"Sondra London Is Not Using Me": Danny Rolling's Prison Statement, about 1993
Declining a TV reporter's questions, Danny Rolling read out a numbered statement defending the writer Sondra London and denying that prison officials had made any deals with him.
- Subject
- Danny Rolling
- Recorded
- about 1993
- Runtime
- 5:08
The Statement
In this unedited footage a television reporter meets Danny Rolling in prison. After a few minutes of small talk about the prison food and the lack of Cajun cooking, Rolling tells her that his lawyer has advised him not to answer questions, and reads instead a three-minute statement he has prepared. In points numbered from one to eight (he does not announce a point four) he attacks "Mr. James H. Williams" for statements about Sondra London, Bobby Lewis, the prison authorities and himself; praises London; and says that she represents him as "editor, agent and media go-between". He then refuses the reporter's questions about Lewis and about the murders.
Historical Context
In August 1990 five students were murdered in Gainesville, Florida: Sonja Larson, Christina Powell, Christa Hoyt, Tracy Paules and Manuel Taboada. Rolling, arrested in September 1990 for a supermarket robbery in Ocala, was indicted for the murders in November 1991. In 1992 he began writing to Sondra London, a freelance writer. In 1993 she said she held exclusive rights to his writings, and the two were reported to be engaged. The arrangement drew criticism, including from Rolling's parents. Bobby Lewis, a fellow inmate, passed Rolling's confession to investigators in January 1993.
Circumstances of the Statement
Rolling says that he and London had been corresponding "for almost a year" and that she had been allowed to visit him "behind the glass" only once in 180 days. He names his lawyers, Richard Parker and "Johnny Kearns". The statement refers to the investigation as still "underway", which places the footage before his guilty plea of February 15, 1994. The footage carries the logo of WFTV Channel 9, Orlando, throughout, which suggests that station filmed it; this has not been confirmed with WFTV. The reporter's full name and the identity of "Mr. James H. Williams" are not known.
What the Statement Covers
Rolling says Williams "tried to muddy the waters and hinder the investigation", and that he could be charged with criminal mischief or obstruction of justice. He defends London against the media and the Gainesville Sun, says that she did not seek him out but that he approached her after seeing her screenplay about Bobby Lewis's escape from death row, and attacks her former lawyer. He says prison officials at Florida State Prison have made no deals with him or promises to Lewis, and that he has not been coerced into making statements.
What Makes the Recording Significant
The footage shows Rolling, before his trial, publicly backing the writer who would become his co-author, during the period when their collaboration was under criticism. That collaboration led to the 1996 book "The Making of a Serial Killer" and to the State of Florida's successful action to take London's earnings from it for the victims' compensation fund.
Archival Importance
Rolling pleaded guilty in February 1994 and was executed on October 25, 2006. Raw footage of him speaking for himself before his plea, described by the uploader as never aired, is uncommon; this copy is known from London's 2008 upload.
Important Caveats
The statement is Rolling's, and the praise of London and the accusations against Williams and London's former lawyer are his claims. The uploader's description of "libelous and slanderous attacks" is her own characterisation; no court finding to that effect is known. The recording date and the reporter's surname are unverified, and the station is inferred only from the WFTV logo on the footage. The video was posted by London, who was a party to the events it concerns.
Reporter: Bless your heart. How [inaudible], Miss... Nice to meet you. I'm Kathy.
Danny Rolling: Yes, ma'am.
Unidentified Speaker: You okay with [inaudible]? I'm just going to help you with this, all right?
Danny Rolling: Thank you.
Reporter: Just going to... So these guys have all told me they promised that they won't tell anyone. [unclear: "They're just going to" / "That it's going to"] ask you how the food is here.
Danny Rolling: Well...
Reporter: [unclear: "You complain about it" / "Complain about it"], they said they promised...
Danny Rolling: It ain't so bad.
Reporter: No?
Danny Rolling: Not really, no. It's prison food, though, you know. There's a big difference between that and McDonald's.
Reporter: And the, uh, Cajun food? You don't get Cajun here?
Danny Rolling: No, I don't get any Cajun here. Okay. Um, Miss [unclear: "Bell" / "Bellick"], um, my lawyer has advised me not to make any, uh, you know, answer any questions, but I have about a three-minute, um, statement prepared. Would you like to listen to that?
Reporter: Sure, sure. You can go ahead and read it now if you'd like. I, I figured there was something you wanted to say.
Danny Rolling: Yes, ma'am.
Danny Rolling: At this time I feel it necessary to comment on the blatant statements Mr. James H. Williams has made concerning Sondra London, Bobby Lewis, prison authorities, and myself. I'm compelled to bring this matter into the light because Williams has caused undue pain and problems for those mentioned and on his own tried to muddy the waters and hinder the investigation in progress.
Danny Rolling: Number one: Miss London and myself have been corresponding for almost a year now. Regardless of what Williams has said, Miss London is of the highest caliber, sincere and honest, a woman of extraordinary talents. If I were her, I would sue Williams for slander and defamation of character. She did not deserve the things he said or what the Gainesville Sun printed about her. It's just not so. I do not know Williams' reason to do such a vicious thing. It was totally unmerited or called for. I think Williams has left himself subject to be charged with criminal mischief and/or obstruction of justice.
Danny Rolling: Number two: Sondra London is a colorful and bright woman, intelligent, talented, and it's a shame the way the media has bashed her as of late. She hasn't done anything to deserve that. Sondra is a worthy soul who only tries to bring the very best out of all she does.
Danny Rolling: Number three: Sondra London did not seek me out. I inquired her services because I had seen some of her work, namely a screenplay under the title of "Redbone", about the dramatic story of Bobby Lewis's escape from Death Row, which would impress anyone. And so I wanted her to do my story. Sondra London is not, I repeat, not using me, period. No one is using me. I don't care what her previous lawyer, [unclear: "Chet Dillinger" / "Chad Dillinger"], said about her. Can you imagine that? Her own lawyer sold her up the river. If I was a client of his, I think I'd find somebody else to represent me, for fear that one day [unclear: "Chet Dillinger" / "Chad Dillinger"] would have something publicly to say about me.
Danny Rolling: Over the past 180 days, Sondra and myself have tried by protocol and through proper channels to get her approved to visit me. And she was allowed to visit me behind the glass once.
Danny Rolling: Number five: any and all parties involved in the investigation underway concerning the Gainesville murders have been and will be dealt with in an honorable fashion. The wheels of justice may turn slow, but they do turn. You don't ask of justice; it asks of you.
Danny Rolling: Number six: the prison officials here at FSP have not made any deals with me, period, nor have they made any promises to Bobby Lewis or myself, period. I've not been coerced into making any statements, period. Number seven: Miss London represents me as editor, agent and media go-between. From this point on, I shall make no further statements to the press unless Sondra London arranges it. You wish to speak to me, speak to Miss London.
Danny Rolling: Number eight: any further statements you wish at this time, please consult my lawyers, Mr. Richard Parker or Johnny Kearns, who are excellent lawyers for the defense and very capable of answering any other questions. I have nothing further to say. Thank you, and good day.
Reporter: That's it? You can't answer any questions for me?
Danny Rolling: No, ma'am, I'm sorry.
Reporter: Is it, is it true that you are talking through Mr. Lewis to investigators?
Danny Rolling: I can't make any further comments. Good day.
Reporter: Is it true that you had anything to do with the murders at all?
Danny Rolling: [unclear: "Oh, I still got this on, don't I?" / "Oh, I stood up to saw him going."] [recording ends] ---