On July 27, 1977, John Errol Ferguson, posing as a Florida Power and Light employee, gained entry to the residence of Livingston Stocker, a known drug dealer, with the assistance of Margaret Wooden. Ferguson claimed to Margaret he needed to inspect the electrical outlets.
Once inside, he brandished a firearm, subdued and bound the frightened Margaret. Afterward, he opened the door to admit his accomplices, Marvin Francois and Beauford White. However, their intrusion was abruptly interrupted when the front door suddenly swung open.
Livingston Stocker and six of his acquaintances entered the home, only to confront the three masked men. These armed and concealed intruders directed the other seven individuals into a bedroom, where they were likewise bound and blindfolded alongside Margaret.
While the intruders combed the house in search of drugs and valuables, one of their masks slipped, revealing his face. Realizing the potential witnesses, the three men decided to eliminate all their captives systematically. Each person was tragically shot.
Astonishingly, one man and Margaret survived, providing testimony of the horrifying events. It wasn't until the following year that Ferguson, Francois, and White were apprehended. By that time, however, Ferguson had already claimed two more victims.
On January 8, 1978, Brian Glenfeld and Belinda Worley, both 17 years old, were attacked while parked in their car on a lovers' lane. Glenfield was fatally shot while seated in the car, while Worley was dragged to nearby bushes, sexually assaulted, and then shot in the head.
Following their capture, Ferguson readily admitted to the murders of both Brian and Belinda. Ferguson, Francois, and White were all convicted and sentenced to death. Francois was executed in 1985, and White met the same fate in 1987. However, Ferguson's case was more complex. Although he was found guilty, his mental state became a contentious and divisive issue in the years that followed.
The execution of the mentally ill is considered a violation of the Eighth Amendment's prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment, but the question of whether he should be executed or not divided the nation, with some horrified by the prospect of his execution and others believing he deserved it.
During his trial, Ferguson's defense argued that he was mentally ill and therefore ineligible for the death penalty, asserting that his mental illness had manifested long before the murders. At the age of 13, Ferguson experienced bizarre hallucinations following his father's death and endured frequent abuse from his mother's boyfriend.
Eventually, his mother abandoned him in the care of his sisters, who lived in a rat-infested shack. At 21, Ferguson was shot in the head by a police officer while attempting to steal the officer's gun. He subsequently cycled in and out of psychiatric hospitals after being diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia. In fact, one doctor recommended that Ferguson should never be released from psychiatric care due to the danger he posed to himself and society.
Ferguson referred to himself as the "Prince of God" and believed that he would rise alongside Jesus after his death to save America from a communist plot.
Despite these mental health issues, he was executed on August 5, 2013.
