Bernard Bolender
Bernard Bolender | |
|---|---|
 Bolender's mugshot | |
| Born | September 1, 1952 United States |
| Died | July 18, 1995 (aged 42) |
| Cause of death | Execution by electrocution |
| Spouse | Joyce Bolender[1] |
| Conviction(s) | First degree murder (4 counts) |
| Criminal penalty | Death |
| Details | |
| Victims | 4 |
| Date | January 8, 1980 |
| Country | United States |
| State(s) | Florida |
Bernard Bolender (September 1, 1952 – July 18, 1995)[2][3][4] was an American mass murderer who killed four people during a drug deal in Florida.[5][6]
Early life
[edit]Bolender attended high school in West Babylon, New York.[7] After owning a nightclub and restaurant in the 1970s, Bolender separated from his wife and children and became involved in the Miami cocaine scene. He became rich very quickly, reportedly hiring a chauffeured limousine to drive his monkey around.[7]
Murders
[edit]In 1980, Bolender murdered four men after a botched drug deal.[5][8] Bolender and two others, Joseph Macker and Paul Thompson, kidnapped the four victims and then robbed, tortured, and murdered them.[5] The bodies were hidden in a burnt car which was later found on Interstate 95 in Miami, Florida.[5] The victims were John Merino, Scott Bennett, Rudolfo Ayan, and Nicomedes Hernandez, who were all killed on January 8, 1980.[9]
Bolender, Macker, and Thompson were instant suspects. Macker made a deal with prosecutors for leniency in exchange for his testimony that Bolender was the instigator of the murders.[5] Bolender's fingerprints were found on the burnt car. Despite this, he maintained his innocence and claimed he was not involved in the murders.[5] Bolender stated that he was at home with his girlfriend during the killings.[8]
Trial and execution
[edit]Bolender was convicted of the murders and sentenced to death in April 1980, just three months after the crime. Bolender's case was then appealed to the Supreme Court of Florida,[5] which affirmed his sentence in 1983.[5] A judge threw out his death sentence, ruling that Bolender's lawyer was ineffective as he presented no evidence in Bolender's favor during the penalty phase of his trial.[5] That ruling was reversed and the death penalty reinstated in 1987. Bolender then had another appeal for the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida in 1990.[5]
Bolender was executed in the electric chair on July 18, 1995, in Bradford County, Florida. He was pronounced dead at 10:19 am.[5][10] He was executed at the Florida State Prison.[10]
See also
[edit]- Capital punishment in Florida
- Capital punishment in the United States
- List of people executed in Florida
References
[edit]- ^ Church of the Brethren (1995), "Messenger: Volume 145", University of Wisconsin–Madison, General Brotherhood Board, Church of the Brethren, p. 9
- ^ "Execution List: 1976 – present". Florida Department of Corrections. Retrieved June 27, 2022.
- ^ "Texas Journal on Civil Liberties & Civil Rights: Volume 8", University of California, Austin, Texas: University of Texas School of Law, p. 165, 2003
- ^ McKinnon, John (June 28, 1995). "Two killers, but only one pays the price". The Miami Herald. Miami, Florida. p. 67. Retrieved June 27, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Miami torture-murderer executed". United Press International. July 18, 1995. Retrieved June 27, 2022.
- ^ "One death penalty reduced; two upheld". The Bradenton Herald. Bradenton, Florida. October 29, 1982. p. 19. Retrieved June 27, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b "Drugs". The Miami News. Miami, Florida. April 24, 1979. p. 4. Retrieved June 27, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b Huff, C. Ronald; Killias, Martin (January 15, 2010). Wrongful Conviction: International Perspectives on Miscarriages of Justice. Temple University Press. p. 99. ISBN 9781592136469 – via Google Books.
- ^ Moss, Bill. "Inmate executed for murders". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved July 30, 2022.
- ^ a b Associated Press (July 19, 1995). "Floridian Executed In Torture Death of 4". The New York Times. Archived from the original on June 30, 2022. Retrieved June 27, 2022.
