Murder of Carmen Gayheart
Carmen Gayheart | |
|---|---|
| Born | Carmen Gabriella Tortora September 2, 1970 Fort Lauderdale, Florida, U.S. |
| Died | April 27, 1994 (aged 23) Hamilton County, Florida, U.S. |
| Cause of death | Strangulation, Gunshot Wound |
| Resting place | Forest Lawn Memorial Gardens Lake City, Florida, US |
| Education | Lake City Community College |
| Known for | Victim of a kidnapping, rape, and murder case |
The murder of Carmen Gayheart occurred on April 27, 1994, when 23-year-old Carmen Gabriella Gayheart was abducted in Lake City, Florida, United States, and subsequently raped and murdered in Hamilton County, Florida. The perpetrators, Anthony Wainwright and Richard Hamilton, had escaped from a North Carolina prison just days prior to the crime. Gayheart was a mother of two and nursing student enrolled at Lake City Community College at the time of her death.
Following a multi-state investigation, both men were apprehended, tried, and convicted of first-degree murder. Both were sentenced to death. Hamilton remained on Florida's death row until his death from natural causes on January 13, 2023. Wainwright, the surviving co-defendant, was executed on June 10, 2025.