GAINESVILLE SERIAL KILLER CRACKED
GAINESVILLE SERIAL KILLER WINDOWS

His stay at his parent's house wasn't long.

Rolling was described in a 1991 report by old neighbors as being a loner who played acoustic guitar, jogged the streets alone, worked out and interacted with the youngsters. Some of the neighborhood children reportedly called him 'Rambo' because he often wore a bandanna and fatigues. 'We pray the murderer will confess or be caught so we can feel secure again.' 'Of course everyone is shocked and nervous,' said Leslie Dunn, then 47. While some where keeping their firearms ready, others kept a strong eye on strange vehicles in the neighborhood. I'm no macho son-of-a-gun but I'll do what is necessary for protection,' Ron Atwood, then 44, told The Times in a 1989 report. 'You're talking about some sick, sick people. Evidence was also lining up to indicate that the crimes of violence was directed at Julie.Īlthough police did not expect the killer would be a threat to others living in the neighborhood, residents were not taking any chances. In the first week, police were following 'strong leads' and checking alibis but doubted there would be a quick arrest in the case. Gary Pittman said in a report of the killer just days after the crime scene was found.

GAINESVILLE SERIAL KILLER WINDOWS

The house was put under a 24-hour watch to prevent evidence from potentially being tampered, and red tape was placed over the doors and windows to reveal any disturbances.īefore the end of the week, police said they were searching for a psychologically disturbed man who had experience with crime scenes. 'It makes you leery when something like this happens on your street,' said an unnamed, middle-aged female neighbor in a 1989 report. That Monday, citizens watched from beyond the taped perimeter in shock and disbelief as first responders removed the bodies from the home on stretchers. Although there was some indication of struggle, the overall scene was noted as being 'neat.'

There were no signs of forced entry, no ransacking and no robbery. the Saturday before their bodies were found. That evening she was planning to go out to a high school friend's wedding and had picked out a red dress.ĭetectives believe the trio was killed around 6-8 p.m. She was stabbed at least three times in the back but was left facing up. Vinegar was applied to her body. Julie's body was found naked and partially hanging off a bed. Sean was found face down in the family room with one knife wound to his back that exited through his chest. He had been cooking steaks on the backyard grill sometime that evening. He had several stab wounds in the back and chest. William's body was slumped against the door, blocking the entrance to the utility room.

GAINESVILLE SERIAL KILLER CRACKED

'We cracked the laundry room door open and saw it there,' said Bob Coyles, a neighbor who went to check on the family, in an 1989 report in The Times. Lights were on in the three-bedroom house, and the Sunday and Monday newspapers were at the end of the driveway. She had transferred to Shreveport earlier in 1989 after attending the Baton Rouge campus and was working part-time at Dillard's in South Park Mall. His daughter, 24-year-old Julie, was a petite brunette studying marketing at Louisiana State University of Shreveport (LSUS). He was described as being polite, friendly and respectable, and had been battling throat cancer for years but was doing better. William 'Tom' Grissom, 55, divorced, was an AT&T supervisor who lived on Beth Lane in Shreveport's Southern Hills neighborhood. William, Julie and Sean Grissom were the first three lives taken by serial killer Danny Rolling who spread his terror between two states in the late 1980s into the early '90s. It contains content that may be disturbing to readers. Information and images from sister papers and wire services were also used. Editor's Note: This story was composed primarily using archived reports of The Shreveport Times.

Gainesville serial killer