Bernard Bolender
American mass murderer (1952–1995)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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] He was executed by electric chair at Florida State Prison in 1995.[6][7]
Bernard Bolender | |
|---|---|
Bolender's mugshot | |
| Born | September 1, 1952 United States |
| Died | July 18, 1995 (aged 42) Florida State Prison, Florida, U.S. |
| Criminal status | Executed by electrocution |
| Spouse | Joyce Bolender[1] |
| Conviction | First degree murder (4 counts) |
| Criminal penalty | Death |
| Details | |
| Victims | 4 |
| Date | January 8, 1980 |
| Country | United States |
| State | Florida |
Early life
Bolender attended high school in West Babylon, New York.[8] 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.[8]
Murders
In 1980, Bolender murdered four men after a botched drug deal.[6][9] Bolender and two others, Joseph Macker and Paul Thompson, kidnapped the four victims and then robbed, tortured, and murdered them.[6] The bodies were hidden in a burnt car which was later found on Interstate 95 in Miami, Florida.[6] The victims were John Merino, Scott Bennett, Rudolfo Ayan, and Nicomedes Hernandez, who were all killed on January 8, 1980.[10]
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.[6] Bolender's fingerprints were found on the burnt car. Despite this, he maintained his innocence and claimed he was not involved in the murders.[6] Bolender stated that he was at home with his girlfriend during the killings.[9]
Trial and execution
Bolender was convicted of the murders and sentenced to death in April 1980, just three months after the crime. The jury had unanimously recommended a life sentence, but Judge Richard S. Fuller overrode them and sentenced Bolender to death.[11] Bolender's case was then appealed to the Supreme Court of Florida,[6] which affirmed his sentence in 1983.[6] 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.[6] 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.[6]
Bolender was executed in the electric chair on July 18, 1995, in Bradford County, Florida. He was pronounced dead at 10:19 am.[6][7] He was executed at the Florida State Prison.[7]
