Who Is Bobby Joe Long? New Details About The American Serial Killer Who Was Recently Executed In Florida
He hinted there were more victims.
youtube We’re all familiar with the most notorious serial killers in history: Lady Bathory, Jeffrey Dahmer, Albert Fish, Ted Bundy, John Wayne Gacy, Dennis Rader — the list goes on and on. And while some died in jail while on death row, there are also plenty who were executed, whether by lethal injection or the electric chair.
Who is Bobby Joe Long? He’s the latest serial killer to be executed via lethal injection, in the state of Florida.
On May 23rd, he had his last meal — roast beef, bacon, french fries, and soda — and was pronounced dead at 6:55 PM. According to the Florida Department of Corrections, he had no visitors, spiritual advisor, and had no last words.
The 65-year-old serial killer abducted, raped, and murdered at least 10 women in 1984, but hinted that there were more victims.
He released one victim, Lisa McVey, who was 17 years old at the time, after raping her for 26 hours. McVey gave information to authorities that eventually led to his arrest and he was charged with the murder of Michelle Simms, the abduction and rape of McVey, and the homicide of eight victims. He was sentenced to the death penalty.
But what was his MO? In his youth, Long suffered a brain injury from an accident; he also had epilepsy, his attorneys argued. But the way he went about finding his victims is chilling, to say the least.
Long would drive around and look for vulnerable women, like prostitutes, exotic dancers, or women at bars. He would approach them, persuade them to enter his car, take them to his apartment, and would then bind them with rope and ligature collars. He would kill other victims by bludgeoning or slitting their throats. Then he would arrange the bodies in unique positions. After his capture, he admitted that he got sadistic pleasure from the abduction, rape, torture and murder of his victims.
Long’s daughter, Sarah, however, believes her father changed after these accidents, and attributed the murders to them.
“I wanted to be there to support him — that way he would’ve known that somebody in there truly loved him. The governor with the stroke of a pen hired a hitman, that’s the executioner in Florida to commit a homicide on my dad as punishment for committing homicide. It completely makes no sense. I don’t think anyone has the right to make that decision or that judgment other than God.
They made me a victim the same way my dad made those girls and their families’ victims! He told me that he thinks about those girls and their families every day and that he hated the part of himself and the pain he caused,” she said.
For McVey, Long’s death is bittersweet, as she credits him with actually saving her life, but will never forget his impact on her.
At the time of her abduction, she had written a suicide note. “Bobby Joe Long pressed a gun, with the tip of its cold steel barrel, against my left temple before dragging me to his car. I vowed from that moment on to save my own life,” she said.
Another one of his victims, who was present at the execution, recalled her terrifying ordeal. Linda Nuttall was targeted by Long, who showed up at her door and rang the bell. Her husband was at work, but she was watching her children at the time.
“When he came to the door, he was in a three-piece business suit, very polite, so I let him in. He immediately grabbed me, tied me up, held a knife to my throat and brutally attacked me. My two children were home at the time. He was just a miserable human being,” she told The Enquirer reporter, Douglas Montero.
Though it cannot bring back the victims whose lives he stole, hopefully it provides some sort of closure for their families.
Samantha Maffucci is an editor for YourTango who focuses on writing trending news and entertainment pieces. In her free time, you can find her obsessing about cats, wine, and all things Vanderpump Rules.