MARK OBER’S SOFT SPOT FOR SERIAL KILLERS, PART II

Dateline: March 5, 2009

OSCAR RAY BOLIN AND MARK ALAN OBER—SERIAL KILLER AND STATE ATTORNEY
(MARK OBER’S SOFT SPOT FOR SERIAL KILLERS, PART II)

Last time I told you about Mark Ober’s favorite client, Hillsborough County’s most notorious serial killer, Oscar Ray Bolin, currently residing on Florida’s Death Row. If Mark Ober had his way, I’d be sitting in the cell beside Oscar along with at least a couple other of Mark’s clients.

Considering the horrific details of Ober’s favorite client’s most heinous crimes, the question arises as to why in the world did Mark work so hard to win the serial killer’s freedom? Did he want Bolin walking the street, free to kidnap, rape, and brutally murder innocent young women again and again? It didn’t matter. For all the free publicity on the front pages of the newspapers, Mark would have happily defended Jack the Ripper. (“Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, my client never meant any harm to those women. He’s a poor, mixed up kid, and they asked for it. Please find him not guilty.”)

I spent a lot of time recounting Oscar’s crimes against poor Stephanie Collins, and next time I will tell you about what Mark’s client did to Teri Lynn Matthews, crimes shocking to the conscience. I also copied Oscar’s “articulate” suicide note left in his cell for Hillsborough Sheriff Captain Gary Terry. I doubt it will win a “PEN American” Literary prize, but it is interesting how Oscar got to that point, a level of despair so low that he decided to “cheat the executioner” by trying to off himself.

What a nut this guy (Bolin) is! Here’s how the appeals court judge described it: “While Bolin was in the Hillsborough County Jail in 1991, he was classified as a severe escape risk and danger to himself and others. Bolin was classified as a severe escape risk because he had been charged with murder and because he had attempted to escape while incarcerated in Ohio. During this attempted escape, Bolin hit a detention corrections officer with a piece of metal. Additionally, during Bolin’s detention in the Hillsborough County Jail, there was evidence that Bolin plotted with his girlfriend and another inmate to kidnap members of Major Terry’s [Note: he got promoted] family, corporal Baker’s family, the sheriff’s family, and a judge’s family. The alleged plan was to take the family members out-of-state and hold them for ransom in exchange for Bolin’s release. After discovery of the plan, Bolin was placed in a one-man cell with an officer located outside of the cell door watching Bolin twenty-four hours a day.

“Whenever Bolin was removed from his cell, he was shackled, handcuffed, and his activities severely restricted. To identify possible escape contraband, at least once or twice every eight-hour shift, jail personnel searched Bolin’s cell. During the search, Bolin was removed from his cell, and an officer searched the cell, replaced Bolin’s linens and bed materials, and searched all the materials in the cell.”
“Bolin attempted suicide.” (See State v Bolin, 693 So.2d 503 (Fla. App.2 Dist.1977)) .

Can you imagine if the crazy plot had worked? Mark Ober would have been right in the middle of it, negotiating with his client, the FBI, and “Dateline NBC” for an exclusive interview. He’d have been on the national news, not local, and he might even be the State Attorney General now, not the relatively lowly state attorney. What a dummy Bolin was! How he blew Mark’s chance for fame and riches! (“I coulda been a contender”).

This is a relatively short installment. I am working hard on legal issues right now, research and writing, combating false, malicious, and misleading statements that have adversely affected my freedom efforts.

I am also studiously researching campaign contributions made to the Republican candidate for state attorney ion the 2008 (uncontested) election. Cross-indexing names in the Florida Bar Journal (active attorneys licensed in Florida) I’ve encountered numerous contributions by people who listed only their home addresses, yet their work addresses all turned out to be 800 East Kennedy Boulevard in Tampa (state attorney’s office). Could it be that they were trying to keep their affiliations secret? (“What tangled webs we weave…”)

I can use some help here! Don’t be afraid to volunteer. The sword of the righteous is mighty! Let me hear from you. If you’ve made it this far, you know how to e-mail.
Thanks,
Charlie