Bobbie Joe Long

Infobox Criminal


subject_name = Bobbie Joe Long
image_size = 200 px
image_caption = Mug shot of Bobbie Joe Long.
date_of_birth = birth date and age|1953|10|14
place_of_birth = Kenova, West Virginia, U.S.
date_of_death =
place_of_death =
alias =
conviction = First degree murder, Burglary, Armed robbery, Sexual battery, Kidnapping, Assault
penalty = Death sentence
status = Incarcerated in Union Correctional Institution
occupation =
spouse =
parents =
children =

Bobbie Joe Long (born October 14, 1953), also known as Robert Joe Long, is an American serial killer, currently on death rowcite web
url=http://www.dc.state.fl.us/ActiveInmates/inmateaction.asp?DataAction=GetInmate&DCNumber=494041
title=Inmate Population Information Detail - Inmate 494041
publisher="Florida Department of Corrections"
accessdate=2007-11-21] in the state of Florida. Long abducted, sexually assaulted, and murdered at least 10 women in the Tampa Bay Area during an eight month period in 1984. He released his last victim, after sexually assaulting her for a period of 26 hours. She was able to provide information to the police that enabled them to track him down.cite book
first=Eric W.
last=Hickey
year= 1991
title= Serial Murderers and Their Victims
edition=
publisher=Brooks/Cole
location=Pacific Grove, CA
pages= 135–136
id= ISBN 0-534-15414-x]

History

Long was born in Kenova, West Virginia. Prior to the Tampa Bay areas incidents, Long had committed at least 50 rapes as the "Classified Ad Rapist" in Fort Lauderdale, Ocala, Miami and Dade County. Starting in 1981, Long answered classified ads for small appliances, and if he found a woman alone at home, he would rape her. He was tried and convicted for rape in 1981 but requested a new trial which was granted. The charges were later dropped.cite book
first=Joel
last=Norris
year= 1988
title= Serial Killers
edition=
publisher=Doubleday
location=N.Y.
pages= 137–149
id= ISBN 0-385-26328-7] [cite web
year=
month=
url=http://www.francesfarmersrevenge.com/stuff/serialkillers/long.htm
title=Bobby Jo Long - the Classified Ad Rapist
publisher=
accessdate=2007-11-01]

Death penalty case

Long moved to the Jacksonville area in 1983. Hillsborough County had been averaging about 30 to 35 homicides per year in the eighties. Then, in 1984, the murder rate escalated. During one eight month period, a killer with a unique method of binding, raping and killing his victims, then dumping them in unusual positions and poses, was averaging a murder every other week. The first victim was discovered in May 1984, when the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office (HCSO) was called a crime scene where the body of a nude woman had been found.cite web
year=
month=
url=http://www.omicidiseriali.it/cases.htm
title=The "Bobby Joe" Long Serial Murder Case: A Study in Cooperation
publisher=
accessdate=2007-11-01]

This began an intensive investigation into the abduction, rape, and murder of at least 10 women in three counties in the Tampa Bay area (Hillsborough, Pasco, Pinellas) area involving the personnel from the HCSO, the FBI, the Tampa Police Department (TPD), the Pasco County Sheriff's Office (PCSO), and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE). The bodies were found usually long after the murder in a state of decomposition, dumped near a rural roadside and dragged into the woods. [cite web
year=
month=
url=http://www.omicidiseriali.it/cases.htm
title=The "Bobby Joe" Long Serial Murder Case: A Study in Cooperation
publisher=
accessdate=2007-11-01]

Modus Operandi

In 1984, Long, who was divorced, was on probation for assault, began driving around areas known for prostitution and shoddy bars where woman were found alone, "trolling" for victims. He claimed his victims approached him, after which he persuaded them to enter his car and took them to an apartment. There he bound his victims with rope and ligature collars he fashioned using a variety of rope knots, later confessing the he derived sadistic pleasure from the abduction, rape and brutal murder of his victims. Some he strangled, others he cut the throats of or bludgeoned to death. The bodies were placed in unique positions or "displayed" for example with legs splayed five feet apart at odd angles. Of Long's ten known victims, five were identified as prostitutes, two as exotic dancers, one was a factory worker, one was a student, and one was of unknown occupation.

Capture

At the time of his capture, Long was wanted by three jurisdictions in the Tampa Bay Area who collected forensic evidence, including clothing and carpet fibers, semen, ligature marks, and rope knots.

Robert Long was arrested on November 16, 1984, and charged with the sexual battery and kidnapping of Lisa McVey. Long signed a formal Miranda waiver, and consented to questioning. After the detectives procured a confession for the McVey case, their questioning focused on a series of unsolved sexual battery homicides pending in the area. As the detectives began to question Long about the murders, he replied, "I'd rather not answer that." The detectives continued the interrogation, and handed Long photographs of the various murder victims. At this point, Long stated, "The complexion of things sure have changed since you came back into the room. I think I might need an attorney." No attorney was provided, and Long eventually confessed to eight murders in Hillsborough County, and one murder in Pasco County. [cite web
year=1988
month=June 30
url=http://www.oranous.com/florida/RobertLong/063088long.html
title=ROBERT JOE LONG, a/k/a v. STATE OF FLORIDA,
publisher=
accessdate=2007-11-01] [cite web
year=
month=
url=http://www.crimelibrary.com/serial_killers/predators/long/6.html
title=Bobby Joe Long - The Takedown
publisher=
accessdate=2007-11-01]

Fiber evidence analysis by the FBI linked Long's vehicle to most of his victims.

Trial

The Hillsborough County State Attorney's Office confronted Long with the evidence and in consultation with the Public Defender's Office of Hillsborough County, defending Long, a plea bargain was agreed upon for eight of the homicides and the abduction and rape of Lisa McVey. Long pleaded guilty on September 24, 1985, to all of these crimes, receiving 26 life sentences without the possibility of parole (24 concurrent and two to run consecutively to the first 24) and seven life sentences with the possibility of parole after 25 years. In addition, the State retained the option to seek the death penalty for the murder of Michelle Simms. In July 1986, the penalty phase of the Michelle Simms trial was held in Tampa. It lasted one week and again received extensive media attention. Long was found guilty and was sentenced to die in Florida's electric chair.

Although Long confessed to raping and killing women, his confession was thrown out. His trial proceeded straight to the penalty phase, which was possible in the 1980s. In early 1985, he received the death penalty.

Long was convicted and appealed of his first degree murder conviction and death sentence for crimes committed in Hillsborough County. [cite web
year=1988
month=June 30
url=http://www.oranous.com/florida/RobertLong/063088long.html
title=ROBERT JOE LONG, a/k/a BOBBY LONG, Appellant, v. STATE OF FLORIDA, Appellee No. 69,259
publisher=
accessdate=2007-11-01]

Long appealed his first degree murder conviction and sentence of death in the death of Virginia Johnson. [cite web
year=1987
month=November 12
url=http://www.oranous.com/florida/RobertLong/111287long.html
title=Robert Joe Long, Appellant, v. State of Florida, Appellee
publisher=
accessdate=2007-11-01]

On appeal from the Circuit Court in and for Pasco County, in which Long's death sentence was vacated, his conviction reversed, and his case remanded to the trial court with directions to enter an order of acquittal for the murder of Virginia Johnson. [cite web
year=1997
month=March 6
url=http://www.oranous.com/florida/RobertLong/Robert%20J.%20Long%20v.%20State%20Of%20Florida.htm
title=ROBERT J. LONG, Appellant, vs. State of Florida, Appellee, No. 83,593 Corrected Opinion
publisher=
accessdate=2007-11-01] On February 24, 1999, Long accused the Capital Collateral Regional Council (the state office defending death row inmates in their appeals) of revealing his private letters to a book author, thus violating attorney-client privilege. He also accused the agency of running a "death pool", betting on the date inmates would be executed on, and asked that the agency be removed from his case. [cite web
year=
month=
url=http://www.mayhem.net/Crime/morg9902.html
title=The Morgue Archives - Jan-Feb 1999
publisher=
accessdate=2007-11-04] An investigation concluded that these allegations were unfounded. Long's petition for a writ of mandamus to require Bob Dillinger, the public defender for the Sixth Judicial Circuit, to relinquish possession and control of his file in "State v. Long", was denied.

According to the Florida Department of Corrections, Long has one five-year sentence, four 99-year sentences, 28 life sentences, and one death sentence.

ee also

*Klinefelter's syndrome

References

External links

* [http://law.fsu.edu/library/flsupct/69259/69259brief2.pdf Appeal in and for Hillsborough County, State of Florida]
* [http://www.oranous.com/florida/RobertLong/063088long.html 06/30/88 Robert Joe Long, a/k/a Bobby Long v. State of Florida]
* [http://www.crimelibrary.com/serial_killers/predators/long/6.html The Takedown]
* [http://www.dmoz.org/Society/Crime/Murder/Serial_Murder/Serial_Killers/Long,_Robert_Joe/ Society: Crime: Murder: Serial Murder: Serial Killers: Long, Robert Joe]
* [http://www.oranous.com/florida/RobertLong/Robert%20Joseph%20Long%20v_%20Bob%20Dillinger.htm Robert Joe Long v. Bob Dillinger]
* [http://www.francesfarmersrevenge.com/stuff/serialkillers/long.htm Bobby Jo Long - The Classified-Ad Rapist]
* [http://www.omicidiseriali.it/cases.htm The "Bobby Joe" Long Serial Murder Case: A Study in Cooperation]
* [http://www.oranous.com/innocence/WayneTompkins/stateanswer.htm If court erred in DNA testing]
* [http://www.ltn.net/T/Idioma/English/Society/Crime/Murder/Serial_Murder/Serial_Killers/Long,_Robert_Joe/ Serial Killers - Robert Joe Long]
* [http://www.crimelibrary.com/serial_killers/predators/long/9.html The Slippery Con]
* [http://serialkillercalendar.com/bobbyjoelong.html Bobby Joe Long - Bio]