Rivera has the distinction of killing another serial killer. While in prison for 2 murders, he killed Gerard Schaefer. Rivera doesn’t even have his own Wiki page. He is mentioned on Schafer’s page, that’s it.
On February 10, 1990, Rivera met 43-year-old Grace Anthony is a bar. He talked his way into her home, and murdered her. She is found, strangled to death, on her bedroom floor by her children a few days later. Although police initially said she had been beaten, they then said it looked like natural causes.
Kevin Lamar Davis was an African American hair stylist in Tampa, Florida. He was driving down the street with some friends when he made a mistake. He offered a ride to the killer as he walked down the street. A week later, Rivera and some of his friends visited Davis. The friends left, and Rivera stabbed Davis to death in his home at 8315 Iberia Place.
Rivera fled to Miami, ditched the car and flew to Los Angeles. Police caught up with Rivera less than a week later, in California. He was using Davis’s stolen credit cards and pawned some of Davis’s jewellery. He was offering to pay guest’s hotel expenses if they give him cash in return.
Once under arrest, Rivera confessed to murdering Davis and Anthony. Rivera had IDs from multiple people. Police in California sent Rivera back to Florida, where he faced murder charges.
Even though his crimes seemed well-planned, two psychiatrists said Rivera was incompetent. He hallucinated and was incoherent. His lawyer said, “He’s an awful sick puppy.”
One psychiatrist, Dr. Melvyn Gardner, said Rivera had the highest potential for homicide he had ever seen. He recommended Rivera be “under heavy sedation and be maintained in this way at the state hospital.” Gardner had previously interviewed other murderers, including serial killer Bobby Joe Long.
The prosecutor said it could take months for Rivera to stabilize. “Hopefully, we’ll get him back in three months so I can put him in the electric chair where he belongs,” Ronald N. Ficarrotta said.
Rivera had told police he fled New York for Florida, because Florida had the death penalty and he wanted to die. But for trial, Rivera changed his mind and, in a deal, plead guilty to avoid the death penalty.
In state prison after the trial, Rivera was problematic. He filed appeals, about the trial, sentencing and human rights complaints. Rivera has launched numerous appeals over time. The United States Supreme Court got so frustrated with his appeals, they forbade non-criminal writs because they were too frivolous. Rivera then filed a complaint. You can see some of his appeals at Justia,com, Findlaw.com and CaseText.com.
Rivera had 47 disciplinary write-ups in 5 years, including assaults on other prisoners. On December 3, 1995, Rivera kills serial killer Gerard Schaefer. It is unclear why it happened. It may have been over hot water, or Rivera may have been a hired assassin.
He was sentenced to an additional 53 years, 10 months. Rivera was given more time for serial killer Gerard Schaefer’s murder than for the innocent victims he killed.
The Vincent Faustino Rivera murders timeline
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01
1981
Rivera was indicted in grand larceny and burglary is Suffolk County, New York.
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02
1983 - 1989
Rivera is in and out of mental hospitals in California and New York.
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03
January, 1990
Rivera broke into a New York woman’s home, He handcuffed her and stole her car. He drove to Key West, then ditched the car and headed to Tampa.
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04
February 10, 1990
Grace Priscilla Anthony meets Vincent Rivera in a bar. She is strangled in her Tampa, Florida home. The 43-year-old woman is found by her children.
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05
February 20, 1990
Kevin Lamar Davis, 26, picked up a hitchhiker in Tampa. They ended up in Davis’s house, where Rivera stabbed him to death. His body was wrapped in black plastic and bound with an electrical cord. Rivera hid Davis’s body under the couch, and put disinfectant around his body to cover the smell. Rivera painted blood-covered walls to hide his crime.
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06
February 26, 1990
Rivera fled with a car and credit card. He then flew to Los Angeles where he used Davis’s credit card for hotel expenses. He was wearing Davis’s clothes. Rivera was picked up using the dead man’s credit card. He confessed to the murders of Anthony and Davis.
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07
March 2, 1990
Police in Riverside California, who arrested Rivera for misuse of the credit card, must extradite Rivera to Hillsborough County, Florida, for the murder charges. He has been in custody for just a few days, but by this time, police had confiscated a razor blade attached to a handle, and a piece of metal which police believe he was going to use to make handcuff keys.
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08
March 2, 1990
After tearing up the first extradition papers, Rivera is returned to Tampa from California.
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09
May 18, 1990
Mental health experts in Florida say Rivera is not mentally competent. Their statements mean Rivera is sent to a state mental hospital until he is fit to stand trial.
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10
January 25, 1991
Rivera was declared fit to stand trial. He pleads guilty to murdering Anthony and to 1st degree murder and armed robbery for Davis. He is sentenced to 45 years in prison to be followed with 15 years probation.
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11
December 3, 1995
Rivera is housed with serial killer Gerard Schaefer in Florida State Prison, Bradford County. Schaefer is stabbed to death in his own cell when cells were unlocked. There was no clear motive, but it may have been over the use of hot water. Schaefer used the last of it, and Rivera wanted to make coffee. It may also have been because Schaefer owed money to other inmates, or was a snitch. Schaefer was stabbed 42 times and had his throat slashed.
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12
February 1, 1996
Rivera is indicted for Schaefer’s murder.
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