Bio 

Ken Eldon Lott was born on February 14, 1953. Before the murder, Lott had worked for Rose Connors by providing lawn services at her home. This connection gave him access to her property and made him familiar with the home. By March 1994, Lott was associated with Raymond Fuller. The two men were using drugs, including crystal meth and cocaine. When they ran out of money and could not buy more drugs, they planned to rob Connors.

The plan was for Fuller to enter the home and commit the robbery while Lott acted as the driver. The robbery changed when Connors escaped from Fuller and ran out of the house. Lott caught her outside and dragged her back inside. He later admitted that he attacked her because she fought back and because she could identify him.

Murder Story

The murder of Rose Connors happened around March 27, 1994, in Orange County, Florida. Connors was found dead the next morning, March 28, 1994, inside the master bedroom of her home. She was unclothed and had suffered severe injuries. Medical evidence showed that Connors had been badly beaten. She also had a stab wound in her back, a fractured larynx, and a deep cut to her throat. The fatal injury was the wound to her neck, which severed her jugular vein. There was no clear evidence of sexual battery, although bruising on her thighs suggested that her legs may have been forced apart.

Before the killing, Lott and Raymond Fuller planned to rob Connors because they were out of money and wanted to buy drugs. Both men were under the influence of crystal meth and cocaine. Fuller was supposed to carry out the robbery, while Lott waited outside as the driver. During the robbery, Connors escaped from Fuller and ran out of the house. Lott was hiding in bushes outside the home. He caught Connors and dragged her back inside. Lott later said he beat her because she was fighting hard and that he killed her because she could identify him.

After the murder, Lott and Fuller left Connors’ home with stolen property, including a diamond tennis bracelet. Later that night, Lott returned to the crime scene to clean up. The case began to break open after Robert Whitman, a friend of Lott’s, contacted the Orange County Sheriff’s Department. Whitman said Lott had offered to sell him a gold ring and diamond tennis bracelet. Whitman also said Lott admitted killing Connors with Fuller’s involvement.

In May 1994, investigators used Whitman to arrange a meeting with Lott about the stolen jewelry. Lott was arrested after that plan was put in place. Lott was indicted on May 20, 1994, for first-degree murder. His trial ended on April 28, 1995, when the jury found him guilty. That same day, the jury recommended death by a unanimous 12–0 vote. On June 23, 1995, Judge Dorothy J. Russell sentenced him to death.

Lott appealed his conviction and death sentence. The Florida Supreme Court affirmed both in 1997. Later, he filed post-conviction and DNA-related motions, but the courts rejected those claims. In 2020, the Florida Supreme Court also denied relief connected to later death-penalty sentencing challenges.