Louis Bernard Gaskin (March 11, 1967 – April 12, 2023) was an American convicted murderer who was executed in Florida for the 1989 murders of Robert and Georgette Sturmfels in Palm Coast.[2] He was also convicted of the attempted murders of Joseph and Mary Rector. He was popularly known as the Ninja Killer because he dressed in a full black ninja outfit to avoid identification.[3] He was executed on April 12, 2023, at the age of 56.[4]
Murders
On the night of December 20, 1989, Gaskin walked up to the Palm Coast home (at the time, unincorporated Flagler County) of 56-year-old Robert and 55-year-old Georgette Sturmfels with a .22 caliber rifle and wearing a complete black ninja outfit to avoid identification. Gaskin circled the home to the back window, where Robert was sitting in a recliner, and Georgette sat on the sofa. Gaskin fired his gun, shooting Robert five times, killing him, and shooting Georgette once.[3] Georgette was still alive after the first shot, so Gaskin reloaded his gun and shot Georgette in the head, killing her.[3]
A few hours later, Gaskin drove up to the home of Joseph and Mary Rector. As the Rectors watched television, Gaskin fired his rifle into the home, hitting Joseph. Joseph was able to run out of the room. Mary and Joseph took cover in a closet until they heard Gaskin smash the back window, so they ran out to the car, where Gaskin started firing at them from inside the house. All of the bullets missed, and the Rectors were able to get in their car and drive away to a nearby hospital. The police were called, and after a search of the home, it was clear the perpetrator had ransacked it.[3][5]
When the murders became public, Gaskin became a suspect almost immediately after his girlfriend's cousin implicated Gaskin in the killings, saying that Gaskin came home soon after the killings and said he was wrapping some "presents."[3]
Arrest and conviction
Gaskin was arrested on December 30. Initially, he denied any involvement in the murders.[6] However, he later confessed to the murders and said the killings were completely random. He confessed in a taped statement to having urges to kill.[7] He also confessed to killing Charles Martin Miller on November 20, 1986.[8] After a search of Gaskin's home, the "presents" were determined to be from the Sturmfels' property. After a two-month trial in July 1990, Gaskin was found guilty of two counts of first-degree murder and two counts of attempted murder, and he was given two death sentences.[9] In 2002, Gaskin unsuccessfully tried to appeal his sentence.[10] He was incarcerated at the Florida State Prison in Raiford, Florida from his arrest up until his execution, 34 years later.[1]
Execution
On March 13, 2023, Governor Ron DeSantis signed Gaskin's death warrant for April 12, 2023. On that day, Gaskin had his last meal, which included barbeque pork ribs, Buffalo wings, turkey neck, shrimp fried rice, French fries, and water. His sister visited him and there was no meeting with a spiritual advisor. He was executed by lethal injection and was pronounced dead at 6:15 p.m. He was 56. None of the relatives of the victims arranged to be in the witness room for the execution.[4][11]
