Mike 03
Mike 03's Journal30 years ago this week: Gainesville university students terrorized by a serial killer (GRAPHIC)
I remember these crimes vividly. It was so shocking at the time. Police thought they had a good suspect at one point but he turned out to be completely innocent. The person who committed these heinous crimes, Danny Rolling, definitely met the definition of a serial killer, but what was strange about his spree was how compressed it was in time, with no so-called "cooling off period" between killings. It was like Ted Bundy's final attack on a sorority, almost like the killer was burning out and wanted to be captured. So sometimes I think of Rolling as a spree killer rather than a serial killer, because of this outrageous burst of activity. He mutilated and posed his victims in such a way that the scenes would horrify and traumatize even hardened detectives. In other cases, like the Hillside Stranglers, over time they became more bold and provocative. Rolling just exploded suddenly, going full-on lunatic. I don't know if there was a triggering event in his life prior to these killings.
The poignant mural/memorial that was put up right after these murders, honoring the victims, is still there.
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. 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. Rolling murdered Larson, first taping her mouth shut to stifle her screams and then stabbing her to death. She died while trying to fend him off.[3]
Rolling then went back downstairs, taped Powell's mouth shut, bound her wrists together behind her back and threatened her with a knife as he cut her clothes off of her. He then raped her and forced her face-down onto the floor, where he stabbed her five times in the back. Rolling posed the bodies in sexually provocative positions. He took a shower before leaving the apartment.[3]
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 KA-BAR knife and a screwdriver. Finding she was not home, he waited in the living room for her to return. At 11 a.m., Hoyt entered the apartment and Rolling surprised her from behind, placing her in a chokehold. After she had been subdued, he taped her mouth shut, bound her wrists together and led her into the bedroom, where he cut the clothes from her body and raped her. As in the Powell murder, he forced her face-down and stabbed her in the back, rupturing her heart. He then decapitated the body and posed her head on a shelf facing the corpse, adding to the shock of whoever discovered her.[3]
By now the murders had attracted widespread media attention and many students were taking extra precautions, such as changing their daily routines and sleeping together in groups. Because the spree was happening so early in the fall semester, some students withdrew their enrollment or transferred to other schools. Tracy Paules, who was 23 years old, was living with Manny Taboada, also 23, her roommate. On Monday, August 27, Rolling broke into the apartment by prying open the sliding glass door with the same tools he had used previously. Rolling found Taboada asleep in one of the bedrooms and, after a struggle with the young man, eventually killed him.[3]
Hearing the commotion, Paules went down the hall to Taboada's bedroom and saw Rolling. She attempted to barricade herself in her bedroom, but Rolling broke through the door. 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 posed Paules' body but left Taboada's in the same position in which he had died.[3]
With the exception of Taboada, all of the victims were petite Caucasian brunettes with brown eyes. Although law enforcement initially had very few leads, police did identify two suspects; one a University of Florida student (Edward Humphrey) who had a history of mental illness and bore numerous scars on his face from a car accident, making him an ideal image when discussing news about the investigation. His photo was shown repeatedly by media outlets. Authorities publicly cleared him of all charges after Rolling's arrest. The other suspect was also later cleared.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danny_Rolling
Bite mark evidence has been dubious in many trials.
Animal activity can mimic bite marks, as can marks made by things like belts, ligatures and tools. The West Memphis Three case is the most infamous example of bad bite mark evidence, but disputed bite marks have occurred in other trials as well. Forensic odontology is far from worthless--bite mark evidence helped to put Ted Bundy away. It seems it has also been used to falsely convict, and then exonerate people:
https://californiainnocenceproject.org/issues-we-face/bite-mark-evidence/#:~:text=One%20of%20the%20most%20notable,found%20on%20the%20victim's%20body.
That Spencer endorsement is suspicious as hell and it made me very uncomfortable.
Something about the way he presented it just seemed off. Then yesterday a DUer posted a link to a story about white supremacist militias planning violence on November 4. These people scare the crap out of me. I can't tell if these are just incels in a basement blowing smoke or whether they present a lethal threat.
Then there's what happened in Kenosha.
Former GOP operative Stuart Stevens on Michelangelo Signorile's program (short transcript)
From yesterday's program. Stevens is the author of the new book It Was All a Lie: How the Republican Party Became Donald Trump. He is discussing his epiphany that the Republican party is easily mutable and not a party of strongly-held values, ideals and sincere beliefs.
<snip>
What I really had to come to grips with is, How do you abandon deeply held beliefs in three or four years? And the only conclusion that I could come to is that the majority didn't believe this. Because I don't really think that you abandon beliefs. I just think it means that you didn't deeply hold them. And now, with Trump, it's not that we've sort of forgotten these things; we're actively against these things. We're the Character Doesn't Count party. We're the pro-Putin party. We're the anti-Free Trade party. We're the anti-personal responsibility party. And I just don't think we've seen anything like it in our modern politics: a total moral and issue collapse, a policy collapse, of a party like this.
And look, I finished this book about a year ago, and it's a pretty bleak portrait of the Republican party, but I would have to conclude today that I was overly optimistic. Never in my wildest dreams did I think that the Republican Party platform would be to support Donald Trump on whatever he believes, and that's what they've done.
It's a dark interview. I feel there is a bit of self-delusion on his part when he romanticizes the Republican party of the 90s, but I welcome his passionate criticism of Trumpism and repudiation of what the party has become.
Remember when Gore debated Quayle and Stockdale?
A good comeback for ridiculing someone for taking credit for someone else's accomplishment:
Gore: (I can't recall exactly, but it was something like this: ) Your administration taking credit for the fall of the Soviet Union is like a rooster taking credit for the sunrise.
I always loved that one.
You could fill it in like this: Trump taking credit for the Obama economy is like a rooster taking credit for the sunrise.
Steven Hassan writes in his book "The Cult of Trump" that one of the best
ways to get cult members to have "insight" about their delusions and entrapment is to ask them questions, ask them to explain who they are and what they believe.
I'm not suggesting this caller had a flash of insight, but it is interesting to wonder why he couldn't get the words out.
Because it is so ridiculous?
"...a moat filled with snakes and alligators..."
No words.
Fucking Facebook again:
I hope this is an exaggeration:
Thank you.
Some folks here apparently think it's a sign of weakness if you take a break from this abominable shitfest. Maybe they think skipping it makes you "uninformed."
Talk Show Host Michelangelo Signorile handles a Trumper (from yesterday)
If you've never heard Michelangelo Signorile's show, he has a very soothing, thoughtful, quiet voice, so it's unusual to hear him explode, like he does in this call. This is just an example of one way to handle a Trumper. Signorile's program is on the SiriusXM Progressive channel, 3PM - 6PM EST.
(Transcript)
Michelangelo Signorile : Matt is in Kansas City. Hi Matt, whats going on? (long pause) Hi, Matt.
Matt: Yeah, hi there, how are you doing?
MS: Okay, whats happening?
Matt: You know, I was just listening to your show and its crazy to hear somebody that, you know, is saying so much honest truth. Whats coming out of your mouth, is that really what you believe? Because I think its just beautiful, you know what Im saying? Its hard to hear that here in the Mid-west.
MS: You mean youre not hearing that kind of criticism of this administration, of Donald Trump, of the Republican National Convention?
Matt: Here in the mid-west all I get is honesty, honesty, honesty, and its such a relief to hear complete bullshit lies come out of your mouth. Its like a breath of fresh air. Because youre a piece of shit.
MS: Ah! Is that what it is Matt? Youre a piece of shit who doesnt have the balls to call up and say, I disagree with him and I want to talk about disagreeing with him. Why are you so small, Matt? And now youre going to hang up, right?
Matt: Im not going to hang up.
MS: Why do you lie, Matt, to get on the show? Why do you pull that kind of thing? Why do you engage in deception to get on the show? I have no problem taking on assholes like you, alright? I have no fucking problem taking you apart. So bring it the fuck on, Matt!
Matt: Hey, dipshit!
MS: (Inaudible due to loud distortion as MS shouts into microphone) ..Dipshit! Bring it on, Matt. Whats your case, whats your case?
Matt: What do you want?
MS: What is your case for Donald Trump?
Matt: Okay, I dont think theres anything good in any of this stuff. Thats my case. All youre doing is spreading more dissention between a country that needs to be united, not divided.
MS: Youre not making sense, Matt. You dont think theres any sense in any of this, but, you dont like Donald Trump, is that it?
Matt: Im saying propaganda
MS: Do you like Donald Trump, Matt?
Matt: Propaganda.
MS: Do you like Donald Trump, Matt?! Yes or no?
Matt: I dont like Trump, I dont like anybody.
MS: You know, Matt, what you are is a complete waste of time. And youre a waste of my time. Because this country is completely and utterly under collapse. Our democracy is in danger of withering, and youre sitting around in your mid-west piece of shit house that Im sure youre in and saying, I dont really care about anything. Right? I dont give a shit about anything. Because you have White Privilege, Matt. Because you can sit around and say you dont care. And then what do you do? You call up radio shows lying, lying, and making believe Why did you call this show as if you were calling to say you agreed with me?
Matt: (Laughing) Because its
MS: Why did you do that, Matt, why? Because you are a liar and a deceiver like your Savior-in-Chief Donald Trump, and dont tell me you dont support Donald Trump. Because there is nobody who doesnt either hate or love Donald Trump. And we know exactly what youre up to. And youre a piece of shit liar and we have your number, 913-370
Im not going to say the rest of it. You will never call this fucking show again. Now get off the show you piece of shit.
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Member since: Mon Oct 27, 2008, 06:14 PM
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