Florida executes elderly man for brutal rape, murder in 1980

[News_Editor]

Florida executes elderly man for brutal rape, murder in 1980

2012-02-16 19:32:13 GMT+7 (ICT)

TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA (BNO NEWS) -- An elderly New York man was executed at a prison in Florida on Wednesday after being convicted twice of raping, beating and killing a woman in January 1980, prosecutors said. He had been on death row for more than 31 years.

Robert Brian Waterhouse, 65, from Greenport, New York, received a lethal injection at the Florida State Prison in Railford and was pronounced dead at 8:22 p.m. local time. The execution took place two hours later than scheduled after a last-minute appeal which was later rejected by the U.S. Supreme Court.

According to prosecutors, on January 2, 1980, Waterhouse met 29-year-old Deborah Kammerer at the ABC Lounge on Fourth Street in St. Petersburg. Bartender Kyoe Madokawa Ginn told the jury that she saw them both leave her area of the cocktail lounge just after midnight, although she could not see if they left the lounge together.

Both Waterhouse and Kammerer were regular customers at the ABC Lounge and had met before the night of the murder, according to Ginn and other witnesses. One day, just before the bar closed during the early morning hours, Waterhouse had asked Kammerer to go out with him for breakfast, the bartender testified.

Hours after they left the lounge, in the early morning hours of January 3, 1980, a man who was walking his dog discovered the nude and battered body of Kammerer. The victim was lying face down in the mud of Lassing Park in southeast St. Petersburg, a 10-minute drive from the ABC Lounge.

Assistant Medical Examiner Joan Wood said the victim was beaten so severely that the autopsy took about seven hours, seven times the normal amount of time. There were 30 lacerations and 36 bruises on Kammerer's body, she had been choked, raped, sexually abused with a bottle and a bloody tampon was stuffed down her throat. But she survived the horrific assault and died only after being dragged through the park and left to drown in the Tampa Bay.

An anonymous phone call led to the arrest of Waterhouse nearly a week later, and prosecutors said a large amount of blood was found inside his vehicle. He had asked the day off from his construction job the day after the murder, and witnesses reported seeing Waterhouse clean his car that day. His employer also reported seeing scratches on his cheek.

Also part of the trial was a woman who was Waterhouse's girlfriend at the time of the brutal murder. She testified that he had once slapped her during sex and then apologized and cried. His employer also told the court that Waterhouse had said he liked to slap women during sex.

Further, investigators found blood, hair and clothes fibers in Waterhouse's vehicle which matched those of Kammerer, leading to the conviction. "The crime of Murder in the First Degree of Deborah Kammerer committed by the Defendant, Robert Waterhouse, was especially wicked, evil, atrocious and cruel," the court said in its judgment during Waterhouse's re-trial, which sentenced him to death by the electric chair.

But despite the evidence and testimonies in court, Waterhouse claimed to be innocent until his execution on Wednesday.

In 1966, at the age of 19, Waterhouse was arrested for the rape and murder of 77-year-old Ella Carter in Greenport Village, New York. He pled guilty to a reduced charge of second degree murder and was released after eight years in prison. Waterhouse was on life parole when he moved to Florida.

-- © BNO News All rights reserved 2012-02-16

[Ulysses G.]

I hope that the wait for justice was not too pleasant for this monster.

[stoneyboy]

It's a shame he was allowed to live so long.

[geriatrickid]

65 described as elderly. I'm sure this has gone over well with TVFers........

[Ulysses G.]

I almost felt sorry for him until I read what he did.

[wolf5370]

31 years on death row is rediculous! Either do away with the death penalty (on the basis that alter information coming to light could make it an unsafe conviction), or given them one year max for appeals and then lights out. 31 years is life in solitary basically - i.e. a bigger sentance than most states would have given where there is not death penalty, then he is executed on top - i.e. two punishments for one crime.

[Credo]

I think I would prefer to be on death row than getting the one way exit.

Anyway at least he's not going to be able to collect social security.

[FOODLOVER]

"There were 30 lacerations and 36 bruises on Kammerer's body, she had been choked, raped, sexually abused with a bottle and a bloody tampon was stuffed down her throat. But she survived the horrific assault and died only after being dragged through the park and left to drown in the Tampa Bay".

Seems he got what he deserved. I was reading an article a few years back about a law in Texas, I believe where if someone committed murder and their was irrefutable evidence and 3 eyewitnesses the execution process would then be expedited. Seemed like a good plan at the time, cant find what happened with it though. Could only find Federal Statutes. Rest in Turds old man.

[bushwacker]

It is no wonder the US is drowning in government debt when you think that criminals like this are housed for 31 years ..... unbelievable!

[cdnvic]

The alligators would have done it for free.

[Steely Dan]

No problem with killing someone so evil, but by my reckoning he lived for almost as long after the murder as he did before it. This seems to be a criminal waste of resources when many Americans are on food stamps.

[GentlemanJim]

No sympathy.

I am sure the commercial owners of the prison, the prisons for profit system would be happy for this guy to be in jail for 60 years before the death penalty is carried out.

I was watching a documentary on Russia's hardest supermax prisons (google it or look on youtube), and its a tough old ride there. Once committed to supermax you can only leave in a box. From 6am to 10pm they are not permitted to sit or lay on their beds (the beds are locked away), nor can they sit on the floor or sleep. Any sign of masturbation or sex is stopped swiftly with beatings. No TV, nothing, 2 men per cell for life and they never see the sun or sky again. 24/7 CCTV surveilance puts a stop to any thoughts or chances of suicide. Yikes! As the prisoners say, they dream of death as its the closest thing to hell on earth. They have some very nasty people in there though!

[watcharacters]

and now his misery is over. I'd rather think he'd suffer some more years in a shitty prison.

The death penalty also disallows putting the toothpaste back in the tube.

[koheesti]

Did anyone happen to read the very end?...

In 1966, at the age of 19, Waterhouse was arrested for the rape and murder of 77-year-old Ella Carter in Greenport Village, New York. He pled guilty to a reduced charge of second degree murder and was released after eight years in prison. Waterhouse was on life parole when he moved to Florida.

This SOB should have been executed a decade before the crime in Florida.

Edited February 18, 2012 by koheesti

[ALFREDO]

In these days now, I would always use DNA to proof the findings from the past. Why not?

[gaucho]

too much sympathy for these scumbags ..in oz recently 15 year old got 15 years for horrific murder of a retired nurse he didnt even know ...said he wanted to see what its like to kill someone ..this bastard will be out at the age of 29 with time already served ...jails in the western world better than one star hotels to a lot of people .

[connda]

Gotta love the US justice system. Guy kills an elderly old lady and gets off with 8 years in jail. Then kills another women and sits on death row for 31 years. Amazing.

[connda]

No sympathy.

I am sure the commercial owners of the prison, the prisons for profit system would be happy for this guy to be in jail for 60 years before the death penalty is carried out.

I was watching a documentary on Russia's hardest supermax prisons (google it or look on youtube), and its a tough old ride there. Once committed to supermax you can only leave in a box. From 6am to 10pm they are not permitted to sit or lay on their beds (the beds are locked away), nor can they sit on the floor or sleep. Any sign of masturbation or sex is stopped swiftly with beatings. No TV, nothing, 2 men per cell for life and they never see the sun or sky again. 24/7 CCTV surveilance puts a stop to any thoughts or chances of suicide. Yikes! As the prisoners say, they dream of death as its the closest thing to hell on earth. They have some very nasty people in there though!

I'm thinking these dudes have some pretty strong leg muscles!

[WunMoneyBunny]

Anyone who ".... pled guilty", deserves to die for abusing the English language! For future reference, should any TV reader find himself/herself in court, the correct term is "pleaded guilty". Here endeth the lesson.

[koheesti]

Anyone who ".... pled guilty", deserves to die for abusing the English language! For future reference, should any TV reader find himself/herself in court, the correct term is "pleaded guilty". Here endeth the lesson.

Maybe not...

http://www.cjr.org/resources/lc/pleadguilty.php

[Jingthing]

Consider if he had lived 20 more years. 20 more years on death row with no hope of freedom would have been greater punishment.

[koheesti]

Consider if he had lived 20 more years. 20 more years on death row with no hope of freedom would have been greater punishment.

I'm concerned less about the punishment and more about just getting rid of the evil, sick bastards. It's also cheaper.

[Jingthing]

Consider if he had lived 20 more years. 20 more years on death row with no hope of freedom would have been greater punishment.

I'm concerned less about the punishment and more about just getting rid of the evil, sick bastards. It's also cheaper.

In the U.S., it's always more expensive to execute.

[WunMoneyBunny]

Anyone who ".... pled guilty", deserves to die for abusing the English language! For future reference, should any TV reader find himself/herself in court, the correct term is "pleaded guilty". Here endeth the lesson.

Maybe not...

http://www.cjr.org/r...pleadguilty.php

Interesting! Thanks for the correction. Luckily he was erased for a crime other than abuse of the English language!

[marquess]

No sympathy.

I am sure the commercial owners of the prison, the prisons for profit system would be happy for this guy to be in jail for 60 years before the death penalty is carried out.

I was watching a documentary on Russia's hardest supermax prisons (google it or look on youtube), and its a tough old ride there. Once committed to supermax you can only leave in a box. From 6am to 10pm they are not permitted to sit or lay on their beds (the beds are locked away), nor can they sit on the floor or sleep. Any sign of masturbation or sex is stopped swiftly with beatings. No TV, nothing, 2 men per cell for life and they never see the sun or sky again. 24/7 CCTV surveilance puts a stop to any thoughts or chances of suicide. Yikes! As the prisoners say, they dream of death as its the closest thing to hell on earth. They have some very nasty people in there though!

I think that the guy should have been placed in a prison like this one rather than being executed, his life would have been a sheer misery till the end.

[Jingthing]

I am mildly against the death penalty largely because history has shown that many innocent people have been victims of it. Of course, if its used it should only be for severe crimes and then you get into the old slippery slope of many states using it for minor or political crimes. In this case, assuming he's guilty, it's not really upsetting. The man got the combo package, 30 years of dreary prison plus execution. Something for everyone.

[rgs2001uk]

No sympathy.

I am sure the commercial owners of the prison, the prisons for profit system would be happy for this guy to be in jail for 60 years before the death penalty is carried out.

I was watching a documentary on Russia's hardest supermax prisons (google it or look on youtube), and its a tough old ride there. Once committed to supermax you can only leave in a box. From 6am to 10pm they are not permitted to sit or lay on their beds (the beds are locked away), nor can they sit on the floor or sleep. Any sign of masturbation or sex is stopped swiftly with beatings. No TV, nothing, 2 men per cell for life and they never see the sun or sky again. 24/7 CCTV surveilance puts a stop to any thoughts or chances of suicide. Yikes! As the prisoners say, they dream of death as its the closest thing to hell on earth. They have some very nasty people in there though!

Wonder if the Russians would be interested in setting this up as a franchise that could be exported, maybe even through in a few sadistic guards to provide on the job training as part of the package.

Could sure do with the above in the UK.

Edited February 21, 2012 by rgs2001uk

[watcharacters]

I am mildly against the death penalty largely because history has shown that many innocent people have been victims of it. Of course, if its used it should only be for severe crimes and then you get into the old slippery slope of many states using it for minor or political crimes. In this case, assuming he's guilty, it's not really upsetting. The man got the combo package, 30 years of dreary prison plus execution. Something for everyone.

If a convicted man is in prison he is suffering. If he's found innocent the "bell" can be partially unrung by compensating him for his time in jail. An executed man is simply gone.

Aren't governments in charge of executions? Do you trust them?

[Scott]

An off-topic post has been deleted.