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Oscar Ray Bolin - Photo by MICHAEL SPOONEYBARGER/The Tampa Tribune
By THOMAS W. KRAUSE / The Tampa Tribune and
JEFF PATTERSON / News Channel 8
TAMPA - Oscar Ray Bolin, 44, has been found guilty of murder in the first degree for the 1986 killing of Stephanie Collins.
Two previous convictions and death sentences for Bolin were reversed on appeal.
Bolin waived the jury recommendation portion of the penalty phase in his case, meaning it is up to the judge to decide if he gets life or death.
In the state of Florida, typically after any death penalty case, the jury hears more evidence and makes recommendation to judge of life in prison or the death penalty. The defendant can waive that portion in which case, the evidence would be presented directly to the judge and the judge would make the decision without hearing from the jury.
Closing arguments concluded this morning.
Assistant State Attorney Mike Halkitis offered a surprise in his closing argument. He reached into Collins’ purse and pulled out a folded yellow piece of paper. Written on the back was the name “Ray” followed by a series of letters and numbers. The numbers, Halkitis said, corresponded with Bolin’s license plate number.
It was the first time in the 20-year case that information was made public. Halkitis told the jury that the note proved Bolin, whose nickname was Ray, had some contact with Collins before her abduction.
Halkitis suggested to the jury that Bolin may have been stalking Collins or that the two had been in a minor fender bender and she wrote down his name and license number in the days before her abduction.
Bolin’s attorney, David Parry, who was surprised by the information, told the jury that no witnesses said the note was in the purse and no one could say for sure where it came from. He also questioned why law enforcement never found it or never ran the tag number.
“Before today, no one did anything about it,” he said.
In fairness to family, the ones who suffer most during the long appeal process, it should not have to take twenty years to reach decision about guilt,innocence, and a fair trial.
I feel badly for the mothers of the young victims. Oscar Bolin is a depraved killer and not worthy of further attention by the justice system, the media or any other vehicle in which his name can haunt the survivors of his victims.
A conviction, with a sentence of life in prison, with no possibility of parole, would have ended this horrible situation 17 years ago.
I just wish to point out, he would be relegated to some unpleasant cell in state prison, a enigma to normal society, had it not been for the automatic appeals which come with a death sentence.
I pray each brave mother finds peace now that a decision on guilt has been reached. I hope for everyone’s sake the judge uses good sense and gives him a life sentence, no parole, so we can put a final ending to the sordid notoriety of Oscar Bolin.
You shouldn’t get caught up in the political debate over this guy. This conviction shows our justice system does work. Maybe the family and all those involved will finally have closure with justice finally being served. Anyone can throw comments around when you haven’t beem affected. Until you’re a Victim and have to look this guy in the eye’s, its very easily be critical of others.
Who cares about anything other than the fact that this creep was found guilty AGAIN. He should have been put to death long ago. I was a freshman in High school when this happened, getting ready to attend Chamberlain, and he freaked out the entire community. He killed a beautiful, wonderful young woman and he needs to pay for what he did. He deserves to die and without dignity. He let Stephanie die with no dignity so why should he get anything more than what he gave her.
Why have we wasted tax monies on this character? Does he have friends in high places which has allowed him to have not one but two verdicts in the same case overturned? Now we have had to try him for the third time for the same crime. Disgusting and a complete waste of tax payer monies. Our judicial system needs to be revamped to one trial, one verdict and one appeal if any. When are we ever going to grow up and get some common sense?
How DARE you people to turn this trial into a political debate. This is about justice being served to a man who savagely murdered a beautiful, intelligent and promising young woman. Also, a very good friend.
Regardless of how any of you feel about the justice system’s “organization”, it worked. Three times. And let us not forget (most importantly) that Oscar Ray Bolin’s judgement in the Florida court system is nothing to what he’ll be faced with when his life ends. The most beautiful part? God doesn’t grant appeals.
Respectfully, there is a time and an appropriate place for political discussion. This is not it. At least not now. Let it scab first, folks.
Your comments are right on Lynda! I did just that with my absentee ballot. Hope more do the same.
Lynda,
WHY do people like you even take the time to write? WHY don’t you do your research? YES, this man is arrogant and disgusting. But, to lump together judges and this man? Ridiculous. At least one of his convicitions was overturned UNANIMOUSLY by the Florida Supreme Court. I guess they all were liberals? Or were they just judges doing an impartial job of holding up the law? Keep your ill informed stereotypes to yourself. It would be interesting if you view other segments of society with the same stereotype you give to “liberal” judges. How do you even know how many “liberal” judges voted for overturning his convictions versus “conservative” judges? GET IT RIGHT PLEASE.
For an individual to blame “Liberal Judges” for the appeals process is both ignorant and childish.
We have aspects of our justice system in place to protect BOTH the public AND those involved with cases. If anyone should be ‘blamed’ for this whole bit.. it should be those in charge of evidence and the individuals who broke procedure and court rules which served as the BASIS for the decision to OVERTURN the convictions.
This monster got additional trials because someone didn’t do their job properly.
The reversals of his sentences have absolutely nothing to do with the upcoming elections.
I remember when this monster was doing all this...WHY is he even getting another trial? WHY isn’t he just dead yet???
We have the chance to change things next week, get out there and vote...replace some of these liberal judges who are just taking up space & air sitting on the bench...if they can’t do their job and put monsters like this off the face of the earth...then we can by voting next week…
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Posted by Civia Katz, Pennsylvania on 01/03 at 04:30 PM
Life in prison without the possibility of parole is not possible with Oscar Bolin. During the time that he committed the crimes all criminals were granted parole hearings, there was no such thing as life without the possibility of parole. If he was granted three life sentences today for each of the murders he committed, he would fall under the rules in place at the time the murders were committed and be eligible for parole. In fact he would probably be in parole hearings already. Do you really want this killer out? There is no guarantee that if he was up for parole that he would not get out. It would require us, as family members to be advised of every parole hearing and to be present to make sure he is not granted parole and get out and kill your sisters or daughters or you for that matter. We are going through all of this to make sure that he doesnt’ get a chance to kill your family, he alredy got ours.