Bio

Harold Lee Harvey Jr. was born on December 30, 1962, and raised in Florida. In his early twenties, Harvey was working in the agricultural and transport industries of central Florida, eventually securing employment as a driver for the Watford Trucking Company. He lived in the region with his wife and was part of a localized social circle that included an associate named Harry Scott Stiteler.

By early 1985, Harvey had accumulated access to high-powered weaponry, including a hand pistol and an AR-15 semi-automatic assault rifle. Despite maintaining a steady job as a truck driver, Harvey began coordinating with Stiteler to execute a targeted armed robbery to secure quick cash. The pair ultimately selected the rural property of an elderly couple in Indian River County as their primary destination.

Murder Story

On February 23, 1985, Harvey and Stiteler armed themselves with their firearms and drove to the home of William and Ruby Boyd in Indian River County, intending to execute a robbery. After entering the residence and forcing the Boyds to hand over their money, Harvey and Stiteler determined that they could not leave the victims alive to identify them. Upon overhearing the perpetrators discussing the execution plan, the Boyds attempted to flee the scene. 

Harvey opened fire with the AR-15 assault rifle, striking both victims. The men then collected the stolen cash and fled the property.Shortly afterward, Harvey drove back to the active crime scene alone to retrieve spent ammunition casings to hinder forensic ballistics tracking. Upon entering the home again, he observed that Ruby Boyd had survived the initial rifle volleys and was moaning in pain. Harvey walked over and shot her in the head at point-blank range to eliminate her as a witness. 

On February 27, 1985, an Okeechobee County sheriff's deputy stopped Harvey for a routine driving infraction. Recognizing him from investigative bulletins, the officer placed Harvey under arrest. After receiving his Miranda warnings and being permitted a brief conversation with his wife, Harvey gave a detailed confession admitting his role in the homicides. His co-defendant, Stiteler, accepted a plea bargain, pleading guilty to first-degree murder in exchange for a life prison sentence.

While awaiting trial, Harvey enacted a brief escape from the Okeechobee County Jail on May 11, 1986. The following day, a North Miami Beach police officer discovered Harvey sleeping in a stationary truck. When the officer woke him, Harvey drew a weapon, prompting the officer to discharge his firearm. Harvey successfully commandeered the officer’s patrol vehicle and fled the immediate perimeter, but responding tactical units quickly cornered and subdued him.

His capital trial commenced in the Indian River County Circuit Court under Judge Dwight Geiger. On June 18, 1986, the jury returned guilty verdicts on two counts of first-degree murder, subsequently issuing an 11-1 death recommendation. Judge Geiger formally sentenced Harvey to death on June 20, 1986.Harvey has spent four decades on death row filing extensive post-conviction appeals. Although the Florida Supreme Court initially reversed his sentence in 2003 and ordered a new trial due to trial counsel oversight, the ruling was challenged, and federal appellate panels continually upheld the original convictions. 

Harvey’s defense teams subsequently petitioned for relief following landmark changes to Florida's capital sentencing guidelines, but the court ruled that the retroactivity frameworks did not apply to his 1986 timeline. On June 18, 2026, the Florida Supreme Court issued a per curiam opinion in Harvey v. State, officially affirming the lower court's denial of his successive post-conviction relief motions. He remains incarcerated on death row at the Union Correctional Institution in Raiford, Florida.