Monday, August 27, 2018

Who Is The Killer? Gainsville1990 Pt. 4

Danny Rolling was born in Shreveport, Louisiana, on May 26, 1954.
His father James Rolling, was a Shreveport police officer.
He told Danny that he was unwanted from birth and abused his mother, Claudia, and his brother, Kevin. 
Danny's mother went to the hospital after claiming her husband tried to make her cut herself with a razor blade. 
She repeatedly attempted to leave her husband, but always came back.
One day Danny's dad pinned Danny to the ground, handcuffed him, then had police take his son away because he was embarrassed by him.
As a teenager and young adult, he was arrested several times for robberies in Georgia.
He was also caught spying on a female getting dressed. 
May 1990, he attempted to kill his father during a family argument in which his father lost an eye and an ear.


Investigators look for any armed robberies in Gainesville around the times of the murders.
The First Union Bank near Christa Hoyt's apartment, the morning her body was found.
Deputies chased a suspect into the woods that day, but the gunman escaped.
About a week after the bank robbery, a Ocala grocery store was held up, 40 miles from Gainesville.


September 7, 1990
Rolling was arrested in Ocala on a burglary charge of the grocery store.
His tools were matched to marks left at the Gainesville murder scenes.
The small camp where he was living was in a wooded area located near the apartment complexes frequented by students.
They discover a ski mask which fibers match that found on duct tape at one of the crime scenes.
Blood on a pair of Rolling's pants matches that of Taboada.
One of Christa Hoyt's hairs was found in his sleeping bag.
Investigators discovered recordings Rolling had made of himself singing country songs that he had composed and audio diaries alluding to the crimes.



Feb. 8, 1991

Rolling is charged with robbing a Tampa Save 'N' Pack grocery store on Sept. 2, 1990. 
He also faces charges in three burglaries committed about the same time in Tampa. 
After breaking into one home, he called his mother in Shreveport.



May 31, 1991
The task force identifies Rolling as its prime suspect after DNA evidence links him to the crime scenes.


July 10, 1991
Federal grand jury in Tallahassee indicts Rolling on charges of robbing a Gainesville bank on Aug. 27, 1990. 
This places him in Gainesville at the time of the killings.



Sept. 18, 1991
Rolling is sentenced to life in prison for an Ocala Winn-Dixie robbery.



Oct. 18, 1991

Rolling is sentenced to three life terms plus 170 years for robbery, assault and burglary charges related to the Tampa crimes in September 1990.



Nov. 15, 1991
Gainesville grand jury indicts Rolling on charges of first-degree murder, burglary and sexual assault in the Gainesville killings.


May 21, 1992 
Rolling is sentenced to life in prison for the Gainesville bank robbery. 
Later he is resentenced to 32 years.



June 1, 1992
Rolling attempts to hang himself with a bed sheet in his cell.


June 7, 1992
At his arraignment, he pleads not guilty to the five killings, three rapes and three burglaries in Gainesville.


Feb. 9, 1993
Investigators search deer pens for the military knife and gloves believed used by the killer. 

The search ends Feb. 13 without success.



Feb. 10, 1994

Days before his trial is scheduled to begin, Rolling agrees to plead guilty to the Gainesville killings, rapes and burglaries. 
He asks for no leniency. 
Prosecutors, judge and defense lawyer keep this a secret.
Rollings claimed his motive was to become a "superstar" similar to Ted Bundy


Feb. 15, 1994
The guilty plea is announced in open court. 
The judge and lawyers agree to return the next day to select a jury that will recommend whether Rolling should be sentenced to life in prison or death.

Court TV conducted an interview with Rolling's mother from her home, during which his father could be heard shouting off-camera. 



April 20, 1994

Rolling was sentenced to death on all counts.

Rolling was diagnosed with antisocial personality disorder, borderline personality disorder and paraphilia(sexual perversion or sexual deviation).


Rolling was executed by lethal injection at Florida State Prison on October 25, 2006.
The U.S. Supreme Court rejected a last-ditch appeal.
He was pronounced dead at 6:13 p.m.
Rolling sang a gospel hymn, but made no statement immediately prior to his execution, which was witnessed by many of his victims' relatives.
In a written statement made shortly before his execution, Rolling confessed to the murders of the Grissom family in Shreveport.

The movie Scream, was based on the killings


REMEMBERING THE VICTIMS

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