Bio

Gerald Delane Murray was born on February 5, 1969. Before the murder, Murray was connected to Steven Richard Taylor, who later became his co-defendant. On September 15, 1990, Murray and Taylor were dropped off in a mobile-home neighborhood in Jacksonville, Florida, where 59-year-old Alice Vest lived. A Ford Ranchero was later stolen from a nearby home and found abandoned close to where Taylor lived.

Murray’s case went through several trials and appeals. He was first convicted and sentenced to death in 1994, but that conviction was later reversed. He was convicted again in 1999, but that conviction was also reversed because of problems with DNA evidence. In 2003, he was convicted again and sentenced to death.

Murder Story

On September 15, 1990, Alice Vest was attacked inside her mobile home in Duval County, Florida. She was 59 years old. Her phone line had been cut, her home had been burglarized, and jewelry was missing. Vest was found badly beaten in her bedroom. Evidence showed that she had been sexually assaulted, stabbed, beaten, and strangled with an electrical cord.

Investigators linked Gerald Delane Murray and Steven Richard Taylor to the crime through evidence and witness testimony. Hair evidence found on Vest’s body and clothing was compared to samples from Murray, Taylor, and Vest. Later, problems with DNA evidence became a major issue in Murray’s appeals.

After being indicted, Murray escaped from Duval County Jail with another inmate, Anthony Smith. Smith later testified that Murray confessed to the rape, robbery, and murder of Vest. Murray was captured in Las Vegas, Nevada, on June 9, 1993, while carrying false identification.

Murray was first convicted on March 9, 1994, and sentenced to death on April 15, 1994. That conviction was later reversed. He was convicted again in 1999, but that conviction was also reversed because of problems with scientific evidence.

In 2003, Murray was convicted again and sentenced to death. His sentence went through more legal review after changes in Florida death penalty law. In August 2025, a jury again recommended the death penalty. On February 6, 2026, Murray was resentenced to death.