In the summer of 1990, the college town of Gainesville, Florida found itself in the grip of terror after five students were murdered in quick succession. The victims had been fatally stabbed, and, in some cases, raped and mutilated, their bodies posed in sexual positions. One was found decapitated.
Quickly dubbed the “The Gainesville Ripper,” the serial killer initially eluded capture when police first identified a troubled teen as their main suspect, before realizing the gruesome murders were actually the work of Danny Rolling, a 30-something drifter with a long criminal history. Rolling was already in custody for armed robbery; he would later be given five death sentences, for every murder he committed that August. Before his execution, police would learn the Gainesville murders weren't his only homicides and the entire affair would inspire the maker of "Scream," one of the most famous horror films of all time.
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