For those of you who don't remember this one Paula and her boyfriend Jerry Gerbasoni were visiting Paula's mother in Kissimmee, FL in '86. They all seemed to be having a good time and seemed to leave early one morning and Paula's mother didn't get to say goodbye. A few days later Paula's mother smelled a very foul odor in her house and after intense searching was horrified to find her daughter's dead body under her bed!! She had been murdered by her boyfriend. I was watching a NBC version of this segment today and Lifetime edited out some very interesting (and sad) things to make room for the update that Gerbasoni was caught. It said that the murder ruined two lives as after the trauma of the incident Paula's mother was unable to keep or hold down a job. RS said she eventually lost her house and drifted onto the streets and hasn't had a permanent address for the past 2 years. He also said that police want to reinterview the witness who said that Gerbasoni confessed to him that he killed someone and then later pretended it was a joke. Apparently he had moved and they have been unable to contact him.

Does anyone know if Jerry Gerbasoni was convicted and if so what type of sentence he received?

Take a look here: http://www.aroundosceola.com/index.php?option=sports&task=viewarticle&sid=812

That case is quite gruesome. I cannot imagine being in that mother's shoes.

Take a look here: http://www.aroundosceola.com/index.php?option=sports&task=viewarticle&sid=812

That case is quite gruesome. I cannot imagine being in that mother's shoes.

Thanks for finding that. It sickens me that he won't be in jail for the rest of his life.

Thanks for finding that. It sickens me that he won't be in jail for the rest of his life.

Yeah, I agree. Our legal system is so full of loopholes and 'exceptions' that it really is a sad joke. Makes me think of the line uttered by Stallone in the film 'Cobra': "We (cops) put them away - they (judges) let them out."

Ouch!

However, I will agree about there being an awful lot of "exceptions." It made studying for the Bar Exam a pain in the ass... you have your general rule, and then there would be something like FIFTEEN exceptions. *sigh*

Oh, well. I still believe that the system is ultimately good. I know that many of you feel differently, and I respect that. Like the rest of you, I am outraged when horrible people are let go, but I do feel that the system catches the majority of them.

that link won't hold up.

what a nerd Jerry was. Carefully avoiding the cameras, only to look out the windown on the plane and grin like an idiot. What a doofus!

LOL! :lol:

I remember this case. Extremely horrifying. It's sad how her mother had gone downhill, I can't even begin to imagine experiencing something like that.

For those of you who don't remember this one Paula and her boyfriend Jerry Gerbasoni were visiting Paula's mother in Kissimmee, FL in '86. They all seemed to be having a good time and seemed to leave early one morning and Paula's mother didn't get to say goodbye. A few days later Paula's mother smelled a very foul odor in her house and after intense searching was horrified to find her daughter's dead body under her bed!! She had been murdered by her boyfriend. I was watching a NBC version of this segment today and Lifetime edited out some very interesting (and sad) things to make room for the update that Gerbasoni was caught. It said that the murder ruined two lives as after the trauma of the incident Paula's mother was unable to keep or hold down a job. RS said she eventually lost her house and drifted onto the streets and hasn't had a permanent address for the past 2 years. He also said that police want to reinterview the witness who said that Gerbasoni confessed to him that he killed someone and then later pretended it was a joke. Apparently he had moved and they have been unable to contact him.

Does anyone know if Jerry Gerbasoni was convicted and if so what type of sentence he received?

yeah I have no idea why Lifetime edited that out. the segment seemed to be kind of short as it was. poopy lifetime. I hope Gerbasoni got a particularly harsh sentence since that ended up happening to Paula's mother.

what did he get? I couldn't access that link

I couldn't access it either...what's up with him?

Jerry is no longer in prison, at least not in Florida. He is back in New Jersey, he was released from prison in 2003, he pled guilty to 2nd degree murder and based on 1986 law was sentenced to 17 years in prison. Coupled with the time he was in custody before he was sentenced, he was released after serving 9 or 10 years for his sentence, he is currently on parole from Florida but he is living in New Jersey. Gerald Gervasoni is now 50 years old.

Apperantly as soon as Jerry was released from prison in Florida, he was taken to New Jersey because at the time he went on the run, he was actually on parole from prison there for an armed robbery conviction from 1982 where he had received a 7 year sentence. He had also been sentenced in 1983 to 4 years in prison for escape and in 2003 when he arrived in New Jersey, went back to prison to serve the remaining 3 years, 9 months left on his sentence that he violated parole on and he has since been released again.

Our system really S*cks!!! People like that should never be released and see the light of day. Especially since NJ is my home.

Well, you have to remember he was sentenced based on 1986 laws, and parole laws in Florida under 1986 law were much more leninent than they are now. In fact, if he had done the same crime after 1994, he would have been required to serve at least 85 percent of his sentence before being able to be released, so he would still be in prison in Florida. Also, in Florida, if he had pled guilty to 2nd degree murder in modern times, he would have probably got anywhere from 25 to 40 years.

Does anyone know anything about her mother since the update? I felt so sorry for this poor women and you can definitely understand why she's having a hard time accepting it.

Does anyone know anything about her mother since the update? I felt so sorry for this poor women and you can definitely understand why she's having a hard time accepting it.

I've read in a different thread that Paula's mother is homeless.:( I hope she gets back on her feet and can somehow get on with her life.

That is ridiculous, I have seen heaps of cases like this where the guy often recieves the death penalty for murder.

It actually is quite common. I mean cases like that, they get pled out all the time. Where Jerry Gerbasoni got lucky was that the case was not political. Now granted, with the sentencing laws the way they are now in Florida, even if he got the same deal he would have served way more time. However at that time in Florida, until the laws were changed in the mid 90's, if your crime was committed before that, for non life or non death sentences, inmates were typically released after serving 40 percent or so of their sentence.

Now in Florida inmates have to serve 85 percent of their sentence before being released. So, when Gerbasoni took the plea deal, he got a 17 year sentence but if you factor in good time credit and the like and the fact at that time inmates were typically released after serving 40 percent of their sentences that is why Gerbasoni only served like 7, 7 and a half years of his sentence and then was released.

Well this is another part of the reason I am against the death penalty, it is not proportionate. First off, most people that commit murder are actually pled out. Thus you see some serial killers on death row but you also see guys there for 'only' killing one person. Now, out of all the murderers there are, the odds of any of them getting the death penalty are actually not very high, less than 5 percent of all murderers actually get it and the odds of a death sentence being carried out is even less.

So sad what became of her mother. Is she still alive?

So sad what became of her mother. Is she still alive?

That's a really hard question to answer. I do a lot of investigating to try to discover what has become of people that were on UM after so many years, and so far, I have found nothing concrete to indicate that Barbara Pasciak is deceased, but it's also hard to imagine somebody being depressed and aimless for 24 years, so I'd would say that the question of whether or not she's still alive would be an intriguing mystery in itself.

I was watching this case today (rough day at work=UM marathon) and decided to look up articles related to the murder. Almost choked on my Tostitos when I found out Paula was from my home town of Toms River. Sorry but when people where I live hear or see Toms River, NJ on the news we get a tad excited. Not that I got excited that this girl got killed by a nincompoop, but...crap! :(

ok I'm done.

I was watching this case today (rough day at work=UM marathon) and decided to look up articles related to the murder. Almost choked on my Tostitos when I found out Paula was from my home town of Toms River. Sorry but when people where I live hear or see Toms River, NJ on the news we get a tad excited. Not that I got excited that this girl got killed by a nincompoop, but...crap! :(

ok I'm done.

I'm actually reading a book about a murder that took place in Toms River, NJ in 1984. The title is Blind Faith and it was written by the late Joe McGinniss (of Jeff MacDonald fame). It covers the case of Robert Marshall, an insurance salesman who was convicted of contracting the murder of his wife, Maria. It's not a UM case, but there was a TV movie based on the book that came out sometime in the early '90s. Dennis Farina was actually in it, too.

Ah yes, the Marshall murder. Kinda sad that Toms River is only sort of famous because of bad situations. They also filmed the movie "Amityville Horror" here. Unfortunately they changed the house and moved it over a bit :( Too many gawkers (like me) I suppose.

I'm trying to find the Oyster Creek picnic area (if it still exists) because I live near the Oyster Creek power plant (no I don't glow..not yet anyway.) Maybe it's near there--I have no idea.

Side note: Maria Marshall and and Paula P are buried in the same cemetery (St. Josephs Catholic Cemetery)

http://bailbondcity.com/fldoc-inmate-GERVASONI/X10044 - Inmate File

http://bailbondcity.com/fldoc-inmate-GERVASONI/X10044 - Inmate File

Gerald Gervasoni is a short dude.

Also a dead dude.

I'm actually reading a book about a murder that took place in Toms River, NJ in 1984. The title is Blind Faith and it was written by the late Joe McGinniss (of Jeff MacDonald fame). It covers the case of Robert Marshall, an insurance salesman who was convicted of contracting the murder of his wife, Maria. It's not a UM case, but there was a TV movie based on the book that came out sometime in the early '90s. Dennis Farina was actually in it, too.
I don't mean to get too off topic, but I grew up in Manalapan NJ and can vaguely remember when the Marshall murder took place. I also remember when the TV movie aired, there's a scene where someone picks up a copy of the Asbury Park Press mewspaper. My first job was delivering that same newspaper.

I don't think the Gerald Gervasoni that died in 2013 is our Gerald. His inmate status says he was born December 29, 1956, whereas the other one who died in 2013 was 54 years old. That would've made ours only 56 years old at the time, so I don't think it's the same guy.

Yeah, the Gerald Gervasoni featured at the link is definitely the UM Gervasoni.

Yeah, the Gerald Gervasoni featured at the link is definitely the UM Gervasoni.

How so? What doesn't help is the obituary doesn't have a photo of the person who died, so it could be him or someone else with the same name. I know it says Trenton, NJ, but there is a possibility of there being more than one Gerald Gervasoni. It happens.

How so? What doesn't help is the obituary doesn't have a photo of the person who died, so it could be him or someone else with the same name. I know it says Trenton, NJ, but there is a possibility of there being more than one Gerald Gervasoni. It happens.

The inmate is definitely the Gerald Gervasoni in question. I don't know about any deceased Gervasoni nor have I seen this obituary.

According to UM Wiki Jerry died in 2013 so I'm sure it's the guy.

According to UM Wiki Jerry died in 2013 so I'm sure it's the guy.

I was the one that added this to the UM wiki. I figured it was him because the name matched exactly, he was from Trenton, New Jersey, he worked in construction (according to the UM segment), and the age matched his age in the UM segment and these two articles:
http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/1989-11-05/news/8911043565_1_pasciak-gervasoni-paula

http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/1997-06-25/news/9706240784_1_gervasoni-pasciak-tiffany

The first article said he was 31 in 1989, which would put his birth year as either 1957 or 1958.

The second article said he was 38 in 1997, which would put his birth year as either 1959 or 1958.

The UM segment said he was 34 in 1993, which would put his birth year as either 1959 or 1958.

Finally, the obituary said he died at 54 in 2013, which would put his birth year as either 1959 or 1958.

So, either the segment and the two articles gave the incorrect age, or the Inmate profile gave the incorrect birth year. I had not seen this profile until the other day, but I'm guessing it may have just gotten the year wrong (I am certain that the inmate profile is of Gervasoni, of course).

It is him. There is a previous post from 2012 claiming he lives in Washington as of 2012:

http://www.sitcomsonline.com/boards/showthread.php?t=182833&page=3

What a scumbag. Leaving the dead body there for her mother to find like that should have got him a longer sentence. All he had to do was admit he had issues & either she would have dumped him or got him to get help, instead he killed her over a small amount of money & then went on the run for seven years, how on earth did he only serve six of seventeen years?

Interesting that despite being captured in 1993, he wasn't deported to the US until 1996 and didn't go on trial until the following year. I wonder what caused the delays?

Gerald Gervasoni is a short dude.

You could see that in the update with his backwards walk to the plane. He reeked of Short Man Syndrome.

Interesting that despite being captured in 1993, he wasn't deported to the US until 1996 and didn't go on trial until the following year. I wonder what caused the delays?

You could see that in the update with his backwards walk to the plane. He reeked of Short Man Syndrome.

Found it hilarious that he did pretty much a moonwalk to avoid his face being being filmed & then sticks his head up against the glass at the end.

I very nearly wrote "moonwalk" in my previous post! I've thought that for years!

Did this episode make it to Amazon? I might’ve missed it

Did this episode make it to Amazon? I might’ve missed it
Season 6, episode 3 on Prime

Season 6, episode 3 on Prime

Thanks!!!

The reason this creep only got 17 years was because of sentencing guidelines back in 1985 requiring only a maximum of 17 years when convicted of second degree murder. Since he murdered Paula in 1986, these same guidelines would have applied. He actually was sentenced to life in prison but won on an appeal and got the sentence reduced.

Randomly think about this case every few months and I found an article that says at his trial, the defense tried to run on the theory that Paula died from an allergic reaction to a bee sting and that her mother hastily tried to cover it up. That failed thanks to common sense and the testimony of the friend featured in the segment who picked up Gervasoni at the airport after the murder.

Randomly think about this case every few months and I found an article that says at his trial, the defense tried to run on the theory that Paula died from an allergic reaction to a bee sting and that her mother hastily tried to cover it up. That failed thanks to common sense and the testimony of the friend featured in the segment who picked up Gervasoni at the airport after the murder.

Pathetic. So they tried to make it sound like she died from an allergic reaction to a bee sting….so how did they explain her being beaten and strangled to death? I realize people who are guilty as sin, the defense has to throw anything they can against the wall and see what sticks. But a middle school kid could poke a hundred holes in that theory.