Bernard Bolender
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]
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 |
Early life
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
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
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
References
- 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.
- "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.
- "Drugs". The Miami News. Miami, Florida. April 24, 1979. p. 4. Retrieved June 27, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- 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.
- 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.