Danny Rolling's disturbing story, "The Gainesville Ripper"

Have you ever watched the classic “Scream, ” a movie originally released in 1996 that chronicles the acts of a mysterious assassin named Ghostface? Although the feature film has been successful - winning two sequels and inspiring a homonymous sitcom - few people know that it is actually partly inspired by a real serial killer. Prepare your stomach for the story of Danny Rolling, who became known by the suggestive title of "The Gainesville Ripper."

Danny might well have been just another ordinary American - born in 1954 in the state of Louisiana, his mind began to distort from the constant abuse of his father, veteran military James Rolling. At just 1 year old, the American simply got "for not crawling properly". With the birth of his younger brother Kevin, the violence against him, his firstborn (and the result of an unwanted pregnancy), only increased.

Danny's mother Claudia had her problems too. She was a victim of James' abuse, and although she tried to get away from her husband, she was never able to do so. She was still suffering from constant psychotic bouts and at one point had to be hospitalized for trying to cut her wrists. By this time in the championship, the life of the future serial killer was a living hell.

To make matters worse, Danny repeated 1 year at school for missing too much due to his poor health. As much as he tried to use music as an escape valve (having learned to play guitar and sing hymns at age 11), he began to drink and use drugs, “suffering from a serious inferiority complex, aggressive tendencies, and poor control of music. his impulses, ”as described by one of his teachers.

Starting a "career"

Desperate for comfort and inner peace, Danny even tried to enter military life. He was turned down by the Navy and joined the Air Force, but left the corporation - especially after being caught using a large amount of hallucinogenic substances. Finally, the American decided to get married and lead a normal life, forgetting all the trauma that had suffered in his childhood.

Unfortunately, the tactic didn't work. At 23, Danny argued with his wife and threatened to kill her, which led to a divorce. Devastated and possessed by grotesque hatred, he found and resolved to rape a woman who vaguely resembled his ex-wife. Later that year, he murdered a girl because of a fight in a traffic accident.

Already totally out of his mind, Danny committed a number of thefts and other petty crimes during the 1970s to 1990s, being convicted several times - and occasionally escaping from prison. His next fatalities would be Tom Grissom (his former temporary job boss), his daughter Julie Grissom, and her 8-year-old nephew Sean. All were killed simply because Danny was fired from his post.

In May 1990, returning to Louisiana, the killer attempted to take his father's life with two shots; James survived but lost an eye and an ear. Danny used stolen documents, took on a new identity (that of Michael Kennedy Jr.) and went to live in Gainesville, Florida. And that was exactly where he would find his final victims, earning the nickname for which he is famous to this day.

Brutal Murders

In Gainesville, two young University of Florida students caught Danny's eye: Sonja Larson and Christina Powell. The serial killer followed the pair to the residence where they lived together, tied them both together and used tape to cover their mouths. The first victim was Sonja, who was raped, stabbed and killed; Danny subsequently committed necrophilia and violated the young woman's lifeless body again. Finally, he cut one of her nipples like a trophy for the feat.

The next day, the killer did the same to Christina - also cutting off her nipples after raping and murdering her. The difference is that this time Danny decided to behead the victim, leaving his body sitting beside his bed and his head positioned on a desk.

It wasn't long before the small town of Gainesville panicked with the information that there was a serial killer out there. More than 700 students stopped attending the University of Florida; and those who had the courage to do so walked with a baseball bat to protect themselves from any madman's onslaught.

Danny's latest victims were Tracey Paules and Manuel Taboada, 23-year-old students. He took their lives, but did not mutilate them. The police had trouble tracking Danny's footsteps - his father's military experience was useful for hiding evidence. The serial killer went so far as to use solvents to clean his semen.

The end of the tracks

Danny was not captured until September 1990. After robbing a branch of a supermarket chain, the serial killer was involved in a chase with Ocala (Florida) police, who had no idea that the man on the run. it was Gainesville's Ripper. After his arrest, it took a while for the authorities to conclude that Danny had been responsible for killing so many people.

After confessing to his crimes, Danny was executed on October 25, 2006 by lethal injection in front of an audience of 47 people (twice the capacity of the room) after eating his last meal and singing a gospel hymn.

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