Flesh Collectors (29 page)
Authors: Fred Rosen
I want to particularly thank Diane Robinson for telling me about her daughter, Jennifer, and Elizabeth Livingston for telling me about her son, Justin. Todd Hand filled in the entire investigation; he was on it from day one to the end. John Molchan took me through the case from then on.
In 1909, Florida passed Chapter 119 of the Florida Statutes. Known as the Public Records Law, it provides that any records made or received by any public agency in the course of its official business are available for inspection, unless specifically exempted by the legislature.
Over the years, the definition of what constitutes public records has come to include not just traditional written documents, such as papers, maps and books, but also tapes, photographs, film, sound recordings and records stored in computers. Throughout the history of Florida’s open government, its courts have consistently supported the public’s right of access to governmental meetings and records. That includes court and police documents.
Even in the face of such recent public-relations debacles as the portly killer who literally blew up when the electricity hit him, Florida’s criminal-justice system has maintained its status as an open-records state, where the average citizen can get court documentation/arrest reports, whatever is needed to understand a criminal prosecution against an individual.
At the heart of this book is the astonishing governmental documentation of the killing and mutilation spree of Jeremiah Rodgers and Jonathan Lawrence. Florida, it should also be added, has the death penalty and uses it. Whether you agree with Florida’s death penalty—and I do not—the state’s will to maintain an openness to anyone and everyone especially outsiders, is an absolute tribute to the Constitution in these perilous times.
All rights reserved, including without limitation the right to reproduce this ebook or any portion thereof in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of the publisher.
Some names have been changed to protect the privacy of individuals connected to this story.
Copyright © 2003 by Fred Rosen
Cover design by Gabriela Sahagun
ISBN: 978-1-4976-9724-9
Distributed in 2015 by Open Road Distribution
345 Hudson Street
New York, NY 10014
Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16