TAMPA, Fla. – Oba Chandler, a man from Florida, was executed after being convicted of three counts of murder in the case of Joan Rogers and her two daughters. The brutal 1989 killings remained a mystery for three years until police identified him as the suspect using a handwriting clue he left behind.
Rogers, along with her daughters aged 17 and 14, were found dead in Tampa Bay, with yellow polypropylene rope tying them to concrete blocks by their necks. The victims were submerged for 50 to 60 hours, making it difficult to determine if they had been raped.
Chandler was finally charged with the murders after a woman who had contracted him recognized his handwriting on a police billboard. The case was detailed in this week’s Fox True Crime podcast.
Further investigation revealed that Chandler had a history of criminal activities, including rape, robbery, and kidnapping. He evaded the police and maintained his innocence until his execution at the age of 65.
In a surprising turn, Chandler was also connected to another unsolved murder through DNA evidence. The Coral Springs Police Department announced that DNA from a post-mortem rape kit of a 20-year-old woman matched Chandler’s.
The families of the victims had mixed emotions, grateful for some closure but troubled by the painful reminder of the tragedies. The case brought to light the challenges and complexities of solving cold cases, shining a light on the enduring impact of unresolved crimes.