managed to escape from the residence with her hands bound, but Gore pursued her into the driveway and shot her twice in the head. A young neighbor riding a bicycle witnessed the shooting and immediately sought help. Police surrounded the house, beginning a standoff that lasted approximately 90 minutes.
Gore eventually surrendered. Officers entered the residence and rescued Regan Martin, who had been hidden in the attic while restrained. Martin survived and became a crucial witness. Gore’s arrest ended the known murder series and led investigators to reexamine several disappearances throughout the region.
Victims Associated with Waterfield and Gore
- Hsiang Huang Ling, 48: Abducted and murdered on February 19, 1981, in the Vero Beach area of Indian River County, Florida. Her remains were buried in a citrus grove and recovered in December 1983. Gore alleged that Waterfield participated, but Waterfield was not convicted in this case.
- Ying Hua Ling, 17: Abducted with her mother and murdered on February 19, 1981, in Indian River County, Florida. Her remains were recovered from the same general burial area in December 1983. Waterfield’s alleged involvement was based primarily on Gore’s account.
- Judith Kay Daley, 35: Disappeared and was murdered on July 15, 1981, near Vero Beach, Florida. Gore claimed that Waterfield participated in her assault. Remains connected to Daley were found on June 3, 1984. Waterfield was not convicted of her murder.
- Barbara Ann Byer, 14: Abducted while hitchhiking on May 20, 1983, in Brevard County, Florida, and murdered near Vero Beach. Portions of her remains were recovered from a citrus grove. Waterfield was convicted of her first-degree murder.
- Angelica Jean LaVallee, 14: Abducted with Barbara Byer and murdered on May 20, 1983, after being taken from Brevard County to the Vero Beach area. Her remains were never conclusively located. Waterfield was convicted of her first-degree murder.
- Lynn Elliott, 17: Abducted and murdered by Gore on July 26, 1983, at a residence near Vero Beach, Florida. Waterfield had been present earlier in the abduction but reportedly left before Gore shot Elliott. Waterfield was not convicted of her murder.
Confessions and Recovery of the Victims
Following his arrest, Gore began providing investigators with information about the earlier murders. On December 7, 1983, he led authorities to remains belonging to Barbara Byer, Hsiang Huang Ling and Ying Hua Ling. His statements also identified Waterfield as a participant in multiple crimes.
Gore’s credibility became an important issue because he changed portions of his accounts and possessed reasons to shift blame toward another person. Nevertheless, prosecutors argued that details of the Byer and LaVallee murders, together with supporting evidence, demonstrated that Waterfield had knowingly and actively participated. Waterfield maintained that Gore had lied about him and continued to deny responsibility.
Trial, Conviction and Sentencing
Waterfield was prosecuted for the murders of Barbara Ann Byer and Angelica Jean LaVallee. On January 21, 1985, he was convicted of two counts of first-degree murder. The court sentenced him to two consecutive life terms, requiring the sentences to be served one after the other rather than simultaneously.
The convictions made Waterfield legally responsible for two murders, although Gore accused him of involvement in a total of five killings. Waterfield was never convicted in connection with the deaths of the Ling family, Judith Daley or Lynn Elliott. Some accounts therefore describe him as a serial killer associated with all six victims, while a more precise description distinguishes the two murders proven in court from the additional crimes alleged by Gore.
David Gore’s Fate
David Alan Gore was convicted of Lynn Elliott’s murder and received a death sentence. He ultimately admitted responsibility for six killings and remained on Florida’s death row for nearly three decades. Gore was executed by lethal injection at Florida State Prison on April 12, 2012.
Before his execution, Gore expressed remorse and apologized to Elliott’s family. His statements did not resolve every dispute concerning Waterfield’s role. Gore consistently portrayed his cousin as an accomplice in the broader series, while Waterfield and members of his family continued to maintain that Gore had falsely implicated him.
Imprisonment and Continuing Claims of Innocence
Waterfield has remained incarcerated under his consecutive life sentences. He was held at Okeechobee Correctional Institution and was later transferred to Hardee Correctional Institution in Florida. He has repeatedly maintained that he did not murder Barbara Byer or Angelica LaVallee and has challenged Gore’s description of their relationship.
Despite those denials, the convictions against Waterfield remain in effect. The murders of Barbara and Angelica established his legal connection to one of Florida’s most disturbing criminal partnerships. The larger history of the “Killing Cousins” remains divided between facts proven in court and allegations supplied by Gore’s confessions, but the documented crimes reveal a sustained pattern of abduction, sexual violence, murder and concealment that terrorized Florida between 1981 and 1983.
Legacy of the Case
The Waterfield and Gore case demonstrated how offenders could exploit apparent authority, isolated rural property and vulnerable travelers. Several victims were teenagers who accepted rides while hitchhiking, while others were deceived by Gore’s badge or offers of assistance. The cousins’ familiarity with citrus groves and remote areas allowed them to hide evidence for years.
The case also left lasting uncertainty for families whose loved ones’ complete remains were never recovered. Angelica LaVallee’s body has never been conclusively found, while the discovery and identification of other victims occurred months or years after their deaths. Waterfield’s two life sentences ensured that he would remain imprisoned, but the disputed extent of his involvement continued to surround the case long after Gore’s execution.
