Cindy Rogers, 29, was shot and killed on August 11, 1980, at a family resort in Lake County, California. She had married Gerald Frank Stanley just days after meeting him in early July 1980, then filed sexual assault charges against him and fled to her father’s resort. On August 11 Stanley located her, set up across the road with a high-powered rifle, and shot her while she sat poolside; her young son was in the pool and several witnesses saw the killing. Stanley was arrested at the scene.

Stanley was charged with first-degree murder, arson of an inhabited dwelling, and burglary of an inhabited trailer coach. The jury convicted him on all counts and found special circumstances that the killing was committed while lying in wait and to prevent Cindy from testifying. He had a prior second-degree murder conviction from 1975. In 1984 Stanley received the death sentence and has since pursued appeals.