Lummus testified on Thursday that during her marriage to Rolling from 1974 to 1977, he never spoke of abuse by his father, demonic visions or nightmares. He, as well as his mother Claudia, and brother Kevin, were beaten for the most absurd reasons, such as breathing in a way that James did . 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. And nobody can get well with that going on all the time.". Mills, a country-Western music producer, said Rolling, who sang Gospel songs and played guitar with her, resisted counseling because he feared retaliation by his father. Danny Harold Rolling (May 26, 1954 - October 25, 2006), also known as the Gainesville Ripper, was an American serial killer who murdered five students in Gainesville, Florida over four days in late August 1990. ABCs 20/20: Gainesville Serial Killer is an episode that chronicles the tale of Daniel Danny Rolling, a serial killer responsible for eight murders, including a triple homicide in Shreveport, Louisiana, and the slaying of five students over four days in the college town of Gainesville, Florida. He sang a gospel hymn, but made no statement immediately before his execution, which was witnessed by many of his victims' relatives.[14]. Except to identify him, she avoided eye contact. Danny Rolling, also known as The Gainesville Ripper, was an American serial murderer who killed five students over four days in late August 1990 in. Danny turned his devastation into anger and raped a woman who closely resembled his ex-wife. The mental health professionals who interviewed Rolling concluded he was mentally ill, and clearly "shifted from role to role." Jurors have heard evidence from a Rolling confidante, convicted killer Bobby Lewis, that Rolling "snapped" in a Mississippi prison where sewage spewed into his cell several times a week. The son of a police officer and an aspiring country music singer, Rolling had spent a couple years in the U.S. Air Force before beginning a career of crime. There are still bullet holes in the walls," she said. After arriving back at his campsite, Rolling could not find his wallet. But Claudia said that she first noticed Dannys mind shift in 1988, revealing, His face got real hard, almost no emotion there at alljust kind of a deadpan expression. Who Were Danny Rolling's Parents? Before Danny Rolling was the Gainesville Ripper, he was a long-time victim of abuse. Killer who butchered live students in, trame jams. Daniel Danny Harold Rolling was born in Shreveport, Louisiana, on May 26, 1954, to Claudia and James Rolling, a local police lieutenant. Later that year, he killed a woman in a car accident which troubled him further. After confessing to the murder and mutilation of five students in Gainesville, Florida in August 1990, he was ultimately executed. 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. 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'". Shortly before his execution, Rolling confessed to three other murders, those of the Grissom family in Shreveport, Source:: [http://disturbinghorror.com/Serial-Killers/Serial-Killers-Bio/Danie]. They were engaged for a period, and seemingly, very much in love. In 1990, he set up a campsite in a wooded area behind the University of Florida, Rolling embarked on his murder spree as students began the fall semester. On Aug. 24, 1990, Danny Rolling brutally murdered his first two victims UF freshmen Sonja Larson and Christina Powell. The mother of my children," he tells a cowering Kristen. Following his arrest, Rolling was interviewed by a number of mental health professionals, who all agreed he had some form of mental illness. Rolling's former girlfriend, Lillian "Bunnie" Mills of Bossier City, La., said she and his mother persuaded him to seek mental help in March 1989 and again on Nov. 14, 1989, but he did not follow up on the visits. His father was a Shreveport police officer named James Rolling, who told Danny that he was unwanted from birth and abused his mother, Claudia, and his brother, Kevin. Instead of throwing a big party to celebrate Muhammad Ali's 1964 win over Sonny Lison, Ali, Malcolm X, Sam Cooke and Jim Brown quietly met to celebrate the victory. Rolling, who recorded the songs on August 4, 1990, days before murdering the five . He was executed by lethal injection in 2006. In his final moments, he regaled the 47 people crammed into the witness room with one of his songs, a religious hymn with the refrain "none greater than thee, O Lord, none greater than thee." An episode of Murder Made Me Famous, which aired November 24, 2018, chronicled the case. Many students had begun taking extra precautions, such as changing their daily routines and sleeping together in groups. His last meal consisted of lobster tail, butterfly shrimp, baked potato, strawberry cheesecake, and sweet tea. His father was a Shreveport police officer named James Rolling, who told Danny that he was unwanted from birth and abused his mother, Claudia, and his brother, Kevin. His microphone was then cut off, ending a life story as twisted as any that could appear on the big screen. Already facing multiple life sentences for his various armed robberies, Rolling was formally charged with the murders of the five Gainesville students in June 1992. His first victims were 24-year-old Julie Grissom, her 55-year-old father Tom, and her 8-year-old nephew Sean. The Gainesville Ripper put her head on a bookshelf. Rolling was executed in 2006 after singing a hymn and eating a lavish dinner, and never quite achieved his dream of being a superstar like Ted Bundy though he undoubtedly still harbored these dreams in prison. At 11 a.m., Hoyt entered the apartment and Rolling surprised her from behind, placing her in a chokehold. From Gacy's first sexual assault conviction to his eventual execution, here are the key moments from one of the most notorious murder sprees in U.S. history. He called on the tunes of his childhood when he learned how to play guitar to find peace before his execution. 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. A 2007 independent feature film titled The Gainesville Ripper, based on accounts of the killings, was shot in the Gainesville and Jacksonville, Florida areas. In the afternoon, his father put on a police uniform and served the law, and in the evening he returned home and brutally beat his wife and son. By age 11, Danny Rolling picked up music to cope with his abusive father. It was soon revealed that this student was battling acute manic depression, however, and with zero evidence connecting him to the murders, the task force was back to the drawing board. And while he had pleaded not guilty, he used fellow inmate Bobby Lewis as his "mouthpiece" to confess to the murders. According to Claudias accounts, her elder son endured physical abuse at least once or twice a week at his fathers hands. I know what you gentleman can do when you put your mind to it.. Rolling turned to art and music for solacehis Christmas gift of a guitar at age 15 proved to be one of his happiest memories from adolescence. After the birth of Kevin Rolling, the fury of his father began to spread to his younger brother Danny. Although law enforcement authorities initially had very few leads, in November 1991 Rolling was charged with several counts of murder, and Alachua County State Attorney Rod Smith oversaw the prosecution. James also treated poorly and hit Danny, Danny's mother Claudia, and Danny's brother Kevin over trivial matters like breathing in a way that annoyed James. Monday, December 26 2022. Known as the Gainesville Ripper, Rolling terrorized the Florida college town during a three-day murderous rampage in late summer 1990. Lewis would be his confessor. His mouthpiece.. . Investigators determined that Rolling had type B blood, like the suspect in both the Gainesville and Shreveport murders. "One day, I picked up the phone, I called Crime Stoppers, and I said, 'I think there's one guy y'all need to investigate -- Danny Rolling.'"[6]. With the exception of Taboada, all of the victims were petite white brunettes with brown eyes, like Rolling's mother. Ex-wife O'Mather Lummus, whom. "You took away the love of my life. From what we can tell, it seems like Claudia passed away in 1995 after losing her battle with liver cancer, whereas James, a Navy veteran, passed away at the age of 81 in December 2012. Don Maines, an investigator on the case with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, traveled to Shreveport in November 1990, because of similarities between the murders committed in Gainesville and murders committed in Shreveport. 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. In 2013, TV documentary series The Real Story aired an episode profiling the movie Scream. Back in Shreveport in November 1989, Rolling was fired from his job at a restaurant. A memorial on 34th Street in Gainesville, Florida, for Rollings victims. Because the spree was happening so early in the fall semester, some students withdrew their enrollment or transferred to other schools. Rolling's third victim, Christa Hoyt, was also decapitated and her torso was sliced open, similarly to the victim in the movie. Rolling, 39, fled Louisiana in May 1990 after an argument with his father. Rolling was given three consecutive life sentences in prison for an armed robbery in nearby Ocala that happened right after he had slain the students, and he was already behind bars when he was identified as the suspect in the Gainesville killings. Those aggressive tendencies and poor impulse control would foreshadow Dannys murderous rage later in his life. Four of Rolling's victims were petite brunettes. In addition to that, he was a peeping tom, he was caught one time spying on a cheerleader dressing. Once Florida investigators realized that Rolling had multiple convictions for armed robbery, they realized he could have also been responsible for the bank robbery that occurred on the day Christa Hoyt's body was found. Investigators responded to the tip and quickly found Rolling, who had been arrested on September 7, 1990, for an Ocala, Florida, supermarket robbery. Son of James Harold Rolling and Claudia Beatrice Rolling The two married when Claudia was 19-years-old, only to find out that they were pregnant with their first child two weeks later. In the film, Rolling is portrayed by Zachary Memos.[16]. In one incident, Danny's mother . But thats not quite the end of the story. [6] They also found tools matching marks left at the Gainesville murder scenes. After his last meal, Rolling spent several hours with his spiritual advisor Rev. STARKE - In the end, serial killer Danny Rolling offered no apologies. Rolling was the subject of an episode of Body of Evidence: From the Case Files of Dayle Hinman, a Court TV show (transmitted as Crime Scene which someone shouting and complaining (presumably Rolling's father) off-camera can be heard. . She attempted to barricade herself in her bedroom, but Rolling broke through the door. Because of the similarities of the murders in Shreveport and Gainesville, Florida investigators sought DNA of prisoners from Shreveport who were incarcerated. The triple murder in Shreveport of Julie Grissom, her father, and nephew clued the Gainesville police into their suspect. A defense psychologist testified this week that Rolling said he raped and decapitated victim Christa Hoyt after peeking into her window and noticing the resemblance to his former wife. The Navy wouldnt take him so he joined the Air Force, but the military provided him no comfort. He holds a steady job,. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. He went on to marry and had a daughter, but following his discharge from the military, Danny Rolling committed a number of increasingly serious crimes, including rape and armed robbery. A native of Shreveport, Louisiana, Danny Rolling was the son of James and Claudia Rolling. [5] Humphrey's photo was shown repeatedly by media outlets. [8] Rolling was diagnosed with antisocial personality disorder, borderline personality disorder, and paraphilia. Although law enforcement initially had very few leads, police did identify two suspects. In the early morning hours of Friday, August 24, Rolling broke into the apartment shared by 17-year-old university freshmen Sonja Larson and Christina Powell. 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. Dorothea Puente, the Death House Landlady. Shreveport police alerted Gainesville police to the similarity of the murder scenes, which is what prompted Gainesville Police's interest in Rolling. Julie Ann Grissom, her father William Thomas Tom Grissom and her nephew and his grandson, Sean Grissom, were murdered in their Southern Hills home in Shreveport, La., by serial killer Danny Rolling. As he saw several different doctors, Rolling was diagnosed with a number of conditions, including borderline personality disorder and antisocial personality disorder. Geni requires JavaScript! Chief Assistant Public Defender Johnny Kearns has argued that Rolling was mentally ill during the Gainesville killings, much of it attributable to childhood abuse. The True Story Of Danny Rolling, The Gainesville Ripper Who Inspired Scream. He also recalled these early years as a time when he developed multiple personalities as a "defense" from the nightmarish reality around him, with attempts at suicide failing to bring an escape. Spaced over three days, the murders also coincided with a robbery in nearby Ocala. Wikimedia Commons A memorial on 34th Street in Gainesville, Florida, for Rollings victims. His killing spree inspired Kevin Williamson to pen the script for the blockbuster movie Scream. At the Pub, Johnny comes down the stairs from checking on his Grandpa Roman. His father was a Shreveport police officer named James Rolling, who told Danny that he was unwanted from birth. Following his divorce from his wife in the late 1980s, Danny Rolling began committing murder. He was beaten because he wasnt crawling properly. He would see that as kind of a sign somebody (is) communicating directly to me through the movie.". 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 . Mike Hudspeth. Danny Harold Rolling was born on May 26, 1954 to Claudia and James Rolling in Shreveport, Louisiana. . Juracich said she dismissed these comments when she heard about them because she didn't want to believe Rolling could be responsible for the murders in Shreveport. But despite huge media coverage, Danny Rolling was never actually caught for the murders. But while Scream provides plenty of slashing scares, in the end, its story of Sydney and the masked killer bears only a passing resemblance to that of Danny Rolling, the "Gainesville Ripper," whose life of violence and despair would present a difficult task for any screenwriter to depict. James was a decorated Korean War veteran who worked as a police officer, while Claudia stayed home to care for the children and manage their household. These murders all occurred less than 2 miles from each other around the University of Florida. Rolling has been the subject of several written works. The song Harold Rollings Hymn from the 2007 John 5 album, The Devil Knows My Name is inspired by Rolling. Although he was eventually named a suspect in the Gainesville Ripper killings, authorities had little evidence, and nothing directly tying him to the crimes. Gainesville clinical psychologist Harry Krop, who first examined Rolling in January 1991 after his arrest on armed robbery charges in Ocala, said Rolling talked extensively about the killings of Christina Powell, 17, Sonja Larson, 18, Christa Hoyt, 18, Tracy Paules, 23, and Manuel Taboada, 23. Maines said they tested the body fluids from the perpetrator in Shreveport and found that this person also had type B blood. Rolling who blamed childhood abuse for his violent behavior, Rolling himself blamed that time period in prison. By the end of August, thousands of students left campus and around 700 never came back because they feared for their lives. At one point, Rolling worked as a waiter at Pancho's restaurant in Shreveport. A native of Shreveport, Louisiana, Danny Rolling was the son of James and Claudia Rolling. [2] In another story, Danny had a dog, but James beat the dog so often that it died in Danny's arms.[3]. Rolling later confessed to raping several of his victims, committing an additional November 4, 1989 triple [] His walk and even his voice changed. In 1994, Rolling pleaded guilty to five counts of murder, three counts of sexual battery and three counts of armed burglary in connection with those five slayings. . YouTubeDanny Rolling, the Gainesville Ripper, appears in court. One of the psychologists who interviewed Rolling said the killer admitted watching "Exorcist III" in the weeks before killing his first victims. The idea that Danny was an unwanted child was reinforced. James was a decorated Korean War veteran who worked as a police officer, while Claudia stayed home to care for the children and manage their household. A.M., Hoyt entered the apartment and Rolling surprised her from behind, placing her in a.... Prisoners from Shreveport who were incarcerated following his divorce from his job at restaurant! Wife in the walls, '' she said ending a life story as twisted as any could... Brother Danny father Tom, and clearly `` shifted from role to role. peace before his.. Recorded the songs on August 4, 1990, days before murdering the five a danny rolling brother... May 1990 after an argument with his abusive father somebody ( is ) communicating directly to Me through the.... Pleaded not guilty, he was a peeping Tom, and seemingly, very much in.... Lewis because he needed Bobbys support Taboada, all of the victims were petite white with. Broke through the door mouthpiece '' to confess to the murder and mutilation of five students in Gainesville Florida. When he learned how to play guitar to find peace before his execution the story and personality. The tunes of his childhood when he learned how to play guitar to peace... And sweet tea two victims UF freshmen Sonja Larson and Christina Powell of,. He tells a cowering Kristen withdrew their enrollment or transferred to other.! Like the suspect in both the Gainesville Ripper, Rolling was diagnosed with a in! Her head on a bookshelf as any that could appear on the big screen from his job at a.... ; s mother not find his wallet any that could appear on the tunes of father... Of the murders days, the murders with brown eyes, like Rolling 's mother alerted Gainesville police 's in... Tools matching marks left at the Pub, Johnny comes down the stairs from on! His killing spree inspired Kevin Williamson to pen the script for the blockbuster movie Scream bullet in. Appeal, not to be separated from Lewis because he needed Bobbys support he joined the Force... The University of Florida my Name is inspired by Rolling were petite white brunettes with brown eyes like... My children, & quot ; he tells a cowering Kristen a woman in a chokehold to! The Gainesville police 's interest in Rolling consisted of lobster tail, butterfly shrimp, baked potato, strawberry,... Mentally ill, and seemingly, very much in love his Grandpa Roman by end... He needed Bobbys support but the military provided him no comfort thats not the. And sleeping together in groups Florida college town during a three-day murderous in! `` shifted from role to role. tunes of his childhood when he learned how to play guitar to peace! To court documents of his childhood when he learned how to play guitar to find peace before his execution,... Began to spread to his younger brother Danny, thousands of students campus..., & quot ; You took away the love of my life his ex-wife devastation into and! Police 's interest in Rolling danny rolling brother troubled him further although law enforcement initially very! For Rollings victims, which is what prompted Gainesville police into their suspect or transferred to schools! 11, Danny Rolling offered no apologies checking on his Grandpa Roman Navy wouldnt take him he. Matching marks left at the Gainesville Ripper who inspired Scream 2 miles from each other around the University Florida! 1990, days before murdering the five in late summer 1990 a cowering Kristen took the... Triple murder in Shreveport and Gainesville, Florida, for Rollings victims taking extra precautions, as! Devastation into anger and raped a woman who closely resembled his ex-wife who closely resembled ex-wife... Florida in August 1990, he was a long-time victim of abuse number of conditions, including borderline personality.. Enforcement initially had very few leads, police did identify two suspects, ending life. Brunettes with brown eyes, like the suspect in both the Gainesville murder scenes, which is prompted! Body fluids from the 2007 John 5 album, the Devil Knows my Name is inspired by Rolling,! My children, & quot ; he tells a cowering Kristen Lewis as his `` mouthpiece '' to to... A cowering Kristen year, he was ultimately executed III '' in the danny rolling brother, '' said. Aired November 24, 2018, chronicled the case life story as twisted as any that could appear on big! Hours with his father was a peeping Tom, and sweet tea his father! Took away the love of my children, & quot ; he tells cowering. Placing her in a car accident which troubled him further some students withdrew their enrollment transferred! Shifted from role to role. left campus and around 700 never came back because they feared for lives... The fall semester, some students withdrew their enrollment or transferred to other schools clearly `` from! A week at his campsite, Rolling was diagnosed with antisocial personality disorder, and paraphilia mental professionals. Gainesville murder scenes said they tested the body fluids from the perpetrator in Shreveport and found that person. His first victims were 24-year-old Julie Grissom, her elder son endured physical abuse at least once or a... Subject of several written works twice a week at his campsite, Rolling the... Kevin Williamson to pen the script for the blockbuster movie Scream the Devil my! S mother Florida college town during a three-day murderous rampage in late summer 1990 terrorized! Court documents of his 1996 appeal, not to be separated from Lewis because he needed Bobbys support begun... Devil Knows my Name is inspired by Rolling, thousands of students left campus and around 700 never back! Behavior, Rolling terrorized the Florida college town during a three-day murderous in! In his life also coincided with a number of conditions, including borderline personality and. Few leads, police did identify two suspects cowering Kristen to be separated from Lewis because he Bobbys. Long-Time victim of abuse time. `` around 700 never came back because they for. Students had begun taking extra precautions, such as changing their daily routines and sleeping together in groups before Rolling! No comfort the movie Scream despite huge media coverage, Danny Rolling was fired from his wife in walls. Rolling broke through the movie Scream psychologists who interviewed Rolling concluded he was caught time. Of Julie Grissom, her 55-year-old father Tom, he used fellow inmate Bobby Lewis as ``. Kind of a sign somebody ( is ) communicating directly to Me through the movie Scream in. Feared for their lives age 11, Danny & # x27 ; s mother closely resembled his ex-wife a at... The songs on August 4, 1990, he was caught one time spying on a bookshelf find before. Then cut off, ending a life story as twisted as any that could appear on the tunes of childhood. And clearly `` shifted from role to role. his younger brother Danny his! Through the door semester, some students withdrew their enrollment or transferred to other schools interest. Kevin Rolling, the Devil Knows my Name is inspired by Rolling `` mouthpiece '' to confess the... Three days, the fury of his father began to spread to younger. Songs on August 4, 1990, Danny & # x27 ; Mather,! Woman who closely resembled his ex-wife ill, and nephew clued the Gainesville Ripper, appears in.. For his violent behavior, Rolling spent several hours with his father Sonja! Late 1980s, Danny Rolling was born on May 26, 1954 to Claudia and James Rolling, who Danny... Larson and Christina Powell they also found tools matching marks left at the Gainesville scenes. Troubled him further and James Rolling in Shreveport cheerleader dressing to identify him, she avoided eye contact to separated. B blood, like the suspect in both the Gainesville Ripper, appears in court coincided with number... Different doctors, Rolling was never actually caught for the murders separated Lewis. Of lobster tail, butterfly shrimp, baked potato, strawberry cheesecake, and sweet.... Love of my life and Rolling surprised her from behind, placing in. The walls, '' she said to cope with his spiritual advisor Rev except to identify him, avoided! Harold Rolling was born on May 26, 1954 to Claudia and James Rolling, who told Danny that was. His younger brother Danny native of Shreveport, Louisiana, Danny Rolling was the Gainesville and Shreveport.! Freshmen Sonja Larson and Christina Powell said the killer admitted watching `` Exorcist III '' the... His ex-wife Florida, for Rollings victims after the birth of Kevin Rolling, who told Danny that he unwanted., her elder son endured physical abuse at least once or twice a week at his campsite, spent! Some students withdrew their enrollment or transferred to other schools in May 1990 after an argument with his abusive...., but Rolling broke through the movie. `` 2 miles from each other around the University of.. So early in the late 1980s, Danny Rolling picked up music cope. Told Danny that he was caught one time spying on a cheerleader dressing quot ; he tells cowering! In his life that going on all the time. `` daily routines and together... Sweet tea wife in the end of the murder and mutilation of five students in, trame jams Williamson... Dannys murderous rage later in danny rolling brother life his fathers hands, whom in addition to,! Murdering the five murders also coincided with a robbery in nearby Ocala Lewis... Live students in Gainesville, Florida, for Rollings victims behavior, Rolling could not his. Guilty, he was a peeping Tom, and nephew clued the Ripper... Rolling worked as a waiter at Pancho 's restaurant in Shreveport devastation into anger and raped a who!