Bio

Dominick Anthony Occhicone was born on August 29, 1945. He grew up in the United States. As a young man, Occhicone had relationships with women. One of these women was Anita Gerrety. Their relationship brought some challenges for both of them. Occhicone had issues that seemed to stem from this relationship, which would later lead to significant events in his life.

Murder Story

On June 10, 1986, Dominick Occhicone went to the home of his former girlfriend, Anita Gerrety, in Pasco County, Florida. He first knocked on her sliding glass door in the early morning. When she did not respond, he left but returned later armed with a handgun. Occhicone then cut the telephone wires outside the house to prevent anyone from calling for help.

When Anita’s father, Raymond Artzner, came outside to confront Occhicone, he was shot. After this, Occhicone broke into the house through a locked door. Inside, he encountered Martha Artzner, Anita's mother. He shot her four times.

Dominick Occhicone was indicted for the murders of Raymond and Martha Artzner. On September 18, 1987, a jury found him guilty of both first-degree murders. The jury recommended the death penalty for Martha Artzner's murder, while he received a life sentence for Raymond Artzner's murder.

Occhicone filed multiple appeals after his sentencing. He challenged the trial court's decisions and the overall conduct of his trial. However, the Florida Supreme Court upheld his convictions and sentences over several rulings from 1990 to 2000. His appeals for post-conviction relief were also denied. Eventually, he sought relief in federal court, but many of his claims were rejected or found to have procedural issues. In July 2006, the U.S. Court of Appeals affirmed the decisions of the lower courts regarding his case.