Bio 

Jermaine Robert Lebron was born on July 16, 1974. He was also known by the nickname “Bugsy.” He lived in Florida and was connected to Osceola County. Lebron had already been involved with the criminal justice system before this case. He had a prior drug-related offense in Orange County in 1995. Prosecutors later said he was on probation when Larry Neal Oliver Jr. was killed.

By late 1995, Lebron was staying with other people at a home in Osceola County known as the Gardenia house. This house later became the main crime scene in the murder investigation. Larry Neal Oliver Jr. was brought to the Gardenia house after Lebron offered to sell him “spinners,” which are accessories placed on truck wheels. There is no verified information showing that Lebron and Oliver were close friends before the crime.

Lebron was 21 years old at the time of the murder. Later appeals mentioned his youth, emotional problems, immaturity, and claims of abuse in his background. These issues were later considered during sentencing appeals, but they did not overturn his murder conviction. The known connection between Lebron and Oliver came from the planned sale of truck accessories. Once Oliver arrived at the Gardenia house, the robbery and murder took place.

Murder Story

On November 24, 1995, Larry Neal Oliver Jr. was brought to a house in Osceola County, Florida, known as the Gardenia house. Jermaine Robert Lebron and several others were staying there. Lebron had offered to sell Oliver “spinners,” which are accessories for truck wheels. After Oliver arrived, Lebron called him toward the back part of the house. Oliver was forced to lie face-down on the floor. He was then shot at close range in the back of the head with a sawed-off shotgun.

After the shooting, witnesses said Lebron laughed and said, “I did it, I did it!” Oliver’s money, checks, credit card, and other belongings were taken. Stereo equipment was also removed from his truck. Lebron then told others in the house to help cover up the crime. He directed them to burn Oliver’s identification papers, move his body, and clean the area where the shooting happened. Witnesses later said they followed his orders because they were afraid of him.

In the days after the murder, Lebron and others used Oliver’s credit card, pawned his stereo equipment, and cashed his checks. Someone also tried to burn Oliver’s truck. Lebron later admitted to two women that he had killed someone. After the murder, Lebron left Florida and went to New York City. He went to a topless bar called Legz Diamond, which was owned by his mother. Oliver’s body was later found in a rural area near Walt Disney World. It had been covered with a blanket and tree branches but was still visible from the road.

The medical examiner found that Oliver died from a shotgun wound to the head. Records also stated that he had no defensive wounds, which suggested he had little or no chance to fight back. After witnesses reported the murder, police searched the Gardenia house. They noticed a strong smell of dried blood and found possible blood stains near one of the bedrooms. They also found shotgun shells and pellets inside the house.

Lebron was arrested on December 5, 1995, in New York. Police found him in a car outside Legz Diamond with Stacie Kirk and Howard Kendall. A search of the car found items belonging to Oliver, including identification with the name “Larry N. Oliver.” Police questioned Lebron on December 6, 1995. He denied knowing Oliver and claimed he had been at a former girlfriend’s house on the night of the murder. When asked about blood or strange smells at the Gardenia house, he said the house always smelled bad.

Lebron was indicted on October 28, 1996, for first-degree murder and armed robbery. His first trial ended in a mistrial because the jury could not agree. He was retried, and on February 25, 1998, a jury found him guilty of first-degree murder and armed robbery. On July 10, 1998, Lebron was sentenced to death for the murder and life in prison for the robbery. His death sentence was later reviewed several times. The Florida Supreme Court upheld his convictions but sent the case back for new sentencing hearings more than once.

In 2002, a jury again recommended death, and Lebron was resentenced to death. In 2005, the Florida Supreme Court again ordered a new penalty phase because of issues with the sentencing findings. A third penalty phase was held in 2005. The jury again recommended death by a 7–5 vote, and Lebron was resentenced to death on December 28, 2005. In 2008, the Florida Supreme Court affirmed that death sentence.