Gregory Capehart was convicted and sentenced to death for the murder of 62-year-old Marlene Reeves on Feb. 3, 1988.

Reeves' body was discovered by police officers while investigating a reported break-in at her apartment complex. Deputy Sheriff Jeffrey Clark found Reeves' apartment ransacked and her body lying on her bed, with a pillow covering her face. Medical examiners concluded that Reeves' sexual organs were injured, indicating a sexual assault prior to death.

Reeves died as a result of asphyxia from being smothered with a pillow. Investigators lifted a palm print from the scene, which was later found to match Gregory Capehart's.

Capehart admitted to Walter Harrison, a longtime friend, that he killed Reeves, but told him that it was an accident. Capehart said that he broke into her apartment to steal some money, but Reeves woke up, and when he tried to knock her out with the pillow, he accidentally killed her.

When making a statement to police after his arrest, however, Capehart then claimed he was with a couple of guys who were going to rob Reeves. Capehart claimed that he was outside during the robbery, and when he entered Reeves bedroom, he saw one of the guys strangling her.

Source: Florida Commission on Capital Cases