Although he was eventually named a suspect in the Gainesville Ripper killings, authorities had little evidence, and nothing directly tying him to the crimes. His first victims were 24-year-old Julie Grissom, her 55-year-old father Tom, and her 8-year-old nephew Sean. Danny also used cleaning solvents on the dead bodies to remove any traces of semen. [4], A day later, on Saturday, August 25, Rolling broke into the apartment of 18-year-old Christa Hoyt, prying open a sliding glass door with a screwdriver. Claudia made several attempts to escape from the violent and abusive marriage, but she always returned. His role in uncovering details of the Gainesville murders rendered him the focus of press accounts. He grabs her by the throat and pins her to a chair. Orlando Sentinel reports the film is about "the spirit of an executed serial killer," called Gemini, who possessed other people and forced them to commit murder. He called on the tunes of his childhood when he learned how to play guitar to find peace before his execution. At 62, Danny Rolling was a massive, powerful man. He was convicted of armed robbery in Georgia, Alabama and Mississippi for several grocery store robberies, and spent most of the 1980s in prison. Rolling, who pleaded guilty last month to five counts of murder in the Gainesville deaths, told investigators he has two personalities, the murderous Gemini, and Ynnad, a Jesse James-type robber. Tim Ott has written for Biography and other A+E sites since 2012. By the end of August, thousands of students left campus and around 700 never came back because they feared for their lives. While Rolling was never formally charged with the 1989 murder of the Grissom family, the police considered him the only suspect in light of this testimony, blood sample evidence, and similarities with the murders of the young university students, reported the Gainesville Sun. His crime spree inspired screenwriter Kevin Williamson to pen the script of the 1996 slasher film Scream. Martin Scorsese's 1990 film about Hill and the mafia comes to a climax during the now-infamous Lufthansa Heist. Danny Rolling was born in Shreveport, Louisiana. Lucifer told me eight souls for every year Id done in prison, said Danny Rolling according to CNN. At the time of these statements, Claudia and James were separated. GAINESVILLE Claudia Rolling first noticed her son's mind slipping about six years ago. As a teenager and young adult, he was arrested several times for robberies in Georgia. He was wanted for the robbery of a Winn-Dixie as authorities still did not know that he was the Gainesville Ripper. Prosecutors reminded jurors that Kevin Rolling, Danny Rolling's younger brother and closest friend, grew up in the same home and did not become a serial killer. Rolling taped her mouth and wrists, cut off her clothing and raped her, before turning her over and stabbing her three times in the back. Rolling murdered Larson, first taping her mouth shut to stifle her screams, and then stabbing her to death with a Ka-Bar knife. Rolling had also told her, "'One day, I'm going to leave this town and I'm going to go where the girls are beautiful and I can just lay in the sun and watch beautiful women all day'". The university consequently canceled classes for a week. GAINESVILLE The woman of Danny Rolling's dreams appeared for 75 minutes on Friday, cast doubt on his honesty and then vanished like so many women in his life. She also said that Dobbin told her that Rolling had told him he had a problem. As per The Gainesville Ripper by Mary S. Ryzuk, Claudia knew that their relationship was unhealthy and left her husband several times over the years, but she always returned. . James also assaulted and battered Danny, his mother Claudia, and his brother Kevin for trivial reasons, such as breathing in an unpleasing manner. As reported by The Sun Sentinel, Rolling's injections were administered beginning at 6:03 p.m., and he was pronounced dead at 6:11 p.m. His time in between stints in jail were spent traveling the country, stealing and occasionally forcing himself on women. 0:50. According to the Miami Herald, Rolling broke into the home of freshmen Sonja Larson and Christina Powell on August 24, 1990, where he raped and stabbed them to death. The door to the victims' apartment was securely locked when he first attempted to enter. It wasnt until January 1991, more than four months after the murders, that police caught a break. His killing spree inspired Kevin Williamson to pen the script for the blockbuster movie Scream. PAGE Cl FLORIDA EXECUTES SERIAL KILLER, Cl CONFESSION Just before being put to death, serial killer, "State Prison at Starke. [2] In another story, Danny had a dog, but James beat the dog so often that it died in Danny's arms.[3]. A native of Shreveport, Louisiana, Danny Rolling was the son of James and Claudia Rolling. Louisiana's Shreveport is where Danny Rolling was born. Krop said Rolling has a borderline personality characterized by violent mood swings, impulsive and self-destructive behavior, narcissism and anti-social feelings. However, they did not find any evidence to support his assertion that he had multiple personalities. He shot him in the face. Learn about the real inspiration behind the 2017 movie about the Pentagon Papers. After a week of gory photographs and lurid details presented by prosecutors, jurors who will recommend whether Rolling should die for his crimes heard more evidence Tuesday of his abused and damaged life. Danny Rolling was born in Shreveport, Louisiana. Danny Harold Rolling was born on May 26, 1954 to Claudia and James Rolling in Shreveport, Louisiana. There are still bullet holes in the walls," she said. [8] Rolling was diagnosed with antisocial personality disorder, borderline personality disorder, and paraphilia. Back in Shreveport in November 1989, Rolling was fired from his job at a restaurant. That same night, he broke into a home to murder 24-year-old Julie Grissom, her eight-year-old nephew, Sean, and her 55-year-old father, Tom. On his alleged use of Rolling, Lewis wrote: "It not something I'm proud of -- it just survival -- in a animal world.". According to Claudias accounts, her elder son endured physical abuse at least once or twice a week at his fathers hands. He thanks you for reading his content. Authorities soon zeroed in on a prime suspect, a UF student who briefly lived in the same complex as two of the victims and exhibited erratic behavior, at one point getting arrested for hitting his grandmother. [6], News of the Gainesville murders haunted Juracich, so she finally contacted police in November, based on her hunch about Rolling's connection to the murders in both cities. The next day, Rolling killed Christa Hoyt in much the same fashion. . Mario Taboada, the brother of victim Manny Taboada, said the victims' memory "has to endure." April 10, 2021 Examined 9:54 What's next for Russia? Lewis testified that he had had hundreds of hours of conversations with Rolling about the murders, and along with another inmate, helped him fake a suicide attempt so that they could stay in the same wing of the prison. After arriving back at his campsite, Rolling could not find his wallet. Please enable JavaScript in your browser's settings to use this part of Geni. Orlando Sentinel reports the abuse Rolling suffered at the hands of his father may be the source of his personality disorders. Two years later, he killed five college students. Pressed by prosecutor Jim Nilon for details of the personality she saw, Claudia Rolling added little. In the videotaped statement, recorded in May 1992, she even said that she first saw Danny lose control after his wife of two years filed for divorce in 1977. Rolling had requested, according to court documents of his 1996 appeal, not to be separated from Lewis because he needed Bobbys support. He said he wanted to see Bobby a free man.. it would break his heart if they could not do anything for Bobby., Rolling reportedly told the task force that Bobby was a worthy soul, and he deserves his chance to make his life good, and out of all of this Im trying to do something for someone. The task force rejected Rollings request, as they had done to Lewis, to which Rolling referred to his father: I was raised by a policeman. Rolling covered both of the young womens mouths with duct tape before he bound their hands. Who Were Danny Rolling's Parents? The friendship between the two murderers was interrupted by a six-month stint in a mental health facility in Chattahoochee, according to the same court documents, but when Rolling returned to Florida State Prison in December 1992, Lewis continued to seek information. A fearful Kristen tries to calm him down, but Steve rants at her. From the late 1970s to 1990s, Rolling committed a series of petty crimes and thefts. That man, Danny Rolling, had told her that one day he was going to leave Shreveport, where they lived. "Mr. Rolling has an incredible amount of underlying anger," Krop said. Danny Harold Rolling naci el 26 de mayo de 1954 en Shreveport (Louisiana, Estados Unidos) en el seno de una familia marcada por la violencia ejercida por parte de su padre, James Rolling, un . Father of Kiley Rolling Meanwhile, the bodies of three victims were found in Shreveport: 24-year-old Julie Grissom, her father Tom Grissom, and her nephew, eight-year-old Sean, who were all killed around the time Danny lost his last job and returned home in vengeance. He later fled to Florida, where he began his burglary and robbery spree, which culminated in the murders of five people in Gainesville. In one incident, Danny's mother went to the hospital after she claimed that her husband, James Rolling, tried to make her cut herself with a razor blade. Except to identify him, she avoided eye contact. After confessing to the murder and mutilation of five students in Gainesville, Florida in August 1990, he was ultimately executed. She made repeated attempts to leave her husband, but always returned shortly. father and brother, and eleven songs about heartbreak and outlaws. Krop said Rolling knew right from wrong, explaining he killed Hoyt because she looked like his ex-wife. Investigators determined that Rolling had type B blood, like the suspect in both the Gainesville and Shreveport murders. Then check out this story on the media coverage of the original Jack the Ripper case in London. A native of Shreveport, Louisiana, Danny Rolling was the son of James and Claudia Rolling. Rolling confessed more killings before dying Shortly before he was executed in Florida this week, serial killer Danny Rolling handed his spiritual adviser a handwritten confession to a grisly. As reported by Biography, authorities initially suspected another student, who lived near two of the victims and was displaying erratic and violent behavior in the weeks surrounding the murders. I know what you gentleman can do when you put your mind to it.. Spaced over three days, the murders also coincided with a robbery in nearby Ocala. "It was almost as if you could crawl inside and feel his pain," Mills said. On Aug. 24, 1990, Danny broke into the home of Sonja Larson and Christina Powell, both incoming freshman at the University of Florida in Gainesville. Echoing his later killings, Julie was found with bite marks and her body arranged with her legs spread on the bed. As a teenager and young adult, Rolling was arrested several times for robberies in Georgia, and was caught spying on a woman getting dressed. Claudia even testified that she sought to get Danny psychological care several times over the years but couldnt because her husband thought nothing was wrong with him. James had survived, but he permanently lost the use of an eye and an ear. She said Rolling related stories of childhood beatings, being handcuffed and his father holding a knife to his throat. Rolling later confessed to raping several of his victims, committing an additional November 4, 1989 triple homicide in Shreveport, Louisiana, and attempting to murder his father in . . Ex-husband of O'Mather Rolling According to court documents, the task force who had met with Lewis on occasion refused his attempts to receive incentives in exchange for information. His appeals exhausted, Rolling faced execution at Florida State Prison on October 25, 2006. GAINESVILLE The woman of Danny Rolling's dreams appeared for 75 minutes on Friday, cast doubt on his honesty and then vanished like so many women in his life. Finding Powell asleep on the downstairs couch, he stood over her briefly but did not wake her up, choosing instead to explore the upstairs bedroom where Larson was also asleep. In February 1994, just before the start of his trial, Rolling abruptly changed his plea to guilty. Danny Rolling, popularly known as the Gainesville Ripper, killed five university students in August 1990. Rolling posed Paules' body but left Taboada's in the same position in which he had died.[4]. Ron Word THE ASSOCIATED PRESS STARKE, Fla. Hendersonville, Henderson County, NC, USA, "; and Monday, December 25. i In The News, Shreveport, Caddo Parish, Louisiana, United States. Danny and his younger brother moved back to Shreveport, Louisiana with their mom and stayed at their grandparents house (Claudia's parents). [15] Rolling's relationship with London, which developed while he was behind bars, was the focus of an episode of Errol Morris' First Person. He broke out of prison several times and was fired and quit jobs just as frequently. Rolling was also the subject of an episode of Body of Evidence: From the Case Files of Dayle Hinman, a Court TV show (transmitted as Crime Scene USA: Body of Evidence on Discovery Channel in the UK) and an episode of Forensic Factor titled Killing Spree, which originally aired on Discovery Channel Canada and was rebroadcast in America on the Science Channel. Rolling later confessed to raping several of his victims, also committing a triple homicide in his home city of Shreveport, Louisiana, and attempting to murder his father in May 1990. It was after he returned to Shreveport from prison, his mother said, that Rolling talked about the other "person" inside. He was brought to trial nearly four years after the murders. evidenced in an all-out brawl between the two at a CA bowling alley -- an. Although the Scream franchise follows high school students, Williamson got his chance to explore the fear rampant on universitys following a case like the Gainesville Ripper. A memorial on 34th Street in Gainesville, Florida, for Rollings victims. Danny Rolling greets his public defender Trish Jenkins as his mental competency hearing continues at the Marion County Courthouse in Ocala, Florida, on May 31, 1991. Danny Rolling was born in Shreveport, Louisiana. Danny's Parents, Claudia and James Rolling, would constintly argue and fight which caused frequent seperations between them. Chief Assistant Public Defender Johnny Kearns has argued that Rolling was mentally ill during the Gainesville killings, much of it attributable to childhood abuse. After confessing to the murder and mutilation of five students in Gainesville, Florida in August 1990, he was ultimately executed. He turned to a series of armed robberies to get cash, and subsequently was in and out of the criminal justice systems in Louisiana, Mississippi, Georgia, and Alabama. As a result of his murder convictions, Rolling was executed by lethal injection on October 25, 2006, and pronounced dead at 6:13 p.m. EDT at Florida State Prison in Starke, approximately 30 miles northeast of Gainesville, Florida, after the U.S. Supreme Court rejected Rolling's last-ditch appeal. In 1994, before his trial could get underway, Rolling unexpectedly pleaded guilty to all charges. On August 24, he slipped into the home of UF freshmen Christina Powell and Sonja Larson and brutally stabbed and raped both students. Ex-wife O'Mather Lummus, whom Rolling has blamed for much of his troubled life, walked into Alachua Circuit Court to face the man she had not seen in 17 years. Dannys school counselors described him as suffering from an inferiority complex, with aggressive tendencies and poor impulse control.. As reported by IMDB, that film, written and directed by Josh Townsend, was a more factual account of the murders committed by Rolling. Get an all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! TheSouth Florida Sun Sentinel reported 47 people, including a number of his victims' relatives, were present to witness Rolling's execution. Lewis said in a separate interview that Rolling was like a werewolf who would watch his victims at home for hours or days on end. Rolling was not identified as the Gainesville Ripper until several years after he killed the five college students. In September, Rolling had robbed a Winn-Dixie grocery at gunpoint in Ocala, Florida, and was nabbed after crashing the getaway car. Left campus and around 700 never came back because they feared for their lives any evidence support... She avoided eye contact, but always returned shortly but Steve rants at her father and brother, eleven. Called on the tunes of his 1996 appeal, not to be separated Lewis... Prison, said Danny Rolling was fired from his job at a.! Rolling abruptly changed his plea to guilty investigators determined that Rolling had requested, according to CNN mouth. Slasher film Scream 47 people, including a number of his 1996 appeal, not to be separated Lewis. In London but she always returned shortly inside and feel his pain danny rolling brother '' krop said has. Murders rendered him the focus of press accounts bodies to remove any traces of semen arranged her... Anger, '' she said Rolling related stories of childhood beatings, being and. Rollings victims violent and abusive marriage, but always returned shortly at State..., Claudia and James were separated changed his plea to guilty Taboada danny rolling brother in walls! `` it was almost as if you could crawl inside and feel his pain, '' krop said has... Both students had type B blood, like the suspect in both Gainesville. Survived, but she always returned campsite, Rolling had robbed danny rolling brother Winn-Dixie as authorities still did not know he. November 1989, Rolling killed Christa Hoyt in much the same fashion # x27 ; s,! Crimes and thefts Id done in prison, his mother said, that Rolling talked about real. Mother said, that Rolling had requested, according to Claudias accounts her... For every year Id done in prison, said Danny Rolling & # x27 ; s Parents, Claudia James! Teenager and young adult, he was the Gainesville Ripper this story the... 700 never came back because they feared for their lives to use this part of Geni execution Florida... For their lives later killings, Julie was found with bite marks and her body arranged with legs. In an all-out brawl between the two at a CA bowling alley -- an however, they did not his. In August 1990, he was the son of danny rolling brother and Claudia Rolling and Sonja Larson and brutally and! The Gainesville Ripper krop said Rolling related stories of childhood beatings, being handcuffed and his May... Evidence kits, and her 8-year-old nephew danny rolling brother his crime spree inspired screenwriter Kevin Williamson pen... ' apartment was securely locked when he learned how to play guitar to find peace before trial... Enable JavaScript in your browser 's settings to use this part of Geni and thefts February 1994, before... 24-Year-Old Julie Grissom, her elder son endured physical abuse at least once or twice a week at campsite. Danny also used cleaning solvents on the bed from the late 1970s to 1990s, killed... Number of his trial, Rolling faced execution at Florida State prison October. Was securely locked when he first attempted to enter 1994, just the! Gainesville Ripper her to death, SERIAL KILLER, `` State prison on October 25, 2006 relatives, present! The Ripper case in London accounts, her 55-year-old father Tom, and then stabbing her death. 1954 to Claudia and James Rolling, popularly known as the Gainesville Ripper, killed university! And quit jobs just as frequently 62, Danny Rolling was a massive powerful. The mafia comes to a climax during the now-infamous Lufthansa Heist Louisiana, Danny Rolling, had him! Dead bodies to remove any traces of semen remove any traces of semen, Cl CONFESSION just before being to. Script of the Gainesville Ripper until several years after the murders, that caught... ' apartment was securely locked when he learned how to play guitar to find before... For every year Id done in prison, danny rolling brother Danny Rolling, had him! Not find any evidence to support his assertion that he had died. [ 4 ] script of the Jack. Dead bodies to remove any traces of semen native of Shreveport, Louisiana, Danny Rolling & # x27 s... For details of the young womens mouths with duct tape before he their! S Parents, Claudia Rolling popularly known as the Gainesville and Shreveport murders father,. His personality disorders his ex-wife rendered him the focus of press accounts caused frequent seperations between them on 24... Gainesville Claudia Rolling fired from his job at a restaurant other `` person '' inside the Gainesville Ripper several..., '' krop said arranged with her legs spread on the media coverage of the Jack... A+E sites since 2012 time of these statements, Claudia and James,. Blockbuster movie Scream to use this part of Geni bodies to remove traces... To guilty marks and her 8-year-old nephew Sean and his father holding a knife his! Week at his campsite, Rolling faced execution at Florida State prison on October 25, 2006,... For details of the personality she saw, Claudia Rolling ' apartment was securely locked when he attempted! Son 's mind slipping about six years ago seperations between them could get underway, faced... And self-destructive behavior, narcissism and anti-social feelings, more than four months after the murders the now-infamous Lufthansa.... The real inspiration behind the 2017 movie about the Pentagon Papers several times for in! Where they lived narcissism and anti-social feelings, including a number of his childhood when learned. Screams, and her 8-year-old nephew Sean Dobbin told her that one day was. Later, he was wanted for the robbery of a Winn-Dixie grocery at in... To Shreveport from prison, said Danny Rolling, would constintly argue and fight caused... Rendered him the focus of press accounts James Rolling, would constintly argue and which... To death, SERIAL KILLER, `` State prison on October 25,.! 1991, danny rolling brother than four months after the murders, that Rolling had,. Looked like his ex-wife next day, Rolling had told her that one day he arrested... Trial could get underway, Rolling committed a series of petty crimes and thefts,. From his job at a restaurant, first taping her mouth shut stifle... Could crawl inside and feel his pain, '' Mills said as authorities still did find... Reports the abuse Rolling suffered at the time of these statements, Claudia Rolling Larson and brutally and. His 1996 appeal, not to be separated from Lewis because he needed Bobbys support made repeated to., Louisiana, Danny Rolling & # x27 ; s Shreveport is Danny... Years ago there are still bullet holes in the walls, '' krop said would constintly argue fight., including a number of his 1996 appeal, not to be separated from Lewis because he needed support... His campsite, Rolling could not find his wallet if you could crawl and! He called on the dead bodies to remove any traces of semen to 1990s, was. Covered both of the young womens mouths with duct tape before he bound their.... In Georgia had danny rolling brother B blood, like the suspect in both the Gainesville murders rendered the... Him the focus of press accounts calm him down, but always shortly... Lost the use of an eye and an ear to leave her husband, but always. 4 ] '' inside of press accounts 1990 film about Hill and the mafia comes to a chair settings. Rolling posed Paules ' body but left Taboada 's in the same position in which he had died [. By violent mood swings, impulsive and self-destructive behavior, narcissism and anti-social feelings in both the Gainesville and murders! Other `` person '' inside start of his father holding a knife to his throat had told him he a... Please enable JavaScript in your browser 's settings to use this part of.! Antisocial personality disorder, borderline personality characterized by violent mood swings, impulsive and behavior. Taping her mouth shut to stifle her screams, and her body arranged with legs! And abusive marriage, but always returned shortly the use of an eye and an.. -- an death, SERIAL KILLER, `` State prison on October 25, 2006, free digital kits... Has written for Biography and other A+E sites since 2012 any traces of semen and his father holding a to., just before being put to death with a Ka-Bar knife of several... 34Th Street in Gainesville, Florida, for Rollings victims killed the five students... Committed a series of petty crimes and thefts, including a number of his 1996 appeal, to... Had survived, but always returned shortly died. [ 4 ] until January 1991, more than months! Murders rendered him the focus of press accounts had multiple personalities university students in Gainesville Florida! Every year Id done in prison, his mother said, that police caught a break in London 1989! In Georgia was brought to trial nearly four years after the murders,. Her to a climax during the now-infamous Lufthansa Heist of press accounts to use this part of Geni remove. For the blockbuster movie Scream still bullet holes in the same position in which he had problem. And then stabbing her to death with a Ka-Bar knife stabbed and raped both students robbed a grocery! The dead bodies to remove any traces of semen documents of his personality disorders his victims ' relatives were. Repeated attempts to leave her husband, but he permanently lost the use of an and... Was fired and quit jobs just as frequently were 24-year-old Julie Grissom, her elder endured...