A retired US police officer, who played a crucial role in the investigation into the gruesome Gainesville murders in Florida, has opened up about the case. Speaking to the Sun, Don Maines, 70, confessed that the scenes he witnessed still haunt him. The killings began on 24 August 1990.
The perpetrator broke into the home of 17-year-old Christina Powell and 18-year-old Sonja Larson, who were preparing for their first year at the University of Florida. The killer first climbed upstairs where he attacked Larson. He taped her mouth to prevent her from shouting and then raped the girl before stabbing her fatally. Sonja Larson met the same fate.
The murders went unreported for two days until Powell’s parents arrived at the campus after becoming concerned that their daughter had not answered any calls. Don Maines said the victims’ bodies were wiped with a cleaning agent to hide evidence. The murderer also posed the bodies in a sexually suggestive manner. As if this were not enough to shock police and forensic experts, the murderer cut off Christina Powell’s nipples.
Police officers discovered semen on a paper towel and faeces outside the home. The samples showed that the murderer had type-B blood.
The perpetrator broke into the home of 17-year-old Christina Powell and 18-year-old Sonja Larson, who were preparing for their first year at the University of Florida. The killer first climbed upstairs where he attacked Larson. He taped her mouth to prevent her from shouting and then raped the girl before stabbing her fatally. Sonja Larson met the same fate.
The murders went unreported for two days until Powell’s parents arrived at the campus after becoming concerned that their daughter had not answered any calls. Don Maines said the victims’ bodies were wiped with a cleaning agent to hide evidence. The murderer also posed the bodies in a sexually suggestive manner. As if this were not enough to shock police and forensic experts, the murderer cut off Christina Powell’s nipples.
Police officers discovered semen on a paper towel and faeces outside the home. The samples showed that the murderer had type-B blood.
"The murder of students at the University of Florida was unique enough, but then we had someone who had gone into an apartment, killed two girls, and mutilated and raped them. That was the striking part of it all - and that's what sent out the initial shock among the local community," Don Maines said.
Within eight hours of the first murder, police discovered a third victim - 18-year-old Christa Leigh Hoyt was raped and murdered in her apartment. As in the pervious murders, the assailant forced her faced down and stabbed her in the back. He then disemboweled and decapitated his victim and placed the young woman’s head on a shelf so that it faced the body, which the killer again propped up in a sexual pose.
"It quickly became apparent that we were dealing with a serial killer, as crimes like these don't typically take place within the city of Gainesville, particularly so near the campus. Immediately there was a concern that we had a monster on the loose, and we knew we had to capture him as quickly as possible before he could strike again," Maines said.
However, law enforcement failed to catch the perpetrator, who struck for a third and final time.
Two students at the University of Florida – Manuel Taboada and Tracy Paules, both 23, were killed in their apartment. Wounds on hands showed that Taboada tried to defend himself against the murderer - who came to be known as the Gainesville Ripper - but was overpowered.
According to Maines, the attack left local residents shocked and prompted classes to be cancelled.
In the ensuing weeks, police investigated thousands of leads, sifted through 18, 000 items of evidence and identified almost 700 individuals, who were deemed persons of interest.
Two students at the University of Florida – Manuel Taboada and Tracy Paules, both 23, were killed in their apartment. Wounds on hands showed that Taboada tried to defend himself against the murderer - who came to be known as the Gainesville Ripper - but was overpowered.
According to Maines, the attack left local residents shocked and prompted classes to be cancelled.
In the ensuing weeks, police investigated thousands of leads, sifted through 18, 000 items of evidence and identified almost 700 individuals, who were deemed persons of interest.
First Clue
A break in the case occurred a month later after police were informed about an unsolved murder in Louisiana, which occurred in 1989 and bore striking similarities to the Florida killings: 24-year-old Julie Grissom, her eight-year-old nephew Sean and her father Tom, 55, were slaughtered inside their home.
The bodies of victims were wiped with red wine vinegar, and Julie’s body was put in a sexually suggestive pose. A sample of saliva discovered on her breast showed that the perpetrator had type-B blood.
Shortly after, a woman by the name of Cindy Juracich told police officers to investigate her acquaintance Danny Rolling. A subsequent examination found that the man, who was 47 back then, got into an argument with his father and shot him before fleeing. This was three months before the killings started in Florida. Rolling had multiple convictions for armed robbery.
The police were also informed about a bank robbery, which occurred near the home of Christa Leigh Hoyt on the day of her murder. The perpetrator was not caught, but that same day a police officer noticed a suspicious man, whom he tried approach, but the individual vanished. Nevertheless the officer found a screwdriver, a bag of money and a cassette player with a tape inside. This tape was to play an important role in bringing the case to trial.
Law enforcement arrested Danny Rolling, whom Maines describes as "relaxed, cordial and calm". The police officer visited him in prison and asked him to provide a blood sample for the investigation. To his amazement Rolling agreed. The results showed that the sample provided a matched to all three crimes. Rolling pleaded not guilty, leading law enforcement to build their case to for trial.
Several weeks later officers decided to listen to the tape that was found in a cassette player.
Shortly after, a woman by the name of Cindy Juracich told police officers to investigate her acquaintance Danny Rolling. A subsequent examination found that the man, who was 47 back then, got into an argument with his father and shot him before fleeing. This was three months before the killings started in Florida. Rolling had multiple convictions for armed robbery.
The police were also informed about a bank robbery, which occurred near the home of Christa Leigh Hoyt on the day of her murder. The perpetrator was not caught, but that same day a police officer noticed a suspicious man, whom he tried approach, but the individual vanished. Nevertheless the officer found a screwdriver, a bag of money and a cassette player with a tape inside. This tape was to play an important role in bringing the case to trial.
Law enforcement arrested Danny Rolling, whom Maines describes as "relaxed, cordial and calm". The police officer visited him in prison and asked him to provide a blood sample for the investigation. To his amazement Rolling agreed. The results showed that the sample provided a matched to all three crimes. Rolling pleaded not guilty, leading law enforcement to build their case to for trial.
Several weeks later officers decided to listen to the tape that was found in a cassette player.
The police were also informed about a bank robbery, which occurred near the home of Christa Leigh Hoyt on the day of her murder. The perpetrator was not caught, but that same day a police officer noticed a suspicious man, whom he tried approach, but the individual vanished. Nevertheless the officer found a screwdriver, a bag of money and a cassette player with a tape inside. This tape will play an important role in bringing the case to a trial.
Law enforcement arrested Danny Rolling, whom Don Maines describes as "relaxed, cordial and calm". The police officer visited him in prison and asked to provide a blood sample for the investigation. To his amazement Rolling agreed. The results showed that the sample matched to all three crimes. Rolling pleaded not guilty, leading law enforcement to build their case to for trial.
Several weeks later officers decided to listen to the tape that was found in a cassette player.
"You’re a killer, a drifter gone insane … You’re a rebel no one can tame," sang a man on the tape. He then started talking about his life and family as well as about going down the "wrong road" before saying he "had something to do". The man signed off as Danny Harold Rolling.
He remained in custody until the trial began in 1994, when Rolling pleaded guilty. He then confessed to the murders in Louisiana and said that his motive for the killings was to become a "superstar" similar to Ted Bundy, an American serial killer, who kidnapped, raped and killed numerous women. Rolling also blamed his actions on his evil alter-ego called Gemini.
While waiting for the trial he was diagnosed with antisocial personality disorder, borderline personality disorder and paraphilia (intense sexual arousal to atypical objects). The Gainesville Ripper was sentenced to death in 1994 and was executed with lethal injection in 2006.
Maines described his case as the "worst" and most "heinous" crime he ever worked on during his 42 years of service.
Maines described his case as the "worst" and most "heinous" crime he ever worked on during his 42 years of service.
"What sticks with me even now is the loss of young life; they were all just kids with their lives still ahead of them. Another thing that stands out to me is the number of people that are out there just roaming the streets that other citizens called leads on because they felt as though they were capable of doing something like this. So that's a scary thought," he said.
The case inspired many books and novels, but the most famous representation was the Scream saga, written by Kevin Williamson. The struggling screenwriter recalled how he got the idea after watching a news report about the Gainesville murders at a home he was house-sitting.
Williamson says he became petrified after noticing that one window in the house was open. He channelled his fear into writing a screenplay, which he sold to Miramax studios, owned by the Weinstein brothers, for $400,000. The movie was released in 1996 and grossed $173 million worldwide.