Bio

Gerardo Marten Manso was born on April 22, 1952. His mother suffered from paranoid schizophrenia and often needed hospitalization. This made life challenging for Gerardo and his siblings. They witnessed their mother's struggles and faced emotional hardships themselves.

Gerardo moved to the United States from Cuba. After arriving, he joined the Cuban military, where he served for a time. During his service, he faced psychological issues and received treatment, including electric shock therapy. These experiences had a lasting impact on his mental health.

Manso worked as a night shift foreman at Aircraft Modular Products in Miami, Florida. He held this position for six years. Manso felt he was treated unfairly at work, especially when he was passed over for a promotion. 

His family noticed that he often seemed depressed and acted strangely. They observed that he sometimes believed people were laughing at him. Gerardo began self-medicating, using his mother’s anti-psychotic medications in an effort to cope with his emotional pain.

Murder Story

Gerardo Manso committed his first murder on August 16, 1991. He shot and killed Luis Gutierrez, who was his wife's lover. This act was motivated by revenge.

On October 14, 1993, he killed again. Manso used a twelve-gauge shotgun to attack his co-workers at Aircraft Modular Products in Miami, Florida. He planned the shooting while waiting for them to return from a training class. Manso climbed onto the roof of the building, modified his shotgun, and waited for their vehicle to arrive.

When the vehicle came, Manso fired multiple shots. He aimed at Miguel Roque, believing him to be Jorge Sanchez, who he intended to kill. Roque died from the gunfire. Manso also shot at Douglas Zamora and Ray Cruz, injuring both. He attempted to shoot George Moussa as well, but was unsuccessful because Roque's body shielded him.

After the attack, Manso discarded evidence and returned to mingle with other employees as if nothing had happened. He even misled police by claiming he had seen a suspicious vehicle before the shooting.

Later, confronted with evidence, Manso confessed to the murders. He stated that he had intended to kill Sanchez and Moussa because he believed they were making his job difficult. Manso, however, claimed he did not mean to kill Cruz or Roque.

He was charged with one count of first-degree murder and four counts of attempted first-degree murder. A jury found him guilty, and he initially received a death sentence. However, this sentence was later overturned. On July 3, 1995, he was sentenced to life in prison instead.