Is there such as thing as closure?
So of course I know noone reads this anymore, which in a way is a good thing, but in some instances not so much so.
Anyone that still reads this, I'm not sure any of you knew my mom's story.. If not, welcome aboard the crazy bus.
For the last 3 weeks I have been absolutely consumed. Let me start from the beginning, I know many times in the past I have referred to my family as completely and utterly dysfunctional.. Here's the beginning, in November 1984, my mother was 17 years old. On her way home from work, pulling a double shift at Krispy Kreme donuts on Waters and Fowler she was abducted off of her bicycle on her way home. The man that abducted her is Robert Joseph Long. Notorious classified ad rapist and serial killer in the early and middle 80's.
Being a victim of sexual abuse and incest for almost her entire life, this was something she was not only familiar with, but something handled with the agility and grace like no other. Once Long got my mother in his vehicle, he blind folded her, immediately made her strip, and perform oral sex on him as he drove her to his apartment on Fletcher. Once at his apartment he sodomized her, however stopped when she told him it hurt. He repeatedly brutally raped her at gun point, all the while she kept her wits about her, manipulating him into thinking he was in control, that he had all of the power, so much so that Long developed a sense of comfort and confidence with her. He took a shower with her, made her a sandwich, allowed her to use the restroom with the door shut. When he fell asleep, and re-awoke to find her still there he felt a sense of trust in her. He referred to her with pet names such as ' Baby,' and even acknowledge a sense of regret that they had met on these terms, had the circumstances been different, he wanted to ' keep' her.
Twenty six hours after abducting my mother, after she promised him she would not go to the police, he let her go. Not without first stopping at an atm machine. While Long was retrieving cash, my mother was able to peak out from the blind fold and identify the type of vehicle she was in, and also local hotel chain close to the bank. Once Long returned to the car, he asked her where she lived. In fear of him coming back, she told him a general location. He drove to the spot, kissed her good-bye, told her to ' Take Care,' and not to take the blind fold off for 5 minutes.
After getting out of the car, she sat there, terrified he would come back, terrified to remove the blind fold, trying feverishly to wrap her mind around why he didn't hurt her.
Wasting no time, she rushed home to alert he relatives as to what happened. At the time she was living with her grandmother, and her grandmother's boyfriend. The boyfriend was an amputee, I believe a diabetic whom lost him legs because of it. He had been sexually abusing my mother for quite some time,and scoffed at the story that she'd been abducted. Even accused her of being a hussie and gone fucking around the past 26 hours.
Frustrated that they would not believe her, she adamantly stuck to her story, and eventually her grandmother had enough compassion to take her to the police station to file a report. The police, were unknowingly getting the break they'd been waiting on for months in a case stretching acorss Hillsborough and Pasco County, with the death toll at 9. All presumably linked, however no viable leads.
At the police station, obviously there was a rape kit conducted, and a sketch artist, as well as investigators to sit down and review the facts.
Although Long never allowed her to remove her blind fold, she was able to distinctively identify characteristics that allowed the sketch artist to compile a shetch that was almost identical to Long. Also, unbenounced to Long, while she was his captive, her instincts thrived. When he let her use the restroom with the door closed, she touched everything in the bathroom in order to leave her finger prints as many places as possible. Also, while Long was sleeping, she ripped her hair barette out of her hair, and threw it under his bed, to leave hair folicle evidence, as well as when they stopped at the atm, my mother being on her period at the time of the abduction, she removed her tampon and threw it under the seat of his car. Pretty amazing things to focus on while you are in such a predictamin. All of this evidence, as well as forensic fiber evidence from all of the victims including my mother linked all of the previous 9 cases together.
Three days after Long abducted my mother and let her go, he abducted one last woman. Unfortunately she was not as fortunate as my mother was. Leaving the count at 10 women dead.
Currently, Long is sitting at Union Correctional Institute, and has been since 1985. He has 2 death sentences, and 34 consecutive life sentences. Almost 24 years, he has been sitting there, awaiting execution.
There are many books that have been published in regards to this case, however none of them any accurate than the other. My mother has literally been an advocate for this case, reaching out to other victims of rape, appearing on almost every national television show, as well as all of the local shows. It is not for fame, not for notoriety. She called it being, ' The Voice of the Unheard.'
He dream show has always been to be invited to the Oprah show. Her ultimate dream has always been for the two of us to write a book together about the case. Again, not for fame or notoriety, not even for a monetary gain. Simply to set the record straight, a form of healing and closure all in itself. This notion has been one I have always accepted, and have gladly put off.
My mother's case is something I have always known about, wasn't something that was ever hidden from me, even as a child. I don't know that I necessarily agree with a child as young as I was finding out and trying to understand complexities such as these, but tis my life.
As I've said before, the notion to write a book is something I've gladly procrastinated on, and rarely thought of. That is until three weeks ago. I was sitting in the hospital with my father and my step mother. My step mother mentioned that on the television the other evening there was mention of a new show doing an episode on the case. So I immediately googled it to see exactly what was going on. Unable to find any information, I turned to the numerous websites I've visited in the past, as well as some new ones. And much to my surprise I was addicted. I was reading information I've read many times in the past, but the urge to learn and know more continued. I literally couldn't get enough. I don't want to know why he did it, for it is impossible to obtain an answer such as that from someone that they themselves don't have the answer to. But my thrist for knowledge on the case is insatiable. Hence, I am in the process of reading and obtaining any and every bit of information I possibly can, from A-Z, face to face interviews, the whole 9 yards. And I'm writing that book.
Something I've wanted to do since I was about 16 years old, is to drive to Raiford, Fl, where Union CI is, and to meet the man behind the madness. I want to sit and talk with him, of course without disclosing my true identity, there is just this yearning to talk to him.
Please don't misunderstand, I am not blaming him for my childhood, yes there are alot of things I have faulted my mother for over the years, and yes I'm sure some of them are directly correlated to Long, but I have come to a point in my life, an acceptance shall we say, that my mother did the best she could with what she could. She herself was in a life long pursuit to soar above a dysfunctional, at best, tattered and scarred past. She was a baby when she got pregnant with me, a mere year and 5 months after the abduction. After everything that she'd been through up until that point a baby was the last thing she should have had to focus on. She never got a chance to just take care of her, nor was she ever taught the real meaning of love, or how to nurture. Try as she might, she didn't always succeed, and I'm not going to lie and say we have the best relationship, but I have at least stopped blaming her for things that were obviously beyond her control. And with that acceptance, forth coming has been admiration. As I get older, I can do nothing but admire my mother for her all of her strengths, and even her weaknesses. She absolutely loathes being referred to as a hero, unfortunately there isn't another word to better describe her.
So this is my mission. I'm learning as much as I can, about all of the intricate details, and people involved. I want to know everything in order to more accurately portray the details of this case. And I want to honor my mother, her achievements, and fulfill her dream for a book, one of her very own. Fore if not her, I would not have anyone to aspire strength from. If not for her, I would never know the real meaning on the word ' Survivor.'
Anyone that still reads this, I'm not sure any of you knew my mom's story.. If not, welcome aboard the crazy bus.
For the last 3 weeks I have been absolutely consumed. Let me start from the beginning, I know many times in the past I have referred to my family as completely and utterly dysfunctional.. Here's the beginning, in November 1984, my mother was 17 years old. On her way home from work, pulling a double shift at Krispy Kreme donuts on Waters and Fowler she was abducted off of her bicycle on her way home. The man that abducted her is Robert Joseph Long. Notorious classified ad rapist and serial killer in the early and middle 80's.
Being a victim of sexual abuse and incest for almost her entire life, this was something she was not only familiar with, but something handled with the agility and grace like no other. Once Long got my mother in his vehicle, he blind folded her, immediately made her strip, and perform oral sex on him as he drove her to his apartment on Fletcher. Once at his apartment he sodomized her, however stopped when she told him it hurt. He repeatedly brutally raped her at gun point, all the while she kept her wits about her, manipulating him into thinking he was in control, that he had all of the power, so much so that Long developed a sense of comfort and confidence with her. He took a shower with her, made her a sandwich, allowed her to use the restroom with the door shut. When he fell asleep, and re-awoke to find her still there he felt a sense of trust in her. He referred to her with pet names such as ' Baby,' and even acknowledge a sense of regret that they had met on these terms, had the circumstances been different, he wanted to ' keep' her.
Twenty six hours after abducting my mother, after she promised him she would not go to the police, he let her go. Not without first stopping at an atm machine. While Long was retrieving cash, my mother was able to peak out from the blind fold and identify the type of vehicle she was in, and also local hotel chain close to the bank. Once Long returned to the car, he asked her where she lived. In fear of him coming back, she told him a general location. He drove to the spot, kissed her good-bye, told her to ' Take Care,' and not to take the blind fold off for 5 minutes.
After getting out of the car, she sat there, terrified he would come back, terrified to remove the blind fold, trying feverishly to wrap her mind around why he didn't hurt her.
Wasting no time, she rushed home to alert he relatives as to what happened. At the time she was living with her grandmother, and her grandmother's boyfriend. The boyfriend was an amputee, I believe a diabetic whom lost him legs because of it. He had been sexually abusing my mother for quite some time,and scoffed at the story that she'd been abducted. Even accused her of being a hussie and gone fucking around the past 26 hours.
Frustrated that they would not believe her, she adamantly stuck to her story, and eventually her grandmother had enough compassion to take her to the police station to file a report. The police, were unknowingly getting the break they'd been waiting on for months in a case stretching acorss Hillsborough and Pasco County, with the death toll at 9. All presumably linked, however no viable leads.
At the police station, obviously there was a rape kit conducted, and a sketch artist, as well as investigators to sit down and review the facts.
Although Long never allowed her to remove her blind fold, she was able to distinctively identify characteristics that allowed the sketch artist to compile a shetch that was almost identical to Long. Also, unbenounced to Long, while she was his captive, her instincts thrived. When he let her use the restroom with the door closed, she touched everything in the bathroom in order to leave her finger prints as many places as possible. Also, while Long was sleeping, she ripped her hair barette out of her hair, and threw it under his bed, to leave hair folicle evidence, as well as when they stopped at the atm, my mother being on her period at the time of the abduction, she removed her tampon and threw it under the seat of his car. Pretty amazing things to focus on while you are in such a predictamin. All of this evidence, as well as forensic fiber evidence from all of the victims including my mother linked all of the previous 9 cases together.
Three days after Long abducted my mother and let her go, he abducted one last woman. Unfortunately she was not as fortunate as my mother was. Leaving the count at 10 women dead.
Currently, Long is sitting at Union Correctional Institute, and has been since 1985. He has 2 death sentences, and 34 consecutive life sentences. Almost 24 years, he has been sitting there, awaiting execution.
There are many books that have been published in regards to this case, however none of them any accurate than the other. My mother has literally been an advocate for this case, reaching out to other victims of rape, appearing on almost every national television show, as well as all of the local shows. It is not for fame, not for notoriety. She called it being, ' The Voice of the Unheard.'
He dream show has always been to be invited to the Oprah show. Her ultimate dream has always been for the two of us to write a book together about the case. Again, not for fame or notoriety, not even for a monetary gain. Simply to set the record straight, a form of healing and closure all in itself. This notion has been one I have always accepted, and have gladly put off.
My mother's case is something I have always known about, wasn't something that was ever hidden from me, even as a child. I don't know that I necessarily agree with a child as young as I was finding out and trying to understand complexities such as these, but tis my life.
As I've said before, the notion to write a book is something I've gladly procrastinated on, and rarely thought of. That is until three weeks ago. I was sitting in the hospital with my father and my step mother. My step mother mentioned that on the television the other evening there was mention of a new show doing an episode on the case. So I immediately googled it to see exactly what was going on. Unable to find any information, I turned to the numerous websites I've visited in the past, as well as some new ones. And much to my surprise I was addicted. I was reading information I've read many times in the past, but the urge to learn and know more continued. I literally couldn't get enough. I don't want to know why he did it, for it is impossible to obtain an answer such as that from someone that they themselves don't have the answer to. But my thrist for knowledge on the case is insatiable. Hence, I am in the process of reading and obtaining any and every bit of information I possibly can, from A-Z, face to face interviews, the whole 9 yards. And I'm writing that book.
Something I've wanted to do since I was about 16 years old, is to drive to Raiford, Fl, where Union CI is, and to meet the man behind the madness. I want to sit and talk with him, of course without disclosing my true identity, there is just this yearning to talk to him.
Please don't misunderstand, I am not blaming him for my childhood, yes there are alot of things I have faulted my mother for over the years, and yes I'm sure some of them are directly correlated to Long, but I have come to a point in my life, an acceptance shall we say, that my mother did the best she could with what she could. She herself was in a life long pursuit to soar above a dysfunctional, at best, tattered and scarred past. She was a baby when she got pregnant with me, a mere year and 5 months after the abduction. After everything that she'd been through up until that point a baby was the last thing she should have had to focus on. She never got a chance to just take care of her, nor was she ever taught the real meaning of love, or how to nurture. Try as she might, she didn't always succeed, and I'm not going to lie and say we have the best relationship, but I have at least stopped blaming her for things that were obviously beyond her control. And with that acceptance, forth coming has been admiration. As I get older, I can do nothing but admire my mother for her all of her strengths, and even her weaknesses. She absolutely loathes being referred to as a hero, unfortunately there isn't another word to better describe her.
So this is my mission. I'm learning as much as I can, about all of the intricate details, and people involved. I want to know everything in order to more accurately portray the details of this case. And I want to honor my mother, her achievements, and fulfill her dream for a book, one of her very own. Fore if not her, I would not have anyone to aspire strength from. If not for her, I would never know the real meaning on the word ' Survivor.'