Beyond Murder: The Inside Account of the Gainesville Student Murders

by John Philpin, John Donnelly

Here is the inside story of the serial sex slayer responsible for the Gainesville student murders of 1990. Respected psychological profiler John Philpin and veteran journalist John Donnelly detail the five murders and their aftermath in a gripping narrative. Optioned for a TV mini-series. 8 pages of photos. Original.

Genres: True Crime, Nonfiction

416 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published March 1, 1994

About the author

Author John Philpin, one of the first independent criminal profilers, is an internationally recognized expert on violent behavior and criminal investigation. Philpin is a frequent consultant to law enforcement and the media.

Philpin has been a guest commentator on Court TV, 20/20 Downtown, Unsolved Mysteries, America's Most Wanted, Inside Edition, Chronicle, The Geoff Metcalf Show, The Jim Bohannon Show, Northwest Afternoon and CBC's As It Happens.

Philpin is a regular contributor of exclusive true crime commentaries and short stories for KariSable.com True Crime and Justice Web site.

A retired psychologist, he has authored and co-written seven books and numerous articles, and the featured character in an eighth, drawing on his experience.

A recipient of numerous awards for contributions in murder investigations, his forensic work was featured in Philip E. Ginsburg's Shadow of Death the investigation of a series of murders along interstate highway corridors of Vermont and New Hampshire in the 1980s.

Reviews

[Erica · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked learming more about the families of the five students. It annoyed me that the lyrics to "Can't Touch This" were misquoted. But other than that, as someone who was not close to the tragedy and can't know how accurate it was, it felt like a decent account of the crimes. There is a book called The Gainesville Ripper that is much more in depth, though more graphic as well. I didn't care about Danny's story but was intrigued by the cop Richard Ward.

[Dara Harvey · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this to gain a better understanding of what happened in my hometown when I was 10. The book gave me nightmares, so I guess it does a good job explaining ground zero. But it was published in 1994, only 4 years after the murders, when Danny Rolling was still in the appeals process. He was executed eleven years ago. So this book does not offer the perspective of time. If you want a detailed explanation of events close to when they occurred, this is a good book for that; otherwise, I would look for something less dated.

[Jean Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book was written really well. Because it’s a true story and it was really hard to read sone of the things the guy Danny Rollings done to the 5 victims he killed. They were all young people starting out their lives. And died at the hands of a very sick person. The book is a true story and a very good read.

[Kathryn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Summary: a serial killer terrorized Gainsville Florida for a weekend, but left a lifetime of ferritin his wake.

Review: I'll admit that this book seriously freaked me out. I kept thinking to myself, "he got in through the sliding door. I have a sliding door!" I did not care for the life story of the psychopath, it didn't work as well as it often does.

[Rhonda · Rating 3 out of 5]

The 20th anniversary of these killings just passed here in my hometown of Gainesville, FL. This book was filled with a great amount of detail, especially to someone who lives here. It's no great literary contribution, but it was definitely informative about a horrible, senseless tragedy.

[Robin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was a Senior at UF the year this happened. It was interesting to read this 20 + years after living through the chaos & fear. As a student I was unaware of much of the story, and of course the daily rumors were horrific.
Reading this account I find that the truth is stranger than fiction.

[Zach Murphy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a well-written, informative book. I was fascinated with Danny Rolling prior to reading this book. I no longer am. I'd like to think I'm done reading books about serial killers. They're (obviously) pretty freakin' dark.

[Jane Morris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Frightening true crime story. Not well written.

[Marianne · Rating 2 out of 5]

A mediocre look at the Gainesville killings. It has a lot of junky information and doesn't even give you the outcome of the sentencing hearing.