The Gainesville Ripper case is one of the most infamous in Florida's history. In August 1990, the city of Gainesville was shocked by a series of brutal and seemingly random murders. The first victim was a 17-year-old high school student named Sonja Larson, who was found dead in her apartment. Over the next few days, four more victims would be discovered, all of whom had been brutally murdered and mutilated. The killer, who was later identified as Danny Rolling, was a serial killer who had a history of violence and mental illness. Rolling was a drifter who had been living in Gainesville for several months before the murders began. He was known to be intelligent and charismatic, but also deeply disturbed. The investigation into the murders was one of the largest and most complex in Florida's history, involving multiple law enforcement agencies and hundreds of officers. It wasn't until a few days after the last murder, when a witness came forward with a description of the killer's vehicle, that the police were able to track down Rolling and arrest him. Rolling was later convicted of the murders and sentenced to death. He was executed in 2006.