FL FL - Amy Gellert, 21, Brevard County, 20 March 1994

http://www.floridatoday.com/article/20081014/NEWS01/810140330/1006

"Fourteen years ago, on a Sunday evening in March, a masked intruder wielding a dagger and a handgun surprised Lehton and husband Bob in their family room. The man stabbed them and killed her 21-year-old daughter, Amy Gellert, who arrived home a few minutes later."

http://www.floridatoday.com/story/n...family-clings-faith-unsolved-murder/23630043/

Bunny Lehton anguishes over every second of those terrible 25 minutes when her daughter's life was violently snatched away more than two decades ago... Gellert managed to run from the house clutching her neck where she had been stabbed. She tried to get help before succumbing to her injuries.

Amy was only 21 years old when she was murdered on March 20, 1994. She would have turned 42 years old this Sunday. Her killer was never caught...

Most of this last year has been difficult on all of them as the family cooperated with producers from the CBS television show "48 Hours," which is airing a segment next week on the cold case murder. "That has certainly brought a lot of that stuff back up to the forefront," Bunny said.

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http://justiceforamy.com

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/amy-gellert-murder-help-solve-a-20-year-old-cold-case/

"I see the man step into the room. And he's completely disguised," Bunny Lehton told Moriarty. "And then I saw that he had -- a dagger and a gun."

The couple was forced by the intruder to crawl on their hands and knees from the kitchen to the living room. While they lay on the floor, the Lehtons say, the intruder began pacing. "I sensed, and Bob sensed, that he was waiting for a ride," said Bunny Lehton...

"And I saw the lights coming down the driveway," Bunny Lehton continued, "He panicked... something switched in him and he just lost it." Startled by the headlights outside, the intruder began brutally stabbing the couple.

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http://www.cbsnews.com/news/a-look-at-possible-suspects-in-amy-gellerts-murder/

Here's what investigators do know based on information provided by Gellert's mother and step-father, Bunny and Bob Lehton, who were held captive and attacked by the intruder:

The stranger was dressed all in black except for white tennis shoes.
According to the Lehton's was average height and weight, and they guessed he was in his 20s.
The Lehtons couldn't get a good look at the intruder because he was wearing a ski mask and gloves -- an oddity and difficult items to obtain in a beach town.
The man was Caucasian, and Bunny Lehton is convinced he had an accent similar to what is heard in Maryland or Pennsylvania.

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http://www.orlandosentinel.com/ente...hours-amy-gellert-100-tips-20150317-post.html

CBS' "48 Hours: Cold Case" wanted to bolster viewers' tips about a 1994 slaying in Brevard County. The telecast succeeded.

After the telecast, authorities received more than 100 calls and emails about the killing of Amy Gellert, said Maj. Tod Goodyear of the Brevard County Sheriff's Office...

"The story has generated a lot of interest in this case. Much of it is in reference to the knife and or gun, however there has been some new information received that was not provided previously," Goodyear told "48 Hours."

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OkieGranny said:

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/ente...hours-amy-gellert-100-tips-20150317-post.html

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Thanks for posting this, OkieGranny! I watched the episode on her case the other night and meant to come check out her WS thread, but it kept slipping my mind until you bumped her thread with this. Thanks again.

Torres: '48 Hours' brings in tips in Cocoa Beach cold case
John A. Torres, FLORIDA TODAY 11:19 p.m. EDT March 25, 2015

[...]
"The story did what we wanted it to do. It has generated a lot of interest in this case. Much of it is in reference to the knife and or gun, however there has been some new information received that was not provided previously," said Major Tod Goodyear with the Brevard County Sheriff's Office. "We are very appreciative of the response from the viewers and hopeful that this cooperative effort may lead to bringing a successful conclusion to this case and closure for the family."

[...]
Goodyear said investigators were pleasantly surprised that the overwhelming majority of tips were people trying to be helpful and only a very small number were "crackpots talking about things like laser beams."

[...]
"It's going to take some time to go through all these leads," he said. "But that's OK. We will run all of it down."


:crossfingers:

48 Hours is repeating the Amy Gellert case tonight and there was a segment on the CBS Evening News about it.

I happened to catch the 48 Hours episode on this case last night.
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/amy-gellert-murder-help-solve-a-20-year-old-cold-case/


It's such a terrible tragic story. I think its a solvable case. The show named two suspects, both now in prison for other crimes. The evidence against them is not there for an arrest or to even say for certain these two guys must have been involved. I wouldn't say I'm convinced they did it.


The killer is described as a white male 20s average height and build with a Pennsylvania/Maryland accent.


I haven't seen in any articles how long the killer was in the house. I only found a message board post that says 30 minutes and that the killer said he was waiting for an accomplice, but the 48 Hours article doesnt mention either. Can anyone find some clarification on that?


http://www.sitcomsonline.com/boards/archive/index.php/t-161314.html


The things that stand out to me are the weapons-a prop gun and a dagger. I don't think I've ever seen a dagger, let alone know where to purchase one. Odd item to have. I can't recall a crime where a dagger was used. Why not pick up a kitchen knife or pocket knife? But are much more common. Prop guns also sound really specific unusual items. The killer was also dressed head in black with a ski mask-almost something that strikes me out of a movie.


I'm not convinced Amy was the target of the killer. He surviving family members say he freaked out when he saw headlights and then attacked. There is a now deceased ex-boyfriend considered a suspect. Its disappointing to read he couldn't be caught or ruled out.


I'm wondering if this was done by some out of town college kids. The crime took place in Cocoa Beach, Florida around spring break. Maybe they were in a theater group, plays, or something like that. Maybe they were in town or passing through. They need money for drugs or something. Two guys decide to go rob an empty house with a prop and dagger they have on the set or tour with or were able to find. One guy goes in, the other stays outside, but something goes wrong. Maybe the driver sees the Lehtons come home or loses his nerve and leaves.


Attached are pictures of the dagger and prop gun. Anyone have any ideas about them?

Many elements of this crime reminds me of the East Area Rapist, fwiw, imo, speculation.
http://www.websleuths.com/forums/sh...Rapist-aka-The-Original-Night-Stalker-1976-86

I came away with a completely different conclusion: that even if Amy wasn't the target initially, she became the target when she got home.

My theory is that the attacker came to rob the family, but the parents arrived home unexpectedly. When the attacker realized that not only did things go wrong by the parents coming home, but they also went wrong by the getaway driver not showing up, he went ballistic, stabbing the couple.

He saw headlights, thought it was his driver finally, and then saw Amy and lost his isht again. I think the attack on her was very personal, almost like he realized he could kill two birds with one stone, so to speak. Why else run after her across the street to the apartment building? If he still had the mask on, etc., she wouldn't have been able to recognize him and he could have easily gotten away. Sticking around to stab her to death increased the chances that he'd be caught.

I still think it could have been Dominic and Scott working together. Unsure we will ever know, unfortunately, unless one of them confesses.

From everything I've read its not clear that the killer saw Amy then went ballistic, just that he saw the car or that he chased her across the street only that she went across the street.

nedflanders1980 said:

From everything I've read its not clear that the killer saw Amy then went ballistic, just that he saw the car or that he chased her across the street only that she went across the street.

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I found it interesting that he kept asking "when will your daughter be home?" and got more and more nervous as time went by and his ride didn't show.

He also didn't seem to be violent until he saw Amy's car headlights. How could he tell they weren't his getaway driver's? What spurred him to violence just by seeing the lights?

Dionysia said:

I found it interesting that he kept asking "when will your daughter be home?" and got more and more nervous as time went by and his ride didn't show.

He also didn't seem to be violent until he saw Amy's car headlights. How could he tell they weren't his getaway driver's? What spurred him to violence just by seeing the lights?

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bbm - I think he very well knew it was Amy coming home because Amy was his target. I think it was the ex boyfriend. He was pacing because he waited for her, the 'ride' might have been invented. He probably did not anticipate the parents being there. If it's true that he ran after her it was to make sure she's dead because she would have recognized him even with the disguise.

That wouldn't surprise me... nor would it surprise me if Scott were the killer and Dom the driver.

I haven't seen it said anywhere the killer kept asking, when will your daughter be home?

http://people.com/crime/florida-investigators-have-clues-amy-gellert-cold-case-murder/
July 24, 2017

After working their way through a dozen people who police initially believed could be responsible for the killing, cold case detectives say they have two “main suspects” — Dominic Kanuika, a short-order cook who had just moved to the area, and Scott Manley, who canceled a get-together with Amy on the night she was killed.

Neither of the men, whom police say are in prison on unrelated crimes, has been charged in connection with Amy’s death.

The passage of time, Goodyear says, can both help and hurt a criminal investigation.

“Memories start to fade a bit with time,” he says. “But relationships also fall apart with time, and people may come forward who wouldn’t have come forward at the time because of the relationship they had with the suspect.”

Anyone with information is urged to call the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office at 321-633-8413.

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I had never heard of this case until yesterday when a Facebook friend posted about the anniversary of Amy’s murder. I started reading about the case and it’s incredibly odd. Were the parents ruled out as suspects?

Full video.
"48 Hours" Cold Case: Who killed Amy Gellert? - CBS News

These are just thoughts I had after researching.....they sent her to Straight against her will, she came home but was still using drugs it seems. Both parents are psychiatrists or at least mental health therapists. The weapons are so weird, a prop gun and dagger? What was his motive to start stabbing the parents when he saw headlights, he was wearing a mask. Both parents survived but he then chased Amy to stab and kill her? I think the intent was to kill Amy and only Amy. Not robbery or anything else. I’m having a hard time ruling out the parents. Maybe her drug use and behavior was an embarrassment or burden or something else. My stepmom and Dad sent my stepbrother to Straight around 1989 or so and everything was so messed up with them, him, etc. I could be letting that cloud my opinion but the parents were the first thing that I thought of after reading up on the case. I’m probably wrong and I hope I am!

According to the mom, the perp had a north eastern accent, ie NY, PA, ect. imo.