Thursday, November 4, 2010

The Strange, Savage Murder of Amy Gellert

Unsolved Homicide in Cocoa Beach
by Robert A. Waters

(A few days ago, my computer caught a virus that ended its life. A new machine was born and sent to my domicile. So, after a brief hiatus, I'm back online and writing once more.)

On the evening of March 20, 1994, Robert and Bunny Lehton returned home from church. As they entered their house on 1240 South Orlando Avenue in Cocoa Beach, Florida, they were confronted by a masked intruder who brandished a knife and gun. Threatening them, he tied up the couple.

They complied with the stranger in their home because they knew their twenty-one-year-old daughter would be arriving soon. Amy Gellert was in charge of working the sound board for the late afternoon church service and had remained there after her mother and step-father left. Robert and Bunny hoped to encourage the intruder to leave before Amy got home.

They would not be successful.

An article in the Orlando Sentinel described the weapons used by the assailant: "Their captor carried a double-edged dagger and a gun--a blank-firing stage-prop Brixia 8mm automatic that looks like the real thing but isn't...Investigators said the gun could have been used in the theater or plays. Deputies identified it from a piece of evidence left at the home."

Detectives from the Brevard County Sheriff's Office determined that the gun may have been a prop used by actors. "We believe [the intruder] was unfamiliar with this weapon," said investigator Gary Howard. "It could have been stolen from a college or university, [or] lost somewhere. We need to know who is missing this gun."

After binding the couple, the stranger paced back and forth. He indicated that he was waiting for someone to pick him up.

Bunny reported to investigators that the man had a mid-Atlantic accent. He wore gloves, she said, that "were knit, with leather on the palms and the backs, not like anything you could find down here."

As the intruder continued to pace, the lights of Amy's car flashed in the driveway.

This seemed to enrage the stranger. He suddenly launched a frenzied knife attack, severely wounding the homeowners. As Amy got out of her car, he approached her, stabbing her numerous times in the head and neck. She attempted to shield herself with a backpack, but was unsuccessful. After a brief struggle, the astonished young woman collapsed in a pool of blood and died.

After spending weeks in a local hospital, Robert and Bunny Lehton pulled through.

During the attack on Amy, the assailant dropped the gun's magazine. Years later, investigators were able to obtain a DNA profile from the magazine. However, they haven't yet been able to come up with a match from their suspect pool or any DNA databank.

The working theory of investigators is that the assailant and his accomplice knew the family attended church services each Sunday evening. The intruder was dropped off at the home with the intent of burglarizing it. He forced his way in and was ransacking the house when the couple returned. Since his cohort hadn't yet arrived to pick him up, the stranger came up with a new plan. Binding the couple, he waited for his ride. Then Amy came home. The assailant, according to the theory, panicked and decided to eliminate everyone. After stabbing the entire family, police stated that he fled toward the ocean near their home.

The man was slightly below average in height and had a pronounced Pennsylvania or Maryland accent. His knife had a twisted gold chain hilt. Robert Lehton, a psychiatrist, made a telling observation. "It seemed," Lehton said, "[that] he had a love affair with that knife, the way he was handling it."

For sixteen years, this case has gone unsolved. It's been investigated by several agencies, including the Brevard County Sheriff's Office and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. There's a reward for information leading to the conviction of a suspect. Amy's case was also publicized on Florida's Cold Case Playing Cards.

It's likely that the killer or his accomplice has told someone about murdering a girl in Florida. If you have any information on this case, call 1-800-423-TIPS.

Justice for Amy Gellert demands it.

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

Have the Law enforcement or the family contacted a PHYICS / PHYSICISTS ?

concerned parent said...

www.etsy.com is where I seen the gun

concerned parent said...

www.etsy.com they have on their sight the gun that was shown

concerned parent said...

Www.etsy.com the gun was just sold but it shows 2 people were interested in this gun.

TCryder said...

Why? Did the guy that killed her defy the laws of physics too?

Unknown said...

Something about this made me think of the Zack Witman case, so it makes me wonder after reading the guy had a Maryland accent. Could it be the same perp? With Witman I have also wondered whether there were 2 perps in that crime (though officially the murder was blamed on his brother, but I disagree that Zack killed Greg.) The gloves and the attack in general are similar in some ways.

susankey said...

I think that the person was trying to say psychics but your comment is funny. What a terribly tragic situation. The resilience of Bonnie and Bob is inspiring. I hope that this show brings in some valid tips. Amy was a beautiful girl with a delightful spirit. She truly deserved much better than this.

The Williams Clan said...

And you know this was the gun from the murder?! I'm more interested in how you would know if you do......

Unknown said...

I just pray for the family, they were good friends of mine back in the 70s.

Anthony said...

Bunny.. Not Bonnie.

Unknown said...

Was etsy around in 94? Lol

Unknown said...

Zack was 15 in 1998 i seriously doubt a 11 year old killed amy

Unknown said...

Is this case still unsolved? I was looking for updates and not seeing anything recent. I just saw it again and it made me think, do they still think burglary? Just mentioned because I had the feeling that Amy may have been the target and wondered how far into her background they investigated. I don’t know a lot but there was mention she was in a rehab, did she meet or become close to anyone she may have met there?

Barbara Stephens said...

Here it is July 2021 and I think about Amy everyday as I drive past the parking lot where she died. A parent of someone who knew her, I can say the story of what happened that night changed in the first several weeks and most definitely was not the same story online and in show. Knowing Cocoa Beach, I could almost be positive someone knows something. I could also believe that other people are capable of not wanting to get involved. I pray that the people who know will come forward, she was a lovely girl, never in trouble, didn't deserve to be locked up in Straight 14 to 18 years old, and didn't get to live very long afterwards.