Bernard Eugene Giles raped and murdered five young women, this episode of Evil Lives Here examines his crimes and interviews his brother and sister. They always knew their brother had a dark side to his nature, but they had no idea he would become a serial killer.
It was 1973 when Giles’ dark urges took shape in reality and he began to kill. The 20-year-old was married with a five-month-old daughter and living in the Titusville area of Florida when he decided to kill his first victim.
In September, he struck for the first time when he killed 18-year-0ld Nancy Gerry. Over the next few months, the serial killer went on to kill 22-year-old mother of two Paula Hamric, 14-year-old Sharon Wimer, 15-year-old Kristi Melton, and 17-year-old Carolyn Bennett.
Giles beat, strangled and shot his victims to death and was also a rapist and engaged in acts of necrophilia.
He was only caught when two girls escaped his clutches and identified him to police.
His mode of operation was to pick up hitchhikers, before forcing them at gunpoint to isolated spots where he sexually assaulted and then murdered them.
At his first trial in 1974, he admitted to killing Gerry and was judged to be mentally ill. He went on to confess to murdering the other four women and was eventually sentenced to multiple life sentences in a maximum-security prison, only escaping the death penalty by admitting his crimes.
Watch the Latest on our YouTube ChannelGiles was interviewed by UK TV presenter Piers Morgan in 2019.
Evil Lives Here airs at 9:00 pm on Investigation Discovery.