Edwin Bernard Kaprat

Serial Killer

Edwin Bernard Kaprat III: The Florida Killer Who Preyed on the Vulnerable

Background and Early Criminal History

Edwin Bernard Kaprat III was an American serial killer, rapist and arsonist whose crimes spread fear through communities in west-central Florida during the early 1990s. Commonly known as Edwin "Mike" Kaprat, he was born on September 21, 1964, in New York City. By adulthood, he had developed a reputation for explosive anger, substance abuse and violent behavior. He eventually moved to Florida, where he worked as a machinist and sometimes assisted his father with repairs, remodeling projects and other jobs at local residences. Those connections gave Kaprat access to homes occupied by elderly residents. He became familiar with their routines, learned who lived alone and understood which houses could be entered without immediately attracting attention. His later crimes showed a recurring pattern: vulnerable victims were attacked inside or near their homes, and fires were started in apparent attempts to destroy physical evidence and make the deaths appear accidental. Kaprat's first known connection to a homicide came in February 1991, more than two years before the series of attacks that made him notorious. Lee Anthony Bugay III, a 27-year-old man, disappeared in the Tampa area on February 21, 1991. His body was discovered the following day in mangroves near the Courtney Campbell Causeway. Bugay had suffered severe head injuries consistent with being beaten by a heavy object such as a tire iron or metal pipe. Investigators learned that Kaprat had used Bugay's stolen credit card after the killing. Kaprat was arrested and faced charges that included first-degree murder, armed robbery, forgery and dealing in stolen property. The evidence was not considered sufficient to obtain a murder conviction, and questions were raised about the reliability of statements attributed to him. He was instead convicted of offenses connected to Bugay's stolen property. Kaprat received house arrest, violated its conditions and was later incarcerated. He was released on May 7, 1993.

The Hernando County Attacks

Only three months after his release, a frightening sequence of fires, assaults and deaths began in Hernando County. The victims were primarily elderly women living in Spring Hill, Brooksville and nearby retirement communities. Several of the fires were initially attributed to electrical problems. As the attacks continued, however, investigators began to recognize that the deaths were connected by more than coincidence. Kaprat's method involved gaining access to a residence, overpowering the occupant and then setting the home on fire. In the most clearly documented murders, the victims were beaten or strangled and sexually assaulted. The fires appear to have been intended to conceal the attacks, destroy fingerprints and other forensic evidence, and delay recognition that a serial offender was operating in the area. The violence caused widespread fear among older residents. People installed additional locks and alarm systems, purchased firearms, stayed with relatives or refused to remain alone. What had first appeared to be a series of unrelated household fires was gradually revealed as a concentrated campaign of predatory violence. ...

Confirmed Victims: (4)

Lee Anthony Bugay Age: (27), Date of Death: 1991-02-21

Survivors:

Alice Whitney , Date of Attack: 1993-08-17

William Whitney , Date of Attack: 1993-08-17

Edwin Kaprat - Wikipedia