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Danny Rolling--Gainesville Ripper Doc'y

Discussion in 'Too Hot for Swamp Gas' started by 92gator, Jul 9, 2022.

  1. 92gator

    92gator GC Hall of Fame

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    ...on right now on A&E (I believe it's the premiere).

    Being played again at 1:00 AM if you missed it and want to DVR it.

    FYI.
     
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  2. 92gator

    92gator GC Hall of Fame

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    ^^^ btw, it's titled "First Blood" (threw me for a loop).
     
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  3. ATLGATORFAN

    ATLGATORFAN Premium Member

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    Sat in the courtroom less than 10ft from him. My Gf back then ended up meeting him and doing research with/on him during her psych rotation in med school. Hard to believe that was so long ago
     
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  4. oragator1

    oragator1 Premium Member

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    For many of us who lived it, that was more than enough.
     
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  5. 92gator

    92gator GC Hall of Fame

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    I understand. I was there too. My roommate hauled ass (USF offered free easy transfer to any UF student who wanted to bail, and he took 'em up on it) so I was alone in my apartment. I'd make a thorough inspection of every nook n crany of that apt with axe in hand. Bought a dog too (pit mix from SPCA).

    ....still a compelling story. I'd forgotten a lot about the case. The doc'y was alright, but was kind of light in covering of the story. Was more about DH and his background--including murders in Shreveport, LA (that aspect was informative)-- than about the Gainesville vics, the murders, or the investigation--which as I recall it, took years b4 they finally figured who it was.

    The doc'y made it seem like DH was a no brainer for the G'ville murder, and an easy leap from Shreveport murders--but then concludes by saying he copped to the Shreveport murders moments b4 his execution by slipping a note to his confessor.

    Certainly not a pleasant reminiscence, but it was interesting to revisit that dark chapter again, decades removed.

    fwiw.
     
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  6. 92gator

    92gator GC Hall of Fame

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    That's crazy.

    ...on that note, the doc'y actually had quite a few interview snippets from Rolling. As they told of DH's background, it was pretty clear that he was a world class POS, and not hard to figure how he got there.

    ...but hearing him talk--he struck as inordinately regular guy, for actually being such a monster (of course that's actually pretty normal for serial killers, as I suspect you're probably well aware).
     
  7. Spurffelbow833

    Spurffelbow833 GC Hall of Fame

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    Too unpleasant and disturbing to revisit for me. Every noise in the night got my pulse racing. It's lucky that Ed Humphrey's innocence wasn't proven by the discovery of more bodies while that maniac remained at large, camping in the woods for days after Humphrey was arrested. Sadie Darnell was somehow catapulted into the office of sheriff by telling us absolutely nothing every day. The homecoming of Steve Spurrier was spoiled and rendered trivial by the knowledge that a brutally violent killer was walking among us.
     
  8. oragator1

    oragator1 Premium Member

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    I knew Ed Humphrey a bit. I actually had just recommended him for a security job when it all went down. My boss was like “well if you think he’d be good then Ok”. One of the biggest shocks of my life was turning on CNN to see him being arraigned for assaulting his grandmother and being suspected of the murders. But I was pretty confident he didn’t do it (maybe more hopeful after the “confession”) which was both reassuring and a bit scary, because it meant the killer was still out there.

    and if you want to go glass half full, there couldn’t have possibly been a better year for SOS to come, he was the one thing that United the campus and brought it back to life that fall. Those who didn’t live in Gainesville that fall will never understand what he did for the city in those months.
     
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  9. gatordavisl

    gatordavisl VIP Member

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    Was there, too. Lived on SW 4th Ave half a block from campus and not too far from Williamsburg, the site of the first murders. I can't fathom having lived alone during that time. We had at least eight people staying in our 3bd apartment, including my sister who woke up screaming from a nightmare one night. What a frightening time. Every night going to bed was a scary feeling. Our apartment was on the ground floor and my bedroom had flimsy ass windows that anybody could break into.

    And I agree with @oragator1 about Spurrier's coming being a welcome distraction. Having a new excitement for Gator football + a new and eloquent university president was nice, too. Not all will agree on John Lombardi, but I liked him.
     
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  10. Gatorrick22

    Gatorrick22 GC Hall of Fame

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    Should be titled: Louisiana Nut-bar...
     
  11. Tjgators

    Tjgators Premium Member

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    My 2nd year. Gainesville was a ghost town. It was scary.
     
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  12. littlebluelw

    littlebluelw Premium Member

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    Mine too. Had a female friend from Duke that just started law school who lived alone. As soon as this storyline broke she moved in with my brother and i in Brandywine for a year.
    weird times
     
  13. WarDamnGator

    WarDamnGator GC Hall of Fame

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    This sounds all wrong. I don’t think Rolling was working alone. Im working on my own documentary, “2000 Rippers”.
     
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  14. 92gator

    92gator GC Hall of Fame

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    Hahahaha...soooo funny...

    Not.

    Loser.
     
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  15. WarDamnGator

    WarDamnGator GC Hall of Fame

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    I figured you’d like it the most.
     
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  16. 92gator

    92gator GC Hall of Fame

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    Didya now...
     
  17. 92gator

    92gator GC Hall of Fame

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    FYI:

    JUNE 29, 2022
    How Danny Rolling, the 'Gainesville Ripper,' Was Caught
    ROBERT KAHN

    [​IMG]
    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. Rolling is one of the suspects in the murder of five college students in Gainesville, Florida, last year. Photo: AP Photo/Chris O'Meara

    Warning: The following contains disturbing descriptions of violence, including sexual violence. Reader discretion is advised.

    When a killer brought chaos to the University of Florida over the course of three days in 1990, the city of Gainesville responded with heightened security steps: Door locks were reinforced. New alarms were installed around campus. Walking escorts were provided to students who wanted one if traveling after dark.

    Still, students remained on edge as several of their friends and fellow classmates had their lives ripped away by an unknown killer, later learned to be Louisiana drifter Daniel “Danny” Harold Rolling. In total, Rolling—who was branded “The Gainesville Ripper” before his identity was known—murdered five young adults, all of whom lived along the same road. Four were UF students; one attended neighboring Santa Fe Community College.

    [Rolling’s crimes and victims will be the subject of an episode of First Blood, on Saturday, July 9 at 9/8c on A&E.]

    ...

    The names of the students have been memorialized on a panel of the quarter-mile long 34th street graffiti wall in Gainesville created by local artists. The panel says: “Remember 1990.” Visitors to the wall still leave flowers nearby.

    A Campus on Edge
    “This killer had a style about him,” Don Maines, a retired investigator for the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and a 1973 UF graduate, tells A&E True Crime. The crime scenes, with victims left in suggestive poses, were orchestrated “to shock” the first person to stumble on them, he says.

    ....

    How Danny Rolling, the 'Gainesville Ripper,' Was Caught
     
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  18. archigator_96

    archigator_96 GC Hall of Fame

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    I was in my second year there and a couple of scary moments.
    My roommate's friend lived in Williamsburg behind steak and shake. Not sure if it was next to the apartment where the girls lived or one down but it was close. He said there was a loud stereo being played for a while and they were just about to call the cops since it was so late but it turned off.
    The other one is we were doubling up and tripling up in our apartments and I was coming home late from design studio and one of our friends was sleeping on the couch and he had his 45 pistol aimed at me as I came in the door trying to do it quietly so as not to wake people up.
     
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  19. orangeblue_coop

    orangeblue_coop GC Hall of Fame

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    I thought the wackjob conspiracy theorists would appreciate a juicy conspiracy theory. Guess not:D
     
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  20. Tjgators

    Tjgators Premium Member

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    When false rumors (shared by the media over and over again) were running rampant, I didn't know if the bad guy/s were dressed up as a cop, a maintenance man that had keys or just a brilliant serial killer. Once we heard he snuck up on Manny, we were worried he would sneak up on us. I had dowels in all windows and sliding glass doors and booby trapped the front door. Our place ended up having half a sorority in it, so everyone felt really safe.

    We rarely locked our doors before this happened. This would be a great podcast.
     
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