The Gainesville Ripper's Legacy

In the summer of 1990, Gainesville, Florida wasn’t just a college town —

it was a hunting ground. Five students were found brutally murdered inside their apartments.

Each scene was almost ritualistic — doors pried open, phones cut, victims posed after

death. The killer was Danny Rolling, a drifter who called himself The Gainesville

Ripper. He hid in the woods by day, breaking into homes at night.

He watched his victims for hours before striking — silent, patient, and merciless.

When police searched his campsite, they found his weapons, recordings, and a diary describing

every murder in detail. He wrote about how he wanted to be “a superstar — the