Bio

Terance Valentine was born on January 21, 1949. He lived his early life in the United States after his family immigrated. In 1975, he and his wife, Livia Romero, moved to the United States. They settled in New Orleans, Louisiana. During their time in New Orleans, they adopted a child named Giovanna.

The marriage between Terance and Livia was not stable. In 1986, Livia filed for divorce. After their separation, Livia married Ferdinand Porche. Livia and Ferdinand relocated with Giovanna to Tampa, Florida. After moving to Tampa, Livia began to receive threatening phone calls from Terance.

These early life events were critical in shaping the challenges and conflicts that would occur later in Terance's life. He had a history of complicated relationships and responses to personal conflict. Terance's life before the crimes was marked by significant changes and turmoil following his divorce and the new family formed by his ex-wife.

Murder Story

On September 9, 1988, Terance Valentine murdered Ferdinand Porche in Hillsborough County, Florida. Porche was the husband of Valentine’s ex-wife, Livia Romero. Earlier that day, Porche returned home to his family. As he entered the house, Valentine shot him in the back, which caused Porche to become paralyzed from the waist down.

Valentine then told Porche, “This is my revenge.” Porche was forced to crawl into the bedroom, where he found his pregnant wife bound and gagged. Their baby was crying nearby. Valentine proceeded to beat and torture Porche, stating that he would kill him but that he would suffer first.

After the assault, Valentine took both Porche and Romero to a remote location, where he shot them. Romero survived the attack and later informed the police that Valentine was the shooter. After leaving the hospital, she began receiving phone calls from Valentine. With the help of police, she recorded her conversations with him, which eventually led to his arrest.

Valentine faced multiple charges, including first-degree murder. His first trial ended in a mistrial due to the jury’s inability to reach a unanimous verdict. In his second trial, he was found guilty on all counts and was sentenced to death on April 12, 1990.

However, the Florida Supreme Court later reversed his convictions and mandated a new trial because the procedure regarding jury selection was flawed. In a retrial in 1994, Valentine was again convicted and sentenced to death for his crimes. He continued to fight his sentence through various appeals, but the courts upheld his convictions. His sentence was confirmed by the Florida Supreme Court on December 19, 1996. Valentine’s legal battles continued over the years, but the core facts of his crime remained unchanged.