Killer Stories with Harvey Guillén - “The Classified Ad Rapist” Pt. 1: Bobby Joe Long

Episode Date: January 20, 2020

Bobby Joe Long was responsible for the murder of at least 9 Tampa women. Born in 1953, his early life was milestoned by several serious head injuries including a motorcycle accident which would leave him forever changed. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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Tickets on sale now at Yamavat Theater.com, only at Yamava Resort and Casino, celebrating its 40th anniversary. You in? Must be 21 to enter. Due to the graphic nature of this killer's crimes, listener discretion is advised. This episode includes discussions of murder, domestic abuse, and sexual assault that some people may find offensive. We advise extreme caution for children under 13. On Mother's Day, 1984, the Florida Sun started to set over Tampa. Two teenage boys strolled down a lane near I-75.

They knew they should be heading home to spend the evening with their moms. But they dawdled, enjoying the freedom of summer. A gentle breeze carried an awful odor through the air. Curious, the pair headed towards a nearby construction site, which seemed to be the source of the smell. As they got closer and the stench grew more powerful, they noticed something blackened, mangled, and festering among the long weeds. Morbid curiosity drew them closer,

wondering if perhaps they had stumbled across a dead animal. With shock, the boys saw the shape was the body of a girl around their age. She was naked, and her hands were bound behind her back. The sight was horrific, and the boys struggled not to vomit in the grass. The boys raced home to tell their mothers and to call the police. It was a mother's day no one would soon forget. The boys had just stumbled across the body of June T. Long, one of many victims of Bobby Joe Long's murderous rampage.

Hi, I'm Greg Polson. This is serial killers, a parcast original. Every Monday, we dive into the minds and madness of serial killers. Today, we're delving into the horrific crimes of Bobby Joe Long, also known as the classified ad rapist. I'm here with my co-host, Vanessa Richardson. Hi, everyone. You can find episodes of serial killers,

and all other Parcast originals for free on Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. To stream Serial Killers for free on Spotify, just open the app and type Serial Killers in the search bar. At Parcast, we're grateful for you, our listeners. You allow us to do what we love. Let us know how we're doing. Reach out on Facebook and Instagram at Parcast

and Twitter at Parcast Network. And if you enjoy today's episode, the best way to help us is to leave a five-star review wherever you're listening. it really does help. This week, we'll look at the childhood of Bobby Joe Long and see how his twisted relationship with his mother sent him on a path towards violent crime and murder.

It's estimated he sexually assaulted at least 50 women in Tampa, Florida, and murdered at least nine of them during 1984. Next week, we'll learn more about Long's murderous rampage in 1984 and the brave teenage girl who escaped his clutches, bringing an end to his kids. killing spree. Bobby Joe Long was born in Canova, West Virginia on October 14, 1953, to Joe and Luella Long. Even from birth, Bobby was different from most people. He was born with two X chromosomes and a Y chromosome, a condition known as Kleinfelcher Syndrome, or KS.

Being born with an extra X chromosome can lead to long-lasting physical and psychological effects. According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, subjects with KS. typically have smaller than average testes, produce less testosterone, and often develop breasts during puberty. Vanessa is going to take over on the psychology here and throughout the episode. Please note, Vanessa is not a licensed psychologist or a psychiatrist, but she has done a lot of research for this show. Thanks, Greg. While not all men with KS experience the same symptoms, there are some commonalities. According to Dr. Cynthia M. Smyth and Dr. William J. Bremner's article in Archives of Internal Medicine, individuals with K.S. have a higher frequency of learning disabilities and poor impulse control. In addition, the prevalence of KS among male subjects in mental and penal institutions is about 1%, five times higher than in the general population.

In addition to his genetic differences, a turbulent home life only added to his difficulties. When he was just two years old, Bobby's parents divorced, and he moved with his mother to Florida. For years, Bobby and Luella moved around the state. They usually lived with relatives or in rented rooms while Luella waited tables. When she worked, Bobby was frequently left in the care of their landlord, or with neighbors. This disorganized upbringing could have had an adverse effect on Bobby's early development. According to a study published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, family disorganization and poor parenting practices result in weakened social bonds for the child and consequently low self-control.

Adding to the challenges of Bobby's chaotic early childhood, there's reason to believe Llewell's parenting style was shaky at best. According to Bobby, she was not a great mother. Bobby felt like she didn't pay him enough attention and that she was often distracted when they would spend time together. When he was four, his mother took Bobby for a day at the beach. According to him, Luella got distracted by some nearby men while he was playing in the water. Unsupervised, Bobby was pulled beneath the waves and came close to drowning.

Fortunately for Bobby, some bystanders helped him get back to shore. Though he avoided serious injury that day, it wasn't Bobby's last brush with death. In 1958, at the age of five, he found, from a swing and was knocked unconscious. Bobby's eyelid was skewered by a stick, but luckily he avoided losing his eye. Shortly after such a traumatic incident, young Bobby had reason to smile again. While on a visit to see his father in West Virginia, something stirred between Luella and

Joe, and they began to date again. In 1960, Bobby and Luella moved back to West Virginia and his parents remarried. Unfortunately for young Bobby, it seemed he was never destined to enjoy happiness for long. Around the time of his parents' second wedding, when he was six, he was thrown headfirst from his bicycle into a parked car. The incident resulted in a severe concussion and the loss of several teeth. Bobby sustained even greater head trauma the following year when he hit his head on the back bumper of a car. He was knocked unconscious and hospitalized. Only months later, he darted into traffic and was struck by a car a second time.

He nearly died, but he survived with a deformed jaw and badly damaged teeth. Shortly after this latest brush with death, Bobby fell from a pony, once again landing on his head. The incident reportedly left him dizzy and nauseous for weeks. Still, it seemed no amount of injuries could keep Bobby from being an adventurous kid. In 1961, when he was nine, Bobby fell while climbing a fence and required stitches to his head. With this emerging pattern of serious head injuries, it's important to consider how these affected Bobby's development. In a study published in Pediatrics, official journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics, Sarah A. Stoddard and Mark A. Zimmerman found that violent behavior increased within young adults after they suffered a head injury.

In addition to this, a study at the University of Pennsylvania found that 50% of children who experience traumatic brain injuries develop some kind of behavioral problem or disorder. There are no confirmed reports of Bobby displaying violent tendencies as a child, but these issues are typically reported to worsen over time, and some may take years to emerge. For the next two years, Bobby continued to be a carefree, adventurous kid, but this period of stability couldn't last. In 1963, his parents' marriage failed for a second time. Once again, Luella and Bobby moved back to Florida. There, they lived in a house crowded with Luella's cousins. Due to a lack of space, Bobby was forced to share a bed with his mother. This sleeping arrangement was made even more uncomfortable,

as Luella would frequently bring men home to spend the night in their shared bed. It's likely that Bobby's first experiences of sex, were as an unwilling witness to his mother's one-night stands. Now old enough to understand her actions better, Bobby began to negatively judge his mother for her provocative outfits and promiscuous behavior. He may have even become verbally abusive toward Luella, telling her he hated her and screaming in her face.

Meanwhile, Luella began working two jobs, bartending and waitressing. These kept her out at odd hours, again, forcing her to leave Bobby in the care of others. But even though Bobby may have felt neglected by her work schedule, it seems Luella was trying to find some stability for her son. By 1965, she'd saved enough money to buy a house. They moved to Hialeah, a city near Miami. It's hard to be sure, but it seems that 12-year-old Bobby

continued to share a bed with his mother, even when there was enough room for a space of his own. All the while, Luella brought home new men to spend the night. It took a full year in the new house before Bobby finally stopped sleeping in his mother's bed. It's possible that the catalyst for this change was Cindy Bartlett, a girl Bobby became fast friends with when they were both 13. Cindy later recalled an instant attraction to Bobby. Not long after they met, the two began to date.

As Bobby carved out his own space separate to his relationship with his mother, he and Cindy developed a close bond. They spent long hours in each other's company and became fiercely protective of each other. She knew him better than anyone and got a glimpse into his developing penchant for violence. Cindy later noted Bobby's short temper. If boys his age disrespected him, they were likely to end up in a fist fight. But in a lot of ways, Bobby was just like any other boy. With Cindy and other friends, he would go spearfishing, head to the movies,

or get up to harmless mischief like toilet paper. house. Cindy described the teenage Bobby she knew as a very caring person. However, this brief period of calm didn't last. When he hit puberty, Bobby's Kleinfelcher syndrome caused him to develop breasts. It was a significant source of embarrassment for Bobby. When he went swimming with friends, he insisted on leaving his shirt on. According to Dr. Catherine Ramsland, a professor of criminal psychology at DeSales University, the humiliation of developing a part of the anatomy typically associated with females could easily have triggered or exacerbated Bobby's resentment of women. He eventually had the excess tissue surgically removed in what was likely a very

painful procedure, possibly further accentuating that resentment. As he got older, Bobby's behavior became more erratic. In 1970, he dropped out of the 10th grade. twice and was eventually expelled. He continued to scream at his mother. He frequently ranted to Cindy that he hated Llewella. Seemingly desperate to get away from home, 19-year-old Bobby enlisted in the Army in 1972. But he didn't get very far.

He was stationed at Homestead Air Force Base, only an hour away from his mother. There, he trained as an electrician's assistant. For the first couple of years during his service, it seems like things were pretty steady for Bobby. He got his GED and married Cynthia in January of 1974. But as always, with Bobby, it was only the calm before the storm. In March of 1974, 21-year-old Bobby was riding his motorcycle

on streets close to the Homestead Air Force Base. We know that Bobby was something of a reckless driver. He once received seven traffic tickets in a single day. So perhaps he was driving. too fast. Suddenly a car came out of nowhere. At high speed, Bobby crashed his motorcycle into the vehicle, flew through the air, and landed 100 feet away. Just as he had in childhood, Bobby showed a knack for landing on his head and was knocked unconscious upon impact. He was rushed to the hospital. Bobby sustained several serious injuries in the accident, including a crushed leg and broken shoulder,

and remained in a coma for three days. According to his wife, Cindy, when he awoke, Bobby was a changed man. The happy boy she had met as a teenager was gone, and life with him would never be the same. When we return, Bobby Joe Long's life takes a turn towards horrific violence. Ryan Reynolds here from Mint Mobile, the message for everyone paying big wireless way too much. Please, for the love of everything good in this world,

Stop. With Mint, you can get premium wireless for just $15 a month. Of course, if you enjoy overpaying, no judgments, but that's weird. Okay, one judgment. Anyway, give it a try at mintmobile.com slash switch. Up front payment of $45 for three-month plan, equivalent to $15 per month required. Intro rate first three months only, then full price plan options available. Taxes and fees extra. See full terms at mintmobile.com. Now back to the story. After a chaotic childhood, things finally began to look up for a 21-year-old Bobby Joe. Long. He started a new career and married his high school sweetheart, Cindy Bartlett, in 1974. But only one month later, Bobby crashed in a grisly motorcycle accident. After sustaining several serious head injuries in childhood, Bobby once again landed on his head.

The force of the impact even cracked his helmet. When he awoke from his three-day coma following the collision, Bobby Joe Long's personality had drastically changed. He experienced a dramatic increase in his sexual appetite. While he was in the hospital and in a body cast, nurses noticed Bobby masturbated five or six times each day. Increased sexual drive, sometimes referred to as hypersexuality, is a rare but documented side effect of significant brain injuries in adults. As outlined in the Libyan Journal of Medicine, hypersexuality is characterized by an unbearable need for frequent genital stimulation. The behavior continued after he was discharged.

Before the accident, Bobby and Cindy reportedly had sex around two or three times each week. Following his crash, he demanded sex several times per day and masturbated an additional two or three times. Cindy later stated, I was forced to have sex with him on numerous occasions. Hypersexuality often manifests with an increase in frequency or change in types of sexual behavior that usually fail to result in long-term sexual and emotional satisfaction. It seems likely Bobby's newly emerged hypersexuality was a direct result of his motorcycle accident. For now, his urges were contained to his marital bed. Unfortunately for Cindy, Bobby's hunger for sex wasn't the only change she noticed after his accident.

Around two months after he came home from the hospital, she noticed Bobby seemed to be consumed by an ever-simmering rage. His fuse had always been short, but now it seemed he was less inclined than ever to control his temper. A study published in a 2015 edition of contemporary clinical trials looked at patients of traumatic brain injuries. According to the paper, anger and irritability are important and persistent. consistent clinical problems following accidents like Bobby's. He began to beat Cindy, taking out his aggression over trivial matters, like what she had prepared for dinner. Over the next few years, Cindy endured the violence, unable to understand what had happened

to the boy with whom she had shared so much happiness. Every day, Cindy told herself that Bobby's new personality was temporary, that he would get better. She lived with the hope that one day, the man she married, would come back to her. Despite the frequent violence, the couple remained together, and by 1975, Cindy had given birth to a son and a daughter. But that meant extra mouths to feed. Bobby couldn't hold down a job since his accident, and money troubles soon plagued the longs. In 1977, 24-year-old Bobby sought a career change. He enrolled at Broward Community College,

where he studied to become an X-ray technician. He completed his studies the following year, and by November of 1979, he was working at Parkway Regional Medical Center in northern Miami. Throughout all of this, Cindy endured worsening abuse. During a particularly brutal beating in the summer of 1980, Bobby knocked Cindy unconscious, sending her to the hospital. When she was discharged, Cindy came home

determined to put an end to the violence, once and for all. After Bobby fell asleep that night, Cindy moved quietly through the house to retrieve a double-barrel shotgun. She loaded both barrels, then returned to her bedroom, where Bobby lay sleeping.

For hours, Cindy held the gun to her husband's head, trying to summon the courage to pull the trigger. As the first rays of the sun lit the room, Bobby's alarm clock sounded to wake him for work. His eyes snapped open. According to Cindy, he looked at her and then looked at the gun. Calmly, he locked eyes with her and said, Go ahead, you don't have the guts.

Bobby was right. Cindy couldn't bring herself to kill her abuser. All night she had thought about her two young children sleeping in their rooms nearby. If she killed Bobby, she would likely go to prison. And the thought of never being able to see her babies again paralyzed her. Cindy had no other option. She knew it was time to leave. In June of 1980, she filed for divorce and won full custody of their two children. Bobby was given limited visitation rights and was ordered to pay child support. Shortly after the divorce, he moved to Tampa and settled into a new place with some roommates. The exact timeline of what happened next is murky, but we'll do our best to present the facts in a chronological order.

What we do know is that for years after his accident, Bobby had used Cindy as an outlet for his violent and sexual urges. Now, without Cindy around, Bobby began to seek out new avenues of release. It's possible that untethered from his wife and children, Bobby felt a new sense of freedom, coupled with a desire for an outlet for his intense sexual appetite. Here we may be seeing Bobby's Kleinfelter syndrome in effect. or the repercussions of his many head injuries. Poor impulse control is symptomatic of both. Desperate to find a way to satisfy his heightened sexual and emotional desires. Bobby began to scour the classified ads of local newspapers.

He circled listings for furniture sales and then called to arrange appointments, hoping that the cellar was a woman. He was careful to always suggest times in the middle of the day when husbands and boyfriends were less likely to be home. He dressed to look as respectable and trustworthy as possible. Playing the role of a potential buyer, he followed women inside their houses to take a look at the furniture. If a man was home, he would feign interest in the sale

before making an excuse to leave. If, however, the woman was home alone, he would subdue, restrain, and rape her. On his way out, he took small valuables like jewelry. Bobby later described what he felt as overwhelmingly powerful urge. If I didn't do it, if I tried not to do it, I'd be okay for a day or two. But it wouldn't stop. This would go on until I did it.

Then when I would do it, I'd be okay for a month, two months, three months, sometimes longer, and then it would hit again. In Bobby's mind, he didn't have a choice, and it didn't matter to him who he hurt to satisfy the rabid beast inside of him. For years, women in Miami. Ocala and Fort Lauderdale were attacked by the specter known as the classified ad rapist. It's estimated that Bobby raped upwards of 50 women posing as a potential buyer. These assaults were not Bobby's only criminal sexual attacks, however.

In August of 1981, Bobby was accused of rape by his then-roommate, Sharon Richards. Due to a lack of evidence, however, the charges didn't stick, and Bobby got away. with the attack. That same year, he was charged with sending nude photos and lewd letters to a 12-year-old girl. When he was finally brought to court for these charges, he was sentenced to six months probation and find less than $70. Once again, Bobby avoided serious punishment for his crime, and his attacks continued. In April of 1984, a woman named Mary Hicks drove her beloved vintage

into a shopping center parking lot. She drove carefully, slowly navigating the tight corners and opting to park her baby far from the doors to the store. That way, it was less likely to get damaged by negligent drivers. Mary got out and walked quickly from her car, stepping through pools of light thrown from dim bulbs. It only took her a few minutes to grab what she needed inside. As she went back to her car,

She noticed that someone else was standing nearby. She slowed her steps, wary of the shadowy figure. The man seemed to be examining her car. Mary smiled to herself. She was used to men admiring her jaguar, though they often thought they knew more about it than she did. Mary probably believed the man was hoping for a ride. Perhaps she was even flattered.

After a few minutes talking to him, she decided that he seemed harmless enough. she agreed to take him for a drive. They got into Mary's car together and pulled out of the parking lot. They'd only been driving for a few minutes when Bobby pulled a gun from inside his coat and pointed it at Mary. When she saw the gun, Mary yanked hard on the steering wheel,

aiming her jaguar straight at a telephone pole with a sickening crunch. The hood of the car crumpled around the pole. Mary was dazed, but managed to flee the scene and raise the alarm. Bobby was apprehended a short distance away. He was charged with aggravated assault, but the gun he pulled on Mary was never found. He was later sentenced to probation for the attack

in order to pay for the damage to Mary's car. Mary may have gotten away, but his next victim wouldn't be so lucky. Coming up, Bobby Joe Long begins his, murderous rampage. Now back to the story. After his wife divorced him in 1980, 27-year-old Bobby Joe Long began to prey on women throughout Tampa and the surrounding cities. To the media and law enforcement, he was known as the classified ad rapist. But despite his frequent attacks, Bobby remained unidentified. It's possible this gave him a feeling of

invincibility, like nothing could touch him. Following a breakup in April of 1984, Bobby's crimes became drastically more violent. He was arrested after attempting to kidnap a woman in her own car, but he had still escaped serious consequences. Now Bobby was going to make sure the next woman wouldn't get away. On Friday, May 4th, 1984, 31-year-old Bobby Joe Long drove his red Dodge Magnum towards Tampa's Nebraska Avenue strip,

an area known for its strip clubs and sex workers. It was late at night when he spotted 19-year-old Njune T. Lanna Long. Lana was a dancer at the nearby Sly Fox Lounge. She often worked until closing, and was known to accompany customers to other bars for drinks after her shift ended. But on the evening in question, Lana was walking alone. Bobby pulled his car up alongside her and asked if she needed a ride.

After a long night of dancing, Lana was happy to accept the offer. But when Lana gave Bobby directions to her house, he ignored them. Instead, he drove to a nearby wooded area. When he was sure they were alone, he brandished a knife, reclined the passenger seat, and forced Lana to lay on her stomach. He then ordered her to undress and bound her hands behind her back with rope. He drove the car off the paved road onto a secluded patch of dirt beyond a barricade near I-75.

There, with the sound of cars speeding along the nearby highway, Bobby sexually assaulted Lana. Unsatisfied with this brutal act, he then strangled her to death with the length of rope. years of escaping justice as the classified ad rapist, Bobby Joe Long had finally become a killer. Once Lana was dead, Bobby abandoned her body face down next to a field. He left her naked, her arms tied behind her back, and her legs splayed. Criminologist Arnon Edelstein had suggested that this body positioning is significant in understanding the motivations and mindset of a killer.

In an article for the Journal of Forensic Medicine and Legal Affairs, Edelstein wrote, A female victim might be found with her legs apart and without her undergarments for the sole purpose of further humiliating her after her death. Police would later use this as a basis for their psychological profile of the killer, theorizing that a perpetrator who leaves his victims in such a state harbors a deep hatred of women. Content with the way he had left Lana, Bobby got back in his car and steered back onto the road.

Lana's body disappeared into the gathering dark as the Magnum's headlights turned away. On the drive back to his apartment, Bobby threw Lana's clothes out the window. Her body went undiscovered in the Florida heat for nine days. On Mother's Day, 1984, two teenagers discovered her decomposing corpse and raised the alarm. Police carefully examined the disturbing scene and found several key pieces of evidence. First was a single red fiber on a white scarf that had possibly been used to gag Lana. Second was an unusual tire pattern left in the dirt. It seemed the murderer was driving a car with one mismatched tire.

Investigators could tell they had a dangerous, potentially psychotic killer on their hands. What they didn't know was that the killer would strike. again. And again, Bobby Joe Long would elude authorities for months, eventually claiming the lives of at least nine women. Thanks again for tuning into serial killers. We'll be back Monday with part two of Bobby Joe Long as he commits a string of brutal murders. We'll also learn about the brave 17-year-old girl who escaped Bobby's clutches and lived to bring him to justice. You can find all episodes of serial killers and all other Parcast Originals for free on Spotify or anywhere you listen to podcasts.

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Serial Killers was created by Max Cutler and is a Parcast Studios original. Executive producers include Max and Ron Cutler, sound design by Dick Schroeder, with production assistance by Ron Shapiro, Carly Madden, Travis Clark, and Paul Mahler. This episode of Serial Killers was written by Joel Callan, with writing assistance by Abigail Cannon

and stars Greg Polson, and Vanessa Richardson. A beloved 75-year-old man washing up getting ready for bed is brutally beaten and killed. Despite an exhaustive investigation, the killer avoids arrest and then strikes again. I'm global news crime reporter Nancy Hicks. You might listen to a lot of true crime podcasts this year, but they're not crime beat. Search for and follow the award-winning podcast Crime Beat on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and wherever you find your favorite podcasts.

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