Here is my list of Florida's post Furman execution roster that I wrote for my personal death penalty project. To be clear, the dates given here are a loose timeframe of an offender's first known criminal activities (including misdemeanors and delinquent activities) to their executions, and not at all their years on death row. In a large number of death penalty cases, the offenders were committing high level felonies, even other murders in extreme cases like Ted Bundy, well before the murders that condemned them. I wanted to encapsulate the earlier known or suspected offenses in order to express the scope and scale of their crimes.
As a warning, due how the death penalty is utilized in the United States, many of the surveyed crimes are extremely graphic by nature. Please read at your own risk. On a different note, Florida is the last currently completed list. I'm still working on Texas, and as of now finished 484 entries out of the state's 587 cases to date.
As with my lists for Missouri, Virginia, and Oklahoma, reddit's character limitations forced me to split Florida's roster into two parts. Here is the link to part 2.
The currently 105 executed offenders, cases 1 to 52:
1. John Spenkelink (~1972-1979, electric chair): While on the run after escaping from a Californian prison, Spenkelink picked up 45 year old Joseph Szymankiewicz while he was hitchhiking. Like Spenkelink, Szymankiewicz was a career criminal, and had a conviction for murdering a owner of a furniture store during a robbery. They went on a nationwide crime spree together, but Spenkelink shot Szymankiewicz and disemboweled him with a hatchet while he was asleep in a hotel room. He claimed that the killing was done to protect himself from a sexual assault and being forced to play Russian Roulette, but this was rejected by the courts. Spenkelink had several previous convictions of armed robberies, some of which he was serving when he escaped from California.
2. Robert Sullivan (1973-1983, electric chair): Sullivan and his accomplice abducted 38 year old Donald Schmidt from a Howard Johnson's he managed. They bound Schmidt's hands behind his back, and drove him to a remote swamp in the Everglades. He was beaten with a tire iron and shot four times in the head. The pair then took Schmdit's watch and his credit cards from his body.
3. Anthony Antone (~1970s-1984, electric chair): Antone, a high ranking mobster, was hired by a crime boss to arrange the murder of Richard Cloud, a 33 year old private detective. He arranged for two of his associates to gun down Cloud on his own front porch. Although he wasn't directly present at the crime itself, Antone bore the harshest penalties due to his employer and one of his triggermen committing suicide in custody and the surviving triggerman agreeing to testify against him.
4. Arthur Goode III (~1960s-1984, electric chair): Goode lured 9 year old Jason VerDow into a forest, and raped and strangled him to death. The next day, he abducted Billy Arthe, a 10 year old Guatemalan immigrant, and took him on a journey to Washington D.C. On their way through Virginia, Goode kidnapped 11 year old Kenny Dawson. Both boys were sexually abused, and he strangled Dawson to death with a belt in front of Arthe. Arthe was rescued when a passing woman recognized him from the news coverages. Good was notorious for being a shameless pedophile who openly flaunted and defended his predations of young boys to any listening ears. When he acted as his own attorney during the proceedings for VerDow's murder, Goode's defense entirely hinged on pedophila apologetics and advocacy. He started victimizing younger boys in his early teens, and dealt with several accusations of sexual assault throughout high school. His execution was somewhat controversial, as Goode was cognitively disabled and had the mentality of a young child.
5. James Adams (~1962-1984, electric chair): During a burglary of a ranch, Adams beat the owner, 61 year old Edgar Brown, to death with a firepoker stick. Several of the undisclosed items Adams stole in the robbery were discovered in his wife's car. Prior to the murder, Adams had a rape conviction that gave him a 99 year sentence, but he managed to escape from prison.
6. Carl Shriner (~1962-1984, electric chair): Shriner shot and killed Judith Carter, a 32 year old clerk, while robbing a convenience store. He was involved with petty crimes since he was 8 years old, and Shriner was on parole for armed robbery at the time of the murder.
7. David Washington (1976-1984, electric chair): Washington started his crime spree by fatally stabbing a minister, 69 year old Daniel Pridgen, during a robbery of his home. A few days later, he broke into a home that had 64 year old Katrina Birk and her 3 sister in laws inside. He tied up all four women, and stabbed and shot them. Birk was killed, but her sister in laws survived with crippling injuries. The day after Birk's murder, Washington and his accomplices kidnapped 20 year old Frank Meli from a university, tied him to a bed, and tried extorting a ransom from his family. When that failed, he stabbed his captive to death. In his 10 day long murder and robbery spree, Washington stole jewelry, a car, an undisclosed amount of some money from Pridgen, and $8 from Birk and her sister in laws.
8. Ernest Dobbert Jr. (1972-1984, electric chair): Dobbert routinely tortured his children with beatings, poking their eyes with his fingers, dunking their heads in bathtubs, and burnings with cigarette lighters. Two of them, 9 year old Kelly and 7 year old Ryder, were strangled to death during one of his daily beatings and torture sessions.
9. James Henry (~1965-1984, electric chair): Henry invaded the home of Zellie Riley, a 81 year old Civil Rights activist. He tied up and gagged Riley, slit his throat with a razor blade, and stole $64. A few days later, Henry shot and wounded detective Ronald Ferguson in a confrontation. He previously shot and injured a man in one incident and non fatally stabbed a man in another, and alleged in both cases that the circumstances were self defense. However, the apparent victims made identical claims that Henry was trying to rob them.
10. Timothy Palmes (1976-1984, electric chair): Palmes used his girlfriend to lure her employer, a 41 year old furniture store owner named James Stone, to her apartment and knocked him unconscious with a hammer. Palmes and his other accomplice, Ronald Straight, bound him with wire and locked Stone in a wooden box they specifically made for him. They tortured their captive by slowly cutting his fingers off, and stabbed him 18 times with a machete and knife. The trio dumped Stone's body (which was still trapped in the box) into a river and stole his watch, car, and $2,800 from his store. Palmes tried to blame the killing entirely on his girlfriend, but she was granted immunity in exchange for testifying against him and Straight.
11. James Raulerson (1975-1985, electric chair): Raulerson and his accomplice robbed a restaurant at gunpoint, and raped one of the female employees. When the responding officers arrived at the scene, the pair engaged in a shootout with them. Both Raulerson's accomplice and a policeman, 23 year old Michael Stewart, were killed in the skirmish.
12. Johnny Witt (1973-1985, electric chair): Witt and his accomplice frequently stalked random people they could in the woods, as they were thrilled by the prospect of hunting other human beings. On a whim, the pair ambushed 11 year old Jonathan Kushner while he was riding his bike. They incapacitated Kushner by hitting him in the head with a drill star bit and gagged him. After they tossed him in the back of their truck, Kushner suffocated on the gag. Witt and his accomplice then cut the boy's stomach open to prevent bloating, engaged in intercourse with his body, and buried Kushner in a shallow grave.
13. Marvin Francois (1977-1985, electric chair): During what is now called the "Carol City massacre", Francois and two other men, Beauford White and John Ferguson, forced their way into a drug house. They tied up the 8 men and women inside (who were all between 24-45 years old), and shot them all in the head. Only two of the victims, 45 year old Johnnie Hall and 24 year old Margaret Wooden, survived. A total of $800 was stolen in the attack. Accomplice Ferguson (who was executed in 2013) also committed a series of unrelated murders that Francois wasn't involved with. These crimes are discussed in depth under Ferguson’s section (case 78) in Part 2 of this list.
14. Daniel Thomas (1976-1986, electric chair): Thomas and his accomplices, dubbed the "Ski Mask Gang" by the media, went on a rampage that involved the burglaries of 16 homes and the rapes of 5 women. The husband of one of those women, 49 year old Charles Anderson, was shot dead in an attempt to protect her. Other murders attributed to the Gas Mask Gang include 20 year old Henry Kersey (shot to death while trying to defend his wife, who was then tossed off a bridge) and 70 year old Tessie Henderson (succumbed to injuries received in a beating). Another woman was blinded after members of the Ski Mask Gang poured liquid plumber into her eyes.
15. David Funchess (1973-1986, electric chair): Fuchess was fired from a liquor store due to the owners suspecting him of stealing money. A year later, he assaulted his former workplace with a knife. He stabbed two employees, 62 year old Bertha McLeod and 52 year old Anna Waldrop, and a customer, 56 year old Clayton Ragan. Waldrop and Ragan were killed at the scene, while McLeod died from complications relating to her injuries two years after the attack. Fuchess left the store with several canceled checks that total around $6,000. He had several misdemeanors and minor felonies on his previous record that included theft, loitering, obstructing traffic, public intoxication, and disturbing the peace. Fuchess also attracted some public sympathy due to him being a Vietnam combat veteran that was diagnosed with PTSD.
16. John Straight (1976-1986, electric chair): As mentioned in Timothy Palmes' section, Straight took part in the torture murder of David Stone, and the robbery of his furniture store.
17. Beauford White (~1963-1987, electric chair): White was another participant in the "Carol City massacre" that the previously mentioned Marvin Francois was involved in. He had a lengthy criminal history dating back to the 1960s, and one of his past convictions was related to an attempted rape.
18. Willie Darden (~1970s-1988, electric chair): Darden was convicted of the shooting death of 54 year old James Turman and the non fatal shooting of a 16 year old neighbor while robbing Turman's Furniture Store. Turman's wife was also raped in the robbery. Some supporters had citied that he was tried by an all white jury, and used it to push a narrative that Darden, a black man, was condemned out of racism. He had several previous convictions, which included assault, forgery, theft, and the attempted rape of a 70 year old woman. Darden was on furlough for the latter conviction during the time of Turman's murder.
19. Jeffrey Daugherty (1976-1988, electric chair): While on a road trip with his uncle and girlfriend, Daugherty murdered at least 4 women and one man, 68 year old Carmen Abrams, 50 year old Betty Campbell, 49 year old Lavonne Sailer, 28 year old Elizabeth Shank, and 18 year old George Karns. The victims were slain through either shootings or stabbings at grocery stores, gas stations, and restaurants they worked at, but Sailer was attacked while hitchhiking. Daugherty mostly murdered for personal enjoyment, but he often stole coins, clothes, and watches from the victims.
20. Theodore Bundy (~1970s(?)-1989, electric chair): Across multiple states, Bundy kidnapped, raped, and murdered a bare minimum of ~20-36 females between the ages of 12-26. Although his true body count is uncertain and heavily disputed, most experts agree that it well exceeds official estimates. Bundy's abduction tactics were diverse, and ranged from grabbing targets by force, pretending to be a cripple in need of help, posing as emergency workers, seduction, and luring them in through hitchhiking. On some occasions, Bundy broke into the residences of victims, and assaulted them in their bedrooms. After an abduction, the victims were bound with handcuffs, raped while they were alive, and he engaged in acts of necrophila with their bodies. Most of his killing methods were strangulations with cords or beatings with tire irons and other blunt instruments. Several victims were also decapitated, and he kept their heads as trophies. Bundy disposed of corpses by dumping them in deserts, mountains, swamps, and other remote wilderness environments accessible to him.
21. Aubrey Adams Jr. (1978-1989, electric chair): Adams lured 8 year old Trisa Thomley into his car by offering her a ride home from school. He tied the girl up and dragged her to a remote forest. She was then raped and suffocated with a plastic bag.
22. Jesse Tafero (~1960s-1990, electric chair): A pair of patrolmen, 39 year old Phillip Black and 39 year old Donald Irwin (who was also a Canadian constable), found Tafero sleeping in his car with his wife, their children (which consisted of a 9 year old son and a 10 month old daughter), and a friend. What exactly occurred next is heavily disputed, but Tafero or his friend shot both officers dead, after they noticed a gun on the dashboard and asked the group to climb out. The group then fled in a police car, disposed of it, and kidnapped a man to carjack him. Tafero's execution was controversial, as his head caught on fire during the electrocution, and his supporters cited evidence of his friend (who was sentenced to life, but was released in 1994 on good behavior) being the triggerman in the shootings. He also had a long history of armed robbery, rape, and sodomy. Tafero's wife was initially condemned for the murder, but her sentence was reduced to 25 years to life on appeal in 1981, and was released with an Alford Plea in 1992.
23. Anthony Bertolotti (1983-1990, electric chair): Bertolotti enticed 46 year old Carol Ward into his home with the promise of helping her make a phone call. He held Ward at knife point, demanded money, and raped her. She was stabbed to death during the assault, and Bertolotti drove away with her car. In the trial, Bertolotti alleged that Ward offered him sex in exchange for stopping the robbery, and used it to claim that his angry girlfriend made him kill her for it.
24. James Hamblen (1984-1990, electric chair): Hamblen shot and killed 34 year old Laureen Edwards during a robbery of her store. Despite forcing Edwards to disrobe, Hamblen left he unmolested. He then fled to Texas and quickly started a relationship with 20 year old Debbie Abbott. A month later, Hamblen shot Abbott dead during a heated argument.
25. Raymond Clark (~1964-1990, electric chair): In 1964, Clark beat Marshell Taylor, his landlord's 14 year old son that he groomed and abused, to death with a pipe. After his parole at an undisclosed date in the 70s, Clark groomed another 14 year old boy into an illicit relationship. He recruited him in the abduction of David Drake, a 49 year scrap dealer. With the boy's help, he kidnapped their victim at gunpoint with the intentions of ransoming him back to his family. The pair forced Drake to write them a $5,000 check, and shot him in the head. When he wasn't able to cash in the check, Clark dropped his accomplice off at his home to avoid being charged with the boy's kidnapping, fled to California, and tried to trick Drake's family into paying his ransom. However, a series of calls was traced to his accomplice, and he implicated Clark to the police.
26. Roy Harich (1981-1991, electric chair): Harich kidnapped two teenage girls, 18 year old Carlene Kelly and 17 year old Deborah Miller, after luring them into his van from a beach. The pair were then both sexually assaulted. He shot Kelly dead, slit Miller's throat, and dumped them on a highway. Miller survived the attack and dragged herself to safety.
27. Bobby Francis (~1970s-1991, electric chair): Suspecting him of being a police informant against his drug trafficking enterprise, Francis abducted 35 year old Titus Walters. He tied him up and forcibly injected drano and battery acid into his body for a span of two hours. Despite Walters' pleas for his life, Francis shot him in the head and heart.
28. Nollie Martin (1977-1992, electric chair): Martin and his accomplice robbed a convenience store at knifepoint, stole $90, and kidnapped the clerk, 19 year old Patricia Greenfield. She was then raped and stabbed to death by her captors.
29. Edward Kennedy (~1977-1992, electric chair): In 1977, Kennedy and some partners shot and killed 33 year old Robert Brown, during a robbery of a motel. He was given a life sentence for the murder. Four years later, Kennedy escaped from prison. While on the run, he broke into a house in hopes of stealing money and guns. The homeowner, 32 year old Floyd Cone Jr. returned home with his cousin, 35 year old Robert McDermon (who worked as a state trooper), and unwittingly intercepted Kennedy. He shot them both dead, fled to a neighboring home, and took a 21 year old woman and her 4 month old son hostage. After a hour long standoff, Kennedy released his captives and surrendered himself to the police.
30. Robert Henderson (~1964-1998, electric chair): In December of 1982, Henderson went on a month long rampage across 6 states. He raped, robbed, and murdered a total of 12 people between the ages of 11-79 through shootings. Three of the victims where his wife's parents, 61 year old Ivan and 57 year old Marie Barnett, and her 11 year old brother Clifford. A few other victims were women, like 50 year old Dorothy Wilkinson, 37 year old Cheryl McDonald, 30 year old Jerilyn Stanfield, and 21 year old Lucinda Russell, that were kidnapped from their workplaces and homes and raped. A couple more were men, such as 79 year old Murray Ferderbe and 61 year old Sam Corrent, that he killed while robbing their homes and businesses. Henderson's last remaining murders were a trio of hitchhikers, 27 year old Vernon Odom, 23 year old Frances Dickey, and 18 year old Robert Dawson, that he killed together. Last but not least, Henderson bound an unidentified woman and her 12 year old daughter at gunpoint during a break in of their home. After Henderson raped the mother, he tried to do the same to her daughter. The mother then broke free from her restraints, and chased him away from her home. Contemporary media reports noted that the mother "fought harder for her daughter then she did for herself." Henderson had prior convictions of growing marijuana, assaulting officers, and stealing license plates.
31. Larry Johnson (1979-1993, electric chair): During the robbery of a gas station, Johnson shot and killed the clerk, 67 year old James Hadden. Like David Funchess, Johnson enjoyed a considerable amount of public sympathy due to him being a combat veteran of the Vietnam War.
32. Michael Durocher (1983-1993, electric chair): In 1983, Durocher made an agreement with his girlfriend, 31 year old Grace Reed, to conduct a murder-suicide pact involving her 5 year old daughter Candace and their 6 month old son Joshua. Although he shot and stabbed them all to death, Durocher backed out of his end of the pact. He later shot dead 27 year old Thomas Underwood while robbing a decorating story in 1986, and beat his roommate, 38 year old Edward Childers, to death during an argument in 1988.
33. Roy Stewart (1978-1994, electric chair): 77 year old Margaret Haizlip invited Stewart into her home. When she caught Stewart stealing a gold watch from her medicine drawer, Haizlip tried to evict him. In the confrontation, Stewart raped and strangled her to death with an electrical cord. Her body was found with 8 broken ribs, a fractured larynx, bite marks on her thighs and breasts, several contusions, and a torn vagina.
34. Bernard Bolender (~1970s-1995, electric chair): In a drug deal gone wrong, Bolender and two accomplices abducted their dealers, 39 year old John Merino, 38 year old Rudy Ayan, 33 year old Nicomedes Hernandez, and 25 year old Scott Bennett, at gunpoint, and robbed them of their jewelry. All four men were beaten with baseball bats, stabbed, and burned with heated knifes to extort an additional source of cocaine from them. Most of the hostages died in the 2 hour long torture session, but Merino was still alive when Bolender burned him and the other hostages' bodies in a car. Although most of his criminal history is murky, Bolender was heavily involved in the drug trade during the 1970s at the bare minimum.
35. Jerry White (~1962-1995, electric chair): White robbed a grocery store, and held the owner, 53 year old Alex Alexander, and a trio of customers (which consisted of 34 year old James Melson, an unidentified man, and the man's 12 year old daughter) at gunpoint. He shot and killed Melson, wounded Alexander, and tried forcing the father and daughter into a freezer. When the pair refused, White tried to shot them, but his gun misfired. The man and his daughter were able to flee with their lives and called the police, while White ran off with $338. White had 9 previous convictions, which included attempted murder, armed robbery, theft, and burglary, and was first arrested at the age of 14.
36. Phillip Atkins (1981-1995, electric chair): Atkins kidnapped 6 year old Antonio Castillo and molested him in a forest. When Castillo threatened to tell his parents about the abuse, Atkins bludgeoned him to death with a pipe.
37. John Bush (~1970s-1996, electric chair): Bush and three other men kidnapped 18 year old Frances Slater from a gas station she worked as a clerk at. They stabbed her to death and stole $100 from the register. Slater's murder attracted national attention due to her being the granddaughter and heiress of renowned singer Frances Langford and the outboard motor mongrel Ralph Evinrude. Bush's previous convictions include rape and robbery.
38. John Mills Jr. (1982-1996, electric chair): Mills and his accomplice tied up and abducted 30 year old Les Lawhon after ransacking his trailer for any valuables. They took him to a nearby abandoned airport to hideout. Lawhon then was beaten with a tire iron and shot in the head execution style.
39. Pedro Medina (1982-1997, electric chair): Medina tied up and gagged 52 year old Dorothy James in her home. He stabbed her to death and stole her car, which he was captured sleeping in by investigating police officers. His execution was a source of controversy, as Medina's head burst into flames as he was electrocuted on the chair. Medina's case and similar incidents led to Florida gradually phasing out of the electric chair in favor of lethal injection.
40. Gerald Stano (~1960s-1998, electric chair): Stano was convicted of murdering 22 women and girls between the ages of 12-35, though he admitted to 41, and is suspected of a total of 88 killings. His victims were all lured with promises of rides, payment for sexual favors, or abducted through force. The methods he used were diverse, and included drownings, shootings, stabbings, and strangulations. Most of the sources noted that none of his victims were raped, and that Stano seemed to have murdered out of an enjoyment for killing. As a child, Stano was charged with fasley pulling fire alarms at school and throwing rocks at cars. He was also fired for stealing from coworkers in one of his jobs.
41. Leo Jones (1981-1998, electric chair): Supposedly out of revenge for being brutalized by policemen, Jones was convicted of killing Thomas Szafranski, a 28 year old officer, in a sniper attack. Szafranski was driving his patrol car when he was ambushed and murdered. His execution was contested, as Jones claimed that he was coerced into confessing by investigators through beatings, and one of the apparent witnesses allegedly recounted his testimony.
42. Judy Buenoano (~1957-1998, electric chair): Over the course of 11 years, Buenoano poisoned her husband, 32 year old James Goodyear, her son, 19 year old Michael, and her boyfriend, 39 year old Bobby Morris with arsenic to collect their life insurance policies. She also made an attempt to poison another boyfriend after he was injured in a suspicious explosion, but was foiled by a police investigation. As a young girl, Buenoano assaulted her father, stepmother, and stepbrothers, and served a two month sentence for it.
43. Daniel Remeta (1985-1998, electric chair): Remeta and his accomplices shot and killed 5 people, 60 year old Mehrle Reeder, 55 year old Glenn Moore, 42 year old Linda Marvin, 29 year old John Schroeder, and 27 year old Larry McFarland, across Kansas, Arkansas, and Florida. The victims were all murdered in convenience store, restaurant, and gas station robberies.
44. Allen Davis (~1970s-1999, electric chair): Davis broke into a home with the intentions of raping 9 year old Kristina Weiler. Although no sexual assault occurred, Davis tied Kristina up and shot her in the head. He also struck her pregnant mother, 37 year old Nancy, 25 times on her head and face with his pistol, and left the body "bruised beyond recognition." When Kristina's sister, 5 year old Katherine, tried to escape, Davis shot and bludgeoned her to death. He then sacked the home for any belongings. Davis was a long time felon, and had several previous convictions of burglary, child molestation, and involuntary manslaughter. His execution caused significant controversy, as his nose bled all over his body during the fatal shocks, and he suffered burns to his legs, head, and groin. The backlash, combined with other botched incidents like Pedroa Medina and Jesse Tafero, resulted in Florida replacing the electric chair with lethal injection.
45. Terry Sims (1977-2000, lethal injection): George Pfeil, a 57 year old deputy and WW2 veteran, walked into a pharmacy that Sims and his 3 accomplices were robbing, to pick up a prescription. Upon seeing what was happening, Pfeil pulled out his gun and engaged the robbers, but was killed by them in the shootout. Although Sims was injured, he managed to escape the scene, and was captured a month later while trying to carry out another robbery in California.
46. Anthony Bryan (1983-2000, lethal injection): Bryan and his accomplice kidnapped a night watchman, 60 year old George Wilson, and used his keys to rob a bank he guarded. They drove Wilson to a remote forest and shot him in the head. The pair dumped his body in a creek and drove their car into a lake to destroy any evidence.
47. Bennie Demps (~1971-2000, lethal injection): Demps received his first death sentence in 1971 when he shot and killed a real estate agent, 54 year old Robert Brinkworth, and his client, 64 year old Celia Puhlick, while the victims were trying to engage in a house sale. He also wounded Celia's husband, 62 year old Nicholas, and stole a safe from the house. However, his first death sentence was lifted from the brief nationwide capital punishment ban from the Furman decision. Two years after his first death sentence was commuted, Demps was given a second death sentence when he fatally stabbed another inmate, 23 year old Alfred Sturgis, on the behalf of the Perjury Incorporated prison gang. Sturgis was in prison for murder, and he was targeted due to Perjury Incorporated's suspicions of him of being an informant.
48. Thomas Provenzano (1984-2000, lethal injection): In retaliation for being charged for disorderly conduct months earlier, Provenzano stormed a courthouse, and shot and killed Arnold Wilkerson, a 60 year old deputy that was a veteran of WW2, Korea, and Vietnam, on the scene. Two more policemen, 53 year old Harry Dalton Jr. and 19 year old Mark Parker, were also hit by gunfire, and they both died from complications relating to their injuries years after the attack.
49. Dan Hauser (1995-2000, lethal injection): Out of a desire to kill somebody, Huser enticed a stripper, 21 year old Melanie Rodrigues, into a motel room with the promise of payment for sexual services. After they had intercourse, he strangled her to death. Hauser was also caught stealing a truck months before the murder.
50. Edward Castro (1986-2000, lethal injection): Castro lured three homosexual men, 57 year old Austin Scott, 50 year old George Hill, and 46 year old Claude Henderson, from gay bars. The victims were all tied up and stabbed to death in their homes. After each killing, Castro left with valuables such as cars, watches, rings, money, and wallets.
51. Robert Glock II (1983-2001, lethal injection): Glock kidnapped 34 year old Sharilyn Ritchie from a mall parking lot and forced her to withdraw $100 from an ATM. He then drove Ritchie to a forest 60 miles away and shot her in the head. Ritchie's wedding ring and purse was also stolen in the attack.
52. Rigoberto Sanchez-Velasco (1986-2002, lethal injection): Sanchez-Velasco raped and fatally strangled Katixa Ecenarro, his girlfriend's 11 year old daughter. While awaiting execution for Ecenarro's murder, Sanchez-Velasco got into a fight with fellow condemned inmates, 41 year old Charles Street and 30 year old Edwin Kaprat, and stabbed them both to death. Kaprat received a death sentence for the sexual abuse and torture-killings of 4 elderly women, while Street was sentenced to death for the shooting murders of two police officers.

I grew up in a small rural ski town where I was one of the poorest kids in my elementary school. My mom had just moved my brother and me away from my dad and we were struggling, we lived in motels for a bit and crashed at some of her friends' houses before moving into a cheap basement suit with two bedrooms, my brother got his own while I shared a room with my mom. There was only one twin-sized bed so she would usually sleep on our armchair in the living room so I could have the bed. She worked two jobs at a grocery and convenience store while putting herself through night school in the town over. We didn't have much money for food so my school lunches were always one item, usually some form of squash or a Ziploc of lentils. Being in a mountain town in Canada you can imagine how cold it was in the winter; we didn't have a car so my brother and I had to walk to school in freezing temperatures, by the time we got there I was in tears with a red nose and my hair frozen solid. It took a while for things to get better but they did when my mom got her nursing license and picked up a stable job, eventually, we moved up to middle class and the moment I was old enough to work I wouldn't stop. I saved almost everything I made from the age of thirteen. My brother joined the military and I focused on school and sports so I could get into college which I'm glad to say I successfully did. I moved to the city for school and everything was so different, all of the friends I made came from ridiculously rich families and went out almost every night since they had the money to spend on drinks and clubs. I'm in engineering while the majority of my friends are in some form of the arts, we got along because I'm a bookworm. I was speaking with one of them who I'll call Shannon, she's in screenwriting and cinematography in the hopes of becoming a director. She mentioned to me that she wants to make her student film centred around poverty and the working class to shine a light on it. During this discussion, The Florida Project (a great movie) was brought up, I told her that I related heavily to that movie and she kind of huffed a laugh and then said "What? Did you live in a motel or something?" To which I answered "Yes," With a straight face. I could tell that Shannon felt bad since she clearly didn't know how I was brought up since it isn't something I tend to slip into casual conversation. Shannon asked more questions about my childhood and what it was like to live in poverty, we left the topic alone after that day but two weeks later she came to me with her screenplay and asked me to read it. I was appalled to say the very least. She had taken my very personal stories and turned them into an extra shitty episode of Euphoria. Everything I had told her had been put into her script but not as I told them, the main character went through these things and was unphased by everything that happened, disappointed in her mother for not doing enough and fighting with her evil drug addict brother. I wanted to cry, specifically at the depiction she had turned my family into, my hard-working and loving mother was written off to just be a slacker when in reality she was doing absolutely everything she could to give both me and my brother a good life and then my straight edge military brother was turned into the scum of the earth. The depiction of my poverty she wrote had me sick to my stomach, the main character was a sex addict, the mother was an alcoholic, and the brother had a drug addiction as well as abused the main character. I told her that not every person living in poverty was poor because of an addiction or crutch and sometimes it was just an unfortunate circumstance, in our case, it was fleeing from my abusive dad and trying to get on our feet. It also irked me how she had written it to be completely tragic and sad but I was a child for most of it and didn't realize how bad it was; when the power would go out it would be a fun game of lights out for me and my brother, we didn't understand why my mom was so stressed out when we had to stay in hotels, all we knew was that we got to share a bunk bed and go swimming in the indoor pool. I wanted her to understand that we were still regular people when we were impoverished, we were just that, regular people who didn't have much. Shannon seemed embarrassed that I was so upset about what she wrote, it took me fifteen minutes to read the entire thing and we sat in complete silence as I did so, when I reached the last page I was crying. At first, she thought I was crying because I was so moved by her glamourization of addiction and poverty before I told her that I hated it. That was when Shannon began to cry. I had shut down her screenplay as soon as I finished it and I asked why she was crying. She moved on to say "It's loosely based on what you told me, it isn't meant to be you and your family." I wanted to laugh when she said this, even the name of the main character rhymed with mine, she kept the tragic events and cut out the good memories as well as the good nature of my mom and brother, I was livid. I want to tell you about one scene that made me want to strangle her: The family's power went out on the main character's birthday so they lit tea candles to see in the dark, the mother lit a cigarette with one of the candles before calling her daughter a slut and putting it out in her birthday cake- what happened in real life was the power had gone out on my birthday, my mom worked all day and came home with a discounted pride cake since my birthday is in June. My brother and I had lit the tea candles long before my mom came home, she smeared the 'Happy Pride!' text on the cake replaced 'pride' with 'birthday' using Nesquik then used the tea candles to light the candles for my cake. This was the first time I had ever gotten a birthday cake, I was eleven and it's one of my happiest memories to date. I'm realizing this is too long so I'll finish it off, she's proceeding with the student film despite me asking her not to and offering different plots to follow instead. Shannon had blocked my number and I haven't heard from her in a week aside from awkwardly seeing her around campus to which she looks the other direction and ignores me.

Reflecting on 2021, truly marked the zenith of my young career. The pandemic was coming to an end, I was fresh from the hallowed halls of a prestigious but unheralded college, thrust into the corporate labyrinth where, as a mere sidekick to the big shots, I contributed to a deal of record-breaking magnitude. My modest corporate minion life was exaggerated into legend by my professors during an alumni reunion, leading to a rather embarrassing episode where I was paraded around as the poster child of their education career’s success. My parents, not ones to shy away from a bit of pomp, lauded my achievements to anyone within earshot.
But as 2022 unfurled its chaos with the epidemic, my professional life spiralled downwards as swiftly as it had risen. I was laid off, and replaced by a nepotistic hire—my boss's new mistress's nephew. During my dismal final days, my colleagues, once comrades became corporate sharks, whispers of them scheming to claim my last efforts as their own filled the empty office spaces.
Compelled by financial duress to abandon my central city dwelling, I relocated to the outskirts with two college mates, Jaz and Kath, who had similarly found themselves victims of the economic downturn. We settled into apartment 606, a unit with dubious charm, suspiciously affordable on the 13th floor of a dreary building, its corridor haunted by a flickering sensor light that was only designed to function on rare occasions. Yet, the apartment itself was surprisingly very well furnished, almost like something that jumped out from a design mag, out beating sample rooms in Ikea, boasting a spacious balcony, a living room ready for an impromptu soirée, a dining table that’s good enough to hold a banquet(became our co-working space) and a kitchen isle that became our sanctuary and curse.
When we first settled into our new abode, we discovered a trove of fine kitchen utensils, perfect for whipping up sophisticated cuisine and crafting cocktails worthy of a swanky soirée. Tucked away in the fridge, among the remnants of the previous tenants' life, was a quaint note: “The three of us really enjoyed our stay here, especially our meals and nights spent by the kitchen island. We hope you find as much joy in it as we did. Use it well.” With a casual flick of my wrist, I dismissed the note into the garbage can, oblivious to the depth of its seemingly innocuous message. Little did I know, that piece of paper was more a passing of the torch than a simple goodbye.
Our initial days in apartment 606 brimmed with camaraderie and impromptu celebrations: movie nights sprawled on the living room sofas, barbeque dinners under the stars on our balcony, and co-working sessions at the dining table, peppered with resume tweaks and contemplative conversations over cocktails. We even scored a second-hand karaoke machine, allowing me to channel my inner diva—a throwback to my musical theatre days in college and my stint as the voice of corporate presentations and negotiations at my previous job, where I was known for my resonant yet finely tuned voice.
Yet, as the months wore on and the job market remained unyielding, our early merriment slowly surrendered to a creeping anxiety. The kitchen island, once the heart of our home where laughter and shared meals flowed freely, gradually morphed into the epicenter of our collective unease, bearing silent witness to the quiet desperation settling over us.
One evening, in the suspiciously affordable yet stylish apartment, I sank into the sofa, my spirits dampened by my favorite team's disheartening loss. The mood was grim, mirroring my fears of my beloved player's potential retirement at season's end. Later, as we congregated around the kitchen island for dinner, I transformed into an impromptu sports commentator, passionately preaching about the game’s disappointing details that led to failure and my favorite player’s fine qualities. Meanwhile, Jaz updated us on a friend's melodramatic breakup, with guesses that something ugly must have happened behind the scenes. Kath, ever the culinary enthusiast, not only served up her delicious pasta but also dished out the latest celebrity gossip, each tidbit as spicy as her sauce.
The next day, during a late breakfast at the same kitchen island—our unwitting oracle—we were hit by a triple whammy of reality checks. The news of my favorite player's retirement broke, echoing my gloomy predictions from the night before. Jaz chimed in with an update that our friend had uncovered a cheating scandal worthy of its own reality TV special. And Kath, never one to be left out of the drama: her favorite celebrity was now the star of a scandal.
By the third morning, as we sipped our coffee, the newspaper slapped me with another bizarre twist. I was going through the devastating economics and politics sections, then I saw the sports section——featured an irate coach, hell-bent on convincing my favorite player to dismiss retirement plans and keep his jersey on a little longer. Meanwhile, Jaz had good news for a change: it turned out our friend's love story might have a second act after all, as misunderstandings were being cleared up. Amidst these revelations, Kath, who had been grumbling about the nearby supermarket’s inability to stock anything remotely gourmet, and hadn’t had a taste of her favorite Blue Mountain coffee since the beginning of that year, triumphantly found a can of Blue Mountain coffee, and it was on sale and therefore affordable—proof that miracles happen, and sometimes they even go on discount.
As I sat there, absorbing the serendipity of our discussions manifesting into real-world events, I couldn't help but marvel at the mysterious knack of our kitchen island. Was it merely a coincidence, or had this stylish piece of decor become the unlikely conductor of our lives symphony? One thing was certain: life in apartment 606 was never dull, and our kitchen island seemed to be more than just a place to eat—it was a place where, apparently, you could stir the pot of fate.
I decided to conduct a whimsical experiment with our now seemingly magical kitchen island. Clearing my throat theatrically, I declared, "I should be interviewed for a director position." To my sheer astonishment, the next day a headhunter rang me up, claiming I was the ideal candidate for a directorial role at a prestigious corporation in my field. Despite the other candidates possessing decades more experience which defeated me with no effort, and my own lingering self-doubt from months of unemployment, I sailed to the final interview round with the company's executives.
Upon returning to our apartment, I found Kath flaunting a chic dress from a designer brand brand she’d snagged on clearance—a little luxury courtesy of our wish-granting island. Inspired, I approached the island and cheekily requested, "Get us jobs. Something fun." Lo and behold, the following day was spent lounging and binge-watching Netflix, only to be interrupted by a call from a former bigwig at my old job. He was venturing into a more illustrious company and wanted me onboard. The informal chat that followed was a breeze, and just like that, I was back in the game with a fancier title and a fatter paycheck.
The subsequent week was a flurry of celebrations. Jaz secured a senior-level position, and Kath landed her dream job at an influencer management agency. Feeling triumphant, we decided to indulge in a night of fine dining—our first in months. That Friday evening when I went from office to restaurant, on a whim, stopped at a convenience store to grab snacks and cigarettes for our post-dinner revelry. Outside, I encountered a homeless person. After offering him a sandwich (which he traded for a cigarette instead), he took a drag, peered into my eyes, and ominously muttered, “Look, young lady, this isn’t my business, but be wary of what you wish for; everything comes with a price. Good luck and god bless you.”
His words barely registered until later that evening when a mishap occurred that seemed to underline his warning. As we enjoyed syphon coffee post-dinner, a barista accidentally tripped over Kath’s flowing dress. The resulting spill left her with first-degree burns, abruptly ending our night as we rushed to the emergency room. Though it was "just" a first-degree burn, the pain was significant enough to require several days off for Kath’s recovery. Amid the drama, I couldn't help but wonder about the cryptic caution from the man outside the store—had our fortunate streak come with a hidden cost?
We chalked up the coffee calamity to bad luck. The next month flowed smoothly: Kath's fingers healed, she returned to work, and I quickly found my groove at the new job. With all of us gainfully employed, our communal meals at the kitchen island became rare. My mornings were a whirlwind of grabbing breakfast and coffee on the go, followed by an hour's commute to a job that had me scarfing down instant noodles by nightfall, just in time for a quick shower.
As the busy season kicked in, my workload ballooned—not just from the seasonal uptick, but because I was hell-bent on proving my mettle. I quickly outshone most of my peers, and my employer, recognizing a budding overachiever, piled on major tasks, which I eagerly accepted. What started as the occasional hour of overtime soon devoured my weekends. Unpaid overtime, as the fine print in my contract gleefully noted, became my new norm. Driven by a mix of ambition and expectation, I had become the go-to young hotshot, the erstwhile record-breaker now expected to continually outdo myself.
Mentally, I was too swamped to entertain thoughts of anything beyond work, which, in a twisted way, felt like a break. Physically, however, the strain began to show. A bout of flu caught on a business trip escalated into a fever. Sick as I was, deadlines waited for no one, and I soldiered on medicated and miserable. By the time I made it home, my voice had abandoned me. Unable to utter a word the next morning, I resorted to emailing my manager about my sorry state.
That week, robbed of my voice, I mused that it was perhaps a well-deserved hiatus for my overworked vocal cords—a silent retreat if you will. But when my voice did return, it was as a raspy whisper, a shadow of its former crisp and melodious timbre. My doctor offered a grim prognosis: slight improvement might come, but the golden tones were gone for good—scarred by the relentless grind. Ah, the price of ambition—a scratchy throat as a permanent reminder of my corporate conquests.
It seemed I had unwittingly exchanged the clarity of my voice for the tumult of career success. In the midst of our domestic enchantment with the possibly mystical kitchen island, Kath unearthed the contact of a reputed psychic, hailed as the finest in the land. However, the consultation fee was nothing short of princely, and with Jaz vehemently dismissing anything that couldn't be explained by cold, hard science, she promptly opted out of splitting the bill. Kath and I, unwilling to drain our wallets on what could be mere phantasmagoria, reluctantly let the opportunity pass.
Meanwhile, I couldn’t help but notice a curious change in Jaz’s routine. She had ceased dining at the kitchen island, avoiding it as if it were cursed—or perhaps, in her view, simply out of style. The Saturday morning brought a particularly harsh twist: a murder of crows took to spiralling above our balcony, their cries as sharp as the plot of a Poe novel. We found ourselves drawn to the infamous kitchen island, lined up like the cast of a macabre play, silently praying for the birds to disperse. Kath, ever trying to restore some semblance of normalcy, offered up cups of Blue Mountain coffee. She absentmindedly inquired if I wanted cream or sugar in mine—a blunder that made me realize just how long it had been since our last coffee klatch at this very spot. My inner monologue couldn't resist a dark wish for the crows to scatter, perhaps too dark, for they began to dive bomb our balcony in a feathery kamikaze. The spectacle was enough to knock Jaz off her feet—literally—as her mug met its end on the floor. Kath, meanwhile, made a hasty retreat to worship the porcelain god, and I sat frozen, my brain offline, pondering the twisted power of our kitchen island's apparent wish-granting.
After the unnerving spectacle of crows turning our balcony into a scene straight out of a Hitchcock film, our first rational step—post-collective fainting, of course—was to summon cleaners to manage the feathery carnage. Then, still rattled but increasingly curious, we visited a psychic, who, contrary to the crystal-ball-gazer image, operated out of a posh boutique in a high-end mall and dressed more like she was headed to a fashion show than a séance. We laid bare our saga of the seemingly cursed kitchen island, complete with photographic evidence of where domestic bliss meets eerie phenomena.
The psychic introduced a term that chilled the air around us: “limbo,” the threshold between our world and the otherworldly, and she dubbed our kitchen island the "Devil’s Bargain Counter." According to her, our wishes came with a heavy and unpredictable price, because we have accidentally started trades with beings from the netherworld. Her advice was disarmingly simple: cease all trades on the island. To address the repercussions of past wishes, she advised us the first line of defence, which was an eclectic mix of offerings laid out on our cursed countertop: raw meat(rooster works the best), a cocktail of spices(coca and cinnamon preferably), liberal splashes of spirits(whiskey and rum ideally), and an eerie bouquet of black flowers(luckily I found some black roses at a flower shop of the mall). In a grander gesture of appeasement, Kath relinquished her shiny new diamond bracelet, Jaz her absurdly expensive headphones, and I parted with cash—— a hefty slice of my bonus in hopes of placating whatever capricious spirits we'd angered.
Our return to normalcy was brief but sweet, prompting us to plan a getaway, eager to forget about our nefarious kitchen island. Yet, the respite was merely a tease. Jaz, in a stroke of spectacular misfortune, narrowly dodged disaster twice in one day—first nearly becoming subway track fodder on her way back after work, and then almost getting knocked out by a rogue plant at our apartment building’s doorstep. Clearly, our previous offerings were mere appetizers to whatever forces we'd stirred. The psychic, summoned once again to our now-dubious sanctuary, decreed that the spirits had developed rather expensive tastes, unsatisfied by our initial gestures.
In a desperate bid for closure, we had the psychic over for a nighttime ritual, timed perfectly with Earth's closest approach to the netherworld, according to her. Our living room turned into a ritual chamber, with windows blacked out for days, to keep the otherworldly dealings strictly nocturnal. That night, we arranged ourselves around the island, now less a kitchen fixture and more an altar of last resort.
The psychic, amidst a chorus of Latin incantations, directed us through a chilling séance that included a mirror that reflected nothing but darkness and a burning black candle, the three of us sat in a row, joined hands, eyes closed. When the black candle was flickering at its last, the first eerie scratches heard prompted our eyes to open prematurely, we saw a command appear on the island, written by invisible hand and pen, in blood-red script, urging us to find the next "succeeder" before our lease on otherworldly disturbances could be terminated.
With bated breath, we agreed, and as if by magic, our signatures materialized on the countertop, then faded as the candle sputtered out. We tore off the black cardboard taped on the windows at dawn, the sunrise revealed a final message etched into the surface: "Debt cleared." As the daylight grew, the ominous inscription dissolved into nothingness, signalling the end of our spectral saga.
The ordeal, now officially behind us, left us enjoying a semblance of normalcy: life in 606 returned to its mundane rhythm, with dinners and movie nights back on our social calendar. Though not without its scars—literal and figurative.
It’s been two years since then, Jaz, in the throes of romantic bliss, is now gearing up for a new chapter waiting to be written alongside her soon-to-be spouse; Kath, her career finally taking a lucrative turn, was poised to upgrade her living situation, she secured a lease on a lavish serviced apartment in the city center—a place that matched her newfound financial swagger.
I’m not without my own leaps forward. With a modest boost from my parents, I took the plunge into homeownership, snagging a property within the city’s vibrant confines. The process was a whirlwind of paperwork and decorating decisions, culminating in a space I could truly call my own.
As we are packing up now, my last act is to type out our story, at the infamous island, and of course, I left a note in the fridge for the next tenants:
"Welcome to 606. We had a wonderful time here, especially at the kitchen island, filled with joy and unforgettable moments. We hope you find as much happiness as we did. Use the isle well. Warm wishes, the previous tenants."

Am i the only person who tries to replicate a menthol cigarette by pushing a menthol rollie filter into cigarettes with a recessed filter, for example all UK Pall Mall’s, B&H Dual etc Nobody else who smokes (that I know) does this

Live Music

• Jim Lamb, Mill Top Tavern, 12:00 pm – 4:00 pm,
• Smokin' Joe Schauer, Tradewinds Lounge, 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm,
• Reggie Starrett, Mill Top Tavern, 4:30 pm – 8:30 pm,
• Heather Craig, Old Coast Ales, 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm,
• Denny Blue, Fuzion 904 Eatery, 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm,
• Dewey Via, Ann O'Malley's Deli and Pub, 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm,
• Yael Dray and ZaZa Flamenca, St. Augustine Food + Wine Festival 2024, 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm

Wednesday Pier Farmers Market

• The Wednesday Pier Farmers Market at the St. Johns County Pier offers fresh fruit, vegetables, bread, and local arts and crafts every week. With a number of different vendors, visitors can find a variety of unique, quality goods. Each item is handcrafted by these dedicated artists, and the food is locally grown and handpicked.
• This beachside farmers market makes for a great outing on Wednesday morning. Visitors can browse the huge selection of locally produced goods and then afterward take a stroll along scenic St. Augustine Beach. Farmers Markets help the local economy by allowing local merchants to sustain their business and also offer fresh, local foods to the community.
• Admission: FREE
• When: 8:00 am - 12:00 pm every Wednesday
• Where: St. Johns County Pier Park is located at the St. Johns County Ocean Pier at 350 A1A Beach Blvd in St. Augustine Beach.

St. Augustine History Fest Events, 2024

• The St. Augustine History Festival celebrates the "Nation's Oldest City" with activities at historical sites throughout the town.
• Created by the University of Florida, Historic St. Augustine Inc., and the Lastinger Family Foundation, the festival showcases every era of St. Augustine's long and storied past through special events and tours of historic venues. The activities include tours, presentations, book signings, a re-enactment, and a special concert featuring music by Black composers.
• Special Event, Ticketed
• Lincolnville Museum
• What: San Marco Chamber Music Society, "Music by Black Composers."
• Admission: $25.00
• When: May 11, 3:00 to 4:30 p.m.
• Where: 102 Martin Luther King Avenue, St. Augustine, Florida 32084
• Special Events, Free Entry
• These events are listed in date and time order.
• Governor's House Cultural Center and Museum
• What: A new exhibit opens for this History Festival–Pics: Photographs from UFHSA Governor's House Library. The University of Florida Historic St. Augustine (UFHSA) ensures the long-term preservation of the state-owned historic properties in St. Augustine. To create this exhibit, staff members viewed the 28,000 photographs, negatives, and slides in their collection, choosing to display those items that reflect the collaborations among the museum, its collections, and the people who work there.
• This exhibit is in addition to the ongoing exhibit, Painting St. Augustine: Selections from the Samuel H. and Roberta T. Vickers Collection.
• When: The Governor's House will have extended hours from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Wednesday and Thursday, May 8th and 9th.
• The Governor's House will be open during regular hours, from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, May 9 - 12.
• Where: In the lobby gallery at the Governor's House Museum, 48 King Street, St. Augustine, Florida 32084
• Don't Miss: Their main exhibit - Painting St, Augustine: Selections from the Samuel H. and Roberta Vickers Collection
• Colonial Quarter
• What: Watch the PBS documentary, America's Untold Story
• When: May 8 - 10, it will repeat all day.
• Where: Colonial Oak Music Park, 33 St. George Street, St. Augustine, Florida 32084
• Flagler College
• What: Dr. Timothy Johnson discusses "Historic Gardens and Sacred Space." This will include a tour of Flagler's Rotunda and Gardens. (These areas will be closed to the public through August for renovations.)
• When: May 9, 3:00 - 5:30 p.m. From 3:00 to 4:00 p.m. the discussion will held in the Crisp-Ellert Museum and Garden. The group will then move to the Ponce Courtyard Garden, and visit the Rotunda and Inner Space from 4:00 to 4:45 p.m. They will then return to the Crisp-Ellert Musesum and Garden for a reception from 4:45 to 5:30 p.m.
• Where: Flagler College, Crisp Ellert Art Museum, 48 Sevilla Street, St. Augustine, Florida 32084
• Mission Nombre de Dios
• What: Roman A. Alvarez, historian and author from Spain, "100 Years of History: St. Augustine and Aviles Spain." Presented with the City of St. Augustine.
• When: On two days, Thursday, May 9 and Friday, May 10. May 9, 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. May 10, 2:30 to 3:30 p.m.
• Where: In the Pilgrimage Center Meeting Room, 101 San Marco Avenue, St. Augustine, Florida 32084
• National Shrine of Our Lady of la Leche
• What: Dr. Denise Bossy of UNF, "Indigenous Women and the Indigenous Networks Across La Florida." Part 1 of 2 When: May 9, 5:00 p.m. The event starts with light refreshments and wine at 5:00 p.m. — the lecture begins at 5:30 p.m.
• What: Dr. David Sheffler, UNF, "The Camino del Santiago: Pilgrimage Past and Present." Part 2 of 2 When: May 10, 5:00 p.m. The event starts with light refreshments and wine at 5:00 p.m. — the lecture begins at 5:30 p.m.
• Where: In the Pilgrimage Center Meeting Room, 101 San Marco Avenue, St. Augustine, Florida 32084
• Peña-Peck House
• Four presentations under the tent in the garden
• What: Dr. Darien Andreu: "Famous Minorcans, from the Queen of Yap to the Queen of Corn. When: May 9 at 11:00 a.m.
• What: Paul L, Weaver, III, Historic Preservation Consultant: "The Significance of the Historic Peña-Peck House, as a Model for Other Spanish Colonies." When: May 9, 1:00 p.m
• What: Marsha Chance, Curatorial Chair of the Women's Exchange of St. Augustine: "Historic Gardens of Spain and the Peña-Peck House." When: May 10, 1:00 p.m.
• What: Dr. Susan Richbourg Parker, Historian: "...Female Property Owners in Colonial St. Augustine." When: May 10, 3:00 p.m.
• Where: 143 St. George Street, St. Augustine, Florida 32094
• Ribera Garden
• What: "We Are Agriculture." Meet and take photos with a Cracker Cow and a Quarter Horse and learn about the Florida livestock industry, beekeeping, and more.
• When: May 10, 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
• Where: Ribera Garden, 22 St. George Street, St. Augustine, Florida 32084
• Fort Mose
• What: Militia Musket and Cannon demonstration at 12:30. Additional exhibits: African Art Exhibition by Ovico Gallery and African drummers. There will be food trucks on site. When: May 10 and 11, from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
• What: Yamasee Chief Mico Hadjo and representatives from the Yamasee Nation: "Yamasee Culture, Beading, and Artifacts" When: May 10, 2:00 p.m.
• What: Historian Susan Parker, PhD, "Inter-Ethic Collaboration in St. Augustine, 1565 Through the Early 1700s" When: May 11, 2:00 to 2:40 p.m.
• What: Yamasee Chief Mico Hadjo discusses the cooperation between the Yamasee and Africans on the Flight to Freedom When: May 11, 2:45 to 3:00 p.m.
• Where: Fort Mose, 15 Fort Mose Trail, St. Augustine 32084
• St. Augustine Historical Society/Oldest House
• What: Dr. Christine Miller, "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly: Surgical Practices in Spanish Florida."
• When: May 10, 4:00 - 5:00 p.m.
• Where: Oldest House Museum, 14 St. Francis Street, St. Augustine, Florida 32084
• St. Photios Greek Orthodox National Shrine
• What: Cultural Emersion Experiences through Sites and Sounds. A program youth ages eight through 18, that includes learning the Greek alphabet, a Greek folk song, and a Greek folk dance.
• When: May 10, 4:00 to 6:00 p.m.
• Where: 41 St George Street, St. Augustine, Florida 32084
• Florida National Guard Museum
• What: Command Historian Alison Simpson will lead a guided tour of the St. Francis Barracks and grounds.
• When: May 11, 9:00 a.m.
• Where: Florida National Guard Museum, 82 Marine Street, St. Augustine, Florida 32084
• St. Augustine National Cemetery
• What: Dr. Amy Larner Giroux, UCF, "No Longer Unknown: Native American POWs, Civil War soldiers, and Second Seminole War casualties."
• When: May 11, 10:30 - 11:30 a.m.
• Where: St. Augustine National Cemetery, 104 Marine Street, St. Augustine, Florida 32084
• St. George Street, Drake's Raid
• What: Drake's Raid Reenactment. They will march from the Oldest House Museum Complex to the Governor's House to the City Gate, where the reenactment of Drake's Raid will start.
• When: May 11, 7:00 to 9:00 p.m.
• Where: Along St. George Street, between the Governor's House and the City Gate, and on Orange Street at the redoubt.
• First Congregation Sons of Israel
• What: Author Robert Blau who wrote The Oldest City's Oldest Synagogue, will present information and sign his book in honor of the 100th anniversary of this congregation.
• When: May 12, 3:00 to 5:00 p.m.
• Where: First Congregation Sons of Israel, 161 Cordova Street, St. Augustine, Florida 32084
• Historic Attractions—Normal Entry Fees Apply
• Fountain of Youth
• What: What: Regular entry and exhibits, plus experts demonstrate pre-Colombian skills: Carving a new totem, and the preparation of two hides in a manner that shows proper respect.
• When: May 8 -12, 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
• Where: 11 Magnolia Avenue, St. Augustine, Florida 32084
• St Augustine Alligator Farm
• What: Regular entry and exhibits.
• When: May 8 - 12, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
• Where: 999 Anastasia Boulevard, St. Augustine, Florida 32080
• Villa Zorayda
• What: Regular entry and exhibits, plus a new exhibit featuring the Mussallem family's private photos showing Villa Zorayda from the early to mid-1900s.
• When: May 8 - 11, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
• Where: 83 King Street, St. Augustine, Florida 32084
• St. Augustine Historical Society/Oldest House
• What: Regular entry and exhibits, including "The Winter Colony"—An exhibit of Affluent Tourists in St. Augustine during the Gilded Age"
• When: May 8 - 12, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
• Where: 14 St. Francis Street, St. Augustine, Florida 32084
• St. Augustine Lighthouse and Maritime Museum
• What: 15% discount for purchasing tickets on the St. Augustine History Fest's website. In addition to the regular activities and exhibits, there will be a special exhibition: "The Menorcan Experience" which includes net mending, famous Florida recipes, natural fiber weaving activities for children, and a discussion about Menorcan lighthouse keepers.
• When: May 8 - 12, 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
• Where: 100 Red Cox Road, St. Augustine, Florida 32080
• Peña-Peck House
• What: Regular tours on May 8 - 11, 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
• What: Four special presentations under the garden tent on May 9 and 10. (See Above)
• Where: 143 St. George Street, St. Augustine, Florida 32084
• Ximenez-Fatio House
• What: Regular entry and exhibits, plus "Dressing Louisa: A Lifetime of Fashion," showing the evolution of 19th-century fashion during the time of Louisa Fatio.
• When: May 8 - 12, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
• Where: 20 Aviles Street, St. Augustine, Florida 32084
• Castillo de San Marcos
• What: In addition to the regular entry and exhibits, in celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Castillo as a national monument, the Castillo hosts "The Making of a Monument," showing restoration and preservation efforts including stone cutting, blacksmithing, and woodworking demonstrations.
• When: The Castillo is open daily from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The special exhibitions will be on May 10, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
• Where: 1 South Castillo Drive, St. Augustine, Florida 32084
• Spanish Military Hospital
• What: Regular entry and exhibits.
• When: May 8 - 12, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
• Special Demonstration: "Duel on Aviles!" Two men settle an argument with a duel, and a Spanish surgeon will try to save one man's arm.
• When: May 11, 1:00 p.m.
• Where: 3 Aviles Street, St. Augustine, Florida 32084

Chamber Music Series: Michael Clark - An Afternoon of Encores

• The Chamber Music Series of the Romanza Festivale presents pianist and organist Michael Clark, performing "An Afternoon of Encores," on Wednesday, May 8, 2024, at noon.
• Michael Clark has taught music, music theory, piano, organ, and sight singing. Originally from Virginia, he taught at college and served as musical director for more than 50 productions. In St. Augustine, he has served as interim principal organist at several local churches.
• For this performance, Michael will feature piano compositions that have been the most requested, including works by J.S. Bach, Chopin, and Addinsell.
• Admission: Free.
• When: Wednesday, May 8, 2024, from noon to 1:00 p.m.
• Where: Memorial Presbyterian Church, 32 Sevilla Street, St. Augustine, Florida 32084
• A Romanza Festivale 2024 event.
• This event is part of the Romanza Festivale of Music and the Arts, an annual festival of two weeks of historical, cultural, and creative events celebrating all things St. Augustine. From May 3 -19, the nation's oldest city will be jam-packed with music and dance concerts, living history events and historical tours, live theater, and art exhibits.

St. Augustine Food + Wine Festival 2024

The St. Augustine Food + Wine Festival

For five days, from Wednesday, May 8, through Sunday, May 12, 2024, the St. Augustine Food and Wine Festival will present foods, wine, spirits, and beer to appeal to a variety of tastes. Those who attend have multiple opportunities to enjoy food created by some of the area's best local chefs. Tickets are limited and may be purchased a la carte.

River Walk Tastings

The 2024 St. Augustine Food and Wine Festival opens with a progressive event, the River Walk Tastings along the San Sebastian Riverfront on Wednesday, May 8, 2024, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. The event starts east of the river at San Sebastian Winery where guests will be given souvenir wine glasses, then they may travel to Homewood Suites on the west side of the river by walking across the bridge from one event to the other, or by hopping on a special free trolley.
At San Sebastian Winery, Chef Norberto Jaramillo from La Cocina International Restaurant offers tasting bites paired with wines from San Sebastian Winery.
At Homewood Suites by Hilton on the San Sebastian, tasting bites will be served with samples from all of the festival's official beverage partners and lite bites from Drake's Catering.
Admission: $69.00 per person for tickets. Only those 21 and older will be admitted.

Harvest, Premier Wine Tasting & "Harvest Awards"

On Thursday, May 9, 2024, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., the festival continues with a Harvest Premier Wine Tasting and Harvest Awards at Bozard Lincoln 550 Outlet Mall Boulevard.
This event is designed for wine lovers, and premium wines will be offered along with samples from some of Northeast Florida's best restaurants. These select chefs will compete for the "Harvest Award," honoring the best-tasting dish that includes one or more local ingredients.
Admission: $99.00 per person with limited attendance. Only those 21 and older will be admitted. Cocktail or business attire.

Epicurean Master Classes at Publix Tasting Deck

On Friday, May 10 at 11:00 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., Publix will host two Epicurean Master Classes on their Upstairs Tasting Deck, 170 Village Commons Drive, St. Augustine, Florida 32092 — in the World Golf Village neighborhood.
Class 1: Wine Paring with Charcuterie and Cheese, from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. This class will offer four wines paired with gourmet bites.
Class 2: From 12:30 to 1:40 p.m., Veterans United Craft Brewery Tastings and Pairings. Ron Gamble, Founder and President of Veterans United Craft Brewing, in Jacksonville, will discuss the brewing processes used to create his beer. Beer tastings will be paired with bites from the Publix team.
Admission: $70.00 per person for each event, or $100.00 for both. Casual attire, and you must be 21 or over to attend.

Smoked, Grilled, and Roasted Barbeque Bites at the "Smoke on the Walk"

On Friday, May 10, 2024, "Smoke on the Walk" showcases celebrated pit masters and grill masters, all along the Walk of Champions at World Golf Village. Taking place from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., the event includes wine, beer, and spirits with the ticket price.
Admission: $109.00 per person. This event is outdoors and will take place rain or shine. Only those 21 and older will be admitted. Free parking, no pets allowed.

St. Augustine Food and Wine Festival — Grand Tasting

The festival continues with the "St. Augustine Food and Wine Festival Grand Tasting" from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. Saturday, May 11, 2024. This all-inclusive food and drink event allows every ticket holder one souvenir glass for unlimited beverage tastings to enjoy with their culinary samplings. More than 300 varieties of beverages will be available for sampling along the Walk of Champions at the World Golf Hall of Fame. While strolling and tasting, stop by the demonstration stages to learn techniques and recipes from several chefs.
Admission: $129.00 per person. Only those 21 years and older may attend.

The Jazz Mother's Day Brunch

The St. Augustine Food + Wine Festival will conclude on Sunday, May 12, 2024, with "The Jazz Mother's Day Brunch" — complete with a bloody Mary bar, champagne, mimosas, a multi-station brunch, and music — at the St. Johns County Convention Center. The Jazz Brunch will have two seatings, 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. This is a family-friendly event.
Admission: $129.00 per person.

Improv Night at Colonial Oak Music Park

• Trained comedy professionals dive headfirst into any challenge the audience throws at them in this unscripted, interactive comedy experience held each Wednesday at Colonial Oak Music Park in Historic Downtown.
• Suitable for the whole family, the show is always clean and never mean. Staged by First Coast Comedy, Improv Night features comedians trained by actor and comedian, Alex Grindeland, and veteran improv comedian, David Bogan.
• Admission: There is no set price, and ticket donations of $10.00 to $25.00 are appreciated. Tickets can be purchased in advance, or on the day of the show, for this general admission seating event.
• When: 7:30 to 9:00 p.m. Wednesdays through 2024
• Where: The Colonial Oak Music Park is located at 21 St. George St. in Historic Downtown.

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Live Music

• Jim Lamb, Mill Top Tavern, 12:00 pm – 4:00 pm,
• Smokin' Joe Schauer, Tradewinds Lounge, 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm,
• Reggie Starrett, Mill Top Tavern, 4:30 pm – 8:30 pm,
• Heather Craig, Old Coast Ales, 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm,
• Denny Blue, Fuzion 904 Eatery, 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm,
• Dewey Via, Ann O'Malley's Deli and Pub, 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm,
• Yael Dray and ZaZa Flamenca, St. Augustine Food + Wine Festival 2024, 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm

Wednesday Pier Farmers Market

• The Wednesday Pier Farmers Market at the St. Johns County Pier offers fresh fruit, vegetables, bread, and local arts and crafts every week. With a number of different vendors, visitors can find a variety of unique, quality goods. Each item is handcrafted by these dedicated artists, and the food is locally grown and handpicked.
• This beachside farmers market makes for a great outing on Wednesday morning. Visitors can browse the huge selection of locally produced goods and then afterward take a stroll along scenic St. Augustine Beach. Farmers Markets help the local economy by allowing local merchants to sustain their business and also offer fresh, local foods to the community.
• Admission: FREE
• When: 8:00 am - 12:00 pm every Wednesday
• Where: St. Johns County Pier Park is located at the St. Johns County Ocean Pier at 350 A1A Beach Blvd in St. Augustine Beach.

St. Augustine History Fest Events, 2024

• The St. Augustine History Festival celebrates the "Nation's Oldest City" with activities at historical sites throughout the town.
• Created by the University of Florida, Historic St. Augustine Inc., and the Lastinger Family Foundation, the festival showcases every era of St. Augustine's long and storied past through special events and tours of historic venues. The activities include tours, presentations, book signings, a re-enactment, and a special concert featuring music by Black composers.
• Special Event, Ticketed
• Lincolnville Museum
• What: San Marco Chamber Music Society, "Music by Black Composers."
• Admission: $25.00
• When: May 11, 3:00 to 4:30 p.m.
• Where: 102 Martin Luther King Avenue, St. Augustine, Florida 32084
• Special Events, Free Entry
• These events are listed in date and time order.
• Governor's House Cultural Center and Museum
• What: A new exhibit opens for this History Festival–Pics: Photographs from UFHSA Governor's House Library. The University of Florida Historic St. Augustine (UFHSA) ensures the long-term preservation of the state-owned historic properties in St. Augustine. To create this exhibit, staff members viewed the 28,000 photographs, negatives, and slides in their collection, choosing to display those items that reflect the collaborations among the museum, its collections, and the people who work there.
• This exhibit is in addition to the ongoing exhibit, Painting St. Augustine: Selections from the Samuel H. and Roberta T. Vickers Collection.
• When: The Governor's House will have extended hours from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Wednesday and Thursday, May 8th and 9th.
• The Governor's House will be open during regular hours, from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, May 9 - 12.
• Where: In the lobby gallery at the Governor's House Museum, 48 King Street, St. Augustine, Florida 32084
• Don't Miss: Their main exhibit - Painting St, Augustine: Selections from the Samuel H. and Roberta Vickers Collection
• Colonial Quarter
• What: Watch the PBS documentary, America's Untold Story
• When: May 8 - 10, it will repeat all day.
• Where: Colonial Oak Music Park, 33 St. George Street, St. Augustine, Florida 32084
• Flagler College
• What: Dr. Timothy Johnson discusses "Historic Gardens and Sacred Space." This will include a tour of Flagler's Rotunda and Gardens. (These areas will be closed to the public through August for renovations.)
• When: May 9, 3:00 - 5:30 p.m. From 3:00 to 4:00 p.m. the discussion will held in the Crisp-Ellert Museum and Garden. The group will then move to the Ponce Courtyard Garden, and visit the Rotunda and Inner Space from 4:00 to 4:45 p.m. They will then return to the Crisp-Ellert Musesum and Garden for a reception from 4:45 to 5:30 p.m.
• Where: Flagler College, Crisp Ellert Art Museum, 48 Sevilla Street, St. Augustine, Florida 32084
• Mission Nombre de Dios
• What: Roman A. Alvarez, historian and author from Spain, "100 Years of History: St. Augustine and Aviles Spain." Presented with the City of St. Augustine.
• When: On two days, Thursday, May 9 and Friday, May 10. May 9, 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. May 10, 2:30 to 3:30 p.m.
• Where: In the Pilgrimage Center Meeting Room, 101 San Marco Avenue, St. Augustine, Florida 32084
• National Shrine of Our Lady of la Leche
• What: Dr. Denise Bossy of UNF, "Indigenous Women and the Indigenous Networks Across La Florida." Part 1 of 2 When: May 9, 5:00 p.m. The event starts with light refreshments and wine at 5:00 p.m. — the lecture begins at 5:30 p.m.
• What: Dr. David Sheffler, UNF, "The Camino del Santiago: Pilgrimage Past and Present." Part 2 of 2 When: May 10, 5:00 p.m. The event starts with light refreshments and wine at 5:00 p.m. — the lecture begins at 5:30 p.m.
• Where: In the Pilgrimage Center Meeting Room, 101 San Marco Avenue, St. Augustine, Florida 32084
• Peña-Peck House
• Four presentations under the tent in the garden
• What: Dr. Darien Andreu: "Famous Minorcans, from the Queen of Yap to the Queen of Corn. When: May 9 at 11:00 a.m.
• What: Paul L, Weaver, III, Historic Preservation Consultant: "The Significance of the Historic Peña-Peck House, as a Model for Other Spanish Colonies." When: May 9, 1:00 p.m
• What: Marsha Chance, Curatorial Chair of the Women's Exchange of St. Augustine: "Historic Gardens of Spain and the Peña-Peck House." When: May 10, 1:00 p.m.
• What: Dr. Susan Richbourg Parker, Historian: "...Female Property Owners in Colonial St. Augustine." When: May 10, 3:00 p.m.
• Where: 143 St. George Street, St. Augustine, Florida 32094
• Ribera Garden
• What: "We Are Agriculture." Meet and take photos with a Cracker Cow and a Quarter Horse and learn about the Florida livestock industry, beekeeping, and more.
• When: May 10, 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
• Where: Ribera Garden, 22 St. George Street, St. Augustine, Florida 32084
• Fort Mose
• What: Militia Musket and Cannon demonstration at 12:30. Additional exhibits: African Art Exhibition by Ovico Gallery and African drummers. There will be food trucks on site. When: May 10 and 11, from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
• What: Yamasee Chief Mico Hadjo and representatives from the Yamasee Nation: "Yamasee Culture, Beading, and Artifacts" When: May 10, 2:00 p.m.
• What: Historian Susan Parker, PhD, "Inter-Ethic Collaboration in St. Augustine, 1565 Through the Early 1700s" When: May 11, 2:00 to 2:40 p.m.
• What: Yamasee Chief Mico Hadjo discusses the cooperation between the Yamasee and Africans on the Flight to Freedom When: May 11, 2:45 to 3:00 p.m.
• Where: Fort Mose, 15 Fort Mose Trail, St. Augustine 32084
• St. Augustine Historical Society/Oldest House
• What: Dr. Christine Miller, "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly: Surgical Practices in Spanish Florida."
• When: May 10, 4:00 - 5:00 p.m.
• Where: Oldest House Museum, 14 St. Francis Street, St. Augustine, Florida 32084
• St. Photios Greek Orthodox National Shrine
• What: Cultural Emersion Experiences through Sites and Sounds. A program youth ages eight through 18, that includes learning the Greek alphabet, a Greek folk song, and a Greek folk dance.
• When: May 10, 4:00 to 6:00 p.m.
• Where: 41 St George Street, St. Augustine, Florida 32084
• Florida National Guard Museum
• What: Command Historian Alison Simpson will lead a guided tour of the St. Francis Barracks and grounds.
• When: May 11, 9:00 a.m.
• Where: Florida National Guard Museum, 82 Marine Street, St. Augustine, Florida 32084
• St. Augustine National Cemetery
• What: Dr. Amy Larner Giroux, UCF, "No Longer Unknown: Native American POWs, Civil War soldiers, and Second Seminole War casualties."
• When: May 11, 10:30 - 11:30 a.m.
• Where: St. Augustine National Cemetery, 104 Marine Street, St. Augustine, Florida 32084
• St. George Street, Drake's Raid
• What: Drake's Raid Reenactment. They will march from the Oldest House Museum Complex to the Governor's House to the City Gate, where the reenactment of Drake's Raid will start.
• When: May 11, 7:00 to 9:00 p.m.
• Where: Along St. George Street, between the Governor's House and the City Gate, and on Orange Street at the redoubt.
• First Congregation Sons of Israel
• What: Author Robert Blau who wrote The Oldest City's Oldest Synagogue, will present information and sign his book in honor of the 100th anniversary of this congregation.
• When: May 12, 3:00 to 5:00 p.m.
• Where: First Congregation Sons of Israel, 161 Cordova Street, St. Augustine, Florida 32084
• Historic Attractions—Normal Entry Fees Apply
• Fountain of Youth
• What: What: Regular entry and exhibits, plus experts demonstrate pre-Colombian skills: Carving a new totem, and the preparation of two hides in a manner that shows proper respect.
• When: May 8 -12, 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
• Where: 11 Magnolia Avenue, St. Augustine, Florida 32084
• St Augustine Alligator Farm
• What: Regular entry and exhibits.
• When: May 8 - 12, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
• Where: 999 Anastasia Boulevard, St. Augustine, Florida 32080
• Villa Zorayda
• What: Regular entry and exhibits, plus a new exhibit featuring the Mussallem family's private photos showing Villa Zorayda from the early to mid-1900s.
• When: May 8 - 11, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
• Where: 83 King Street, St. Augustine, Florida 32084
• St. Augustine Historical Society/Oldest House
• What: Regular entry and exhibits, including "The Winter Colony"—An exhibit of Affluent Tourists in St. Augustine during the Gilded Age"
• When: May 8 - 12, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
• Where: 14 St. Francis Street, St. Augustine, Florida 32084
• St. Augustine Lighthouse and Maritime Museum
• What: 15% discount for purchasing tickets on the St. Augustine History Fest's website. In addition to the regular activities and exhibits, there will be a special exhibition: "The Menorcan Experience" which includes net mending, famous Florida recipes, natural fiber weaving activities for children, and a discussion about Menorcan lighthouse keepers.
• When: May 8 - 12, 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
• Where: 100 Red Cox Road, St. Augustine, Florida 32080
• Peña-Peck House
• What: Regular tours on May 8 - 11, 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
• What: Four special presentations under the garden tent on May 9 and 10. (See Above)
• Where: 143 St. George Street, St. Augustine, Florida 32084
• Ximenez-Fatio House
• What: Regular entry and exhibits, plus "Dressing Louisa: A Lifetime of Fashion," showing the evolution of 19th-century fashion during the time of Louisa Fatio.
• When: May 8 - 12, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
• Where: 20 Aviles Street, St. Augustine, Florida 32084
• Castillo de San Marcos
• What: In addition to the regular entry and exhibits, in celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Castillo as a national monument, the Castillo hosts "The Making of a Monument," showing restoration and preservation efforts including stone cutting, blacksmithing, and woodworking demonstrations.
• When: The Castillo is open daily from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The special exhibitions will be on May 10, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
• Where: 1 South Castillo Drive, St. Augustine, Florida 32084
• Spanish Military Hospital
• What: Regular entry and exhibits.
• When: May 8 - 12, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
• Special Demonstration: "Duel on Aviles!" Two men settle an argument with a duel, and a Spanish surgeon will try to save one man's arm.
• When: May 11, 1:00 p.m.
• Where: 3 Aviles Street, St. Augustine, Florida 32084

Chamber Music Series: Michael Clark - An Afternoon of Encores

• The Chamber Music Series of the Romanza Festivale presents pianist and organist Michael Clark, performing "An Afternoon of Encores," on Wednesday, May 8, 2024, at noon.
• Michael Clark has taught music, music theory, piano, organ, and sight singing. Originally from Virginia, he taught at college and served as musical director for more than 50 productions. In St. Augustine, he has served as interim principal organist at several local churches.
• For this performance, Michael will feature piano compositions that have been the most requested, including works by J.S. Bach, Chopin, and Addinsell.
• Admission: Free.
• When: Wednesday, May 8, 2024, from noon to 1:00 p.m.
• Where: Memorial Presbyterian Church, 32 Sevilla Street, St. Augustine, Florida 32084
• A Romanza Festivale 2024 event.
• This event is part of the Romanza Festivale of Music and the Arts, an annual festival of two weeks of historical, cultural, and creative events celebrating all things St. Augustine. From May 3 -19, the nation's oldest city will be jam-packed with music and dance concerts, living history events and historical tours, live theater, and art exhibits.

St. Augustine Food + Wine Festival 2024

The St. Augustine Food + Wine Festival

For five days, from Wednesday, May 8, through Sunday, May 12, 2024, the St. Augustine Food and Wine Festival will present foods, wine, spirits, and beer to appeal to a variety of tastes. Those who attend have multiple opportunities to enjoy food created by some of the area's best local chefs. Tickets are limited and may be purchased a la carte.

River Walk Tastings

The 2024 St. Augustine Food and Wine Festival opens with a progressive event, the River Walk Tastings along the San Sebastian Riverfront on Wednesday, May 8, 2024, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. The event starts east of the river at San Sebastian Winery where guests will be given souvenir wine glasses, then they may travel to Homewood Suites on the west side of the river by walking across the bridge from one event to the other, or by hopping on a special free trolley.
At San Sebastian Winery, Chef Norberto Jaramillo from La Cocina International Restaurant offers tasting bites paired with wines from San Sebastian Winery.
At Homewood Suites by Hilton on the San Sebastian, tasting bites will be served with samples from all of the festival's official beverage partners and lite bites from Drake's Catering.
Admission: $69.00 per person for tickets. Only those 21 and older will be admitted.

Harvest, Premier Wine Tasting & "Harvest Awards"

On Thursday, May 9, 2024, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., the festival continues with a Harvest Premier Wine Tasting and Harvest Awards at Bozard Lincoln 550 Outlet Mall Boulevard.
This event is designed for wine lovers, and premium wines will be offered along with samples from some of Northeast Florida's best restaurants. These select chefs will compete for the "Harvest Award," honoring the best-tasting dish that includes one or more local ingredients.
Admission: $99.00 per person with limited attendance. Only those 21 and older will be admitted. Cocktail or business attire.

Epicurean Master Classes at Publix Tasting Deck

On Friday, May 10 at 11:00 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., Publix will host two Epicurean Master Classes on their Upstairs Tasting Deck, 170 Village Commons Drive, St. Augustine, Florida 32092 — in the World Golf Village neighborhood.
Class 1: Wine Paring with Charcuterie and Cheese, from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. This class will offer four wines paired with gourmet bites.
Class 2: From 12:30 to 1:40 p.m., Veterans United Craft Brewery Tastings and Pairings. Ron Gamble, Founder and President of Veterans United Craft Brewing, in Jacksonville, will discuss the brewing processes used to create his beer. Beer tastings will be paired with bites from the Publix team.
Admission: $70.00 per person for each event, or $100.00 for both. Casual attire, and you must be 21 or over to attend.

Smoked, Grilled, and Roasted Barbeque Bites at the "Smoke on the Walk"

On Friday, May 10, 2024, "Smoke on the Walk" showcases celebrated pit masters and grill masters, all along the Walk of Champions at World Golf Village. Taking place from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., the event includes wine, beer, and spirits with the ticket price.
Admission: $109.00 per person. This event is outdoors and will take place rain or shine. Only those 21 and older will be admitted. Free parking, no pets allowed.

St. Augustine Food and Wine Festival — Grand Tasting

The festival continues with the "St. Augustine Food and Wine Festival Grand Tasting" from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. Saturday, May 11, 2024. This all-inclusive food and drink event allows every ticket holder one souvenir glass for unlimited beverage tastings to enjoy with their culinary samplings. More than 300 varieties of beverages will be available for sampling along the Walk of Champions at the World Golf Hall of Fame. While strolling and tasting, stop by the demonstration stages to learn techniques and recipes from several chefs.
Admission: $129.00 per person. Only those 21 years and older may attend.

The Jazz Mother's Day Brunch

The St. Augustine Food + Wine Festival will conclude on Sunday, May 12, 2024, with "The Jazz Mother's Day Brunch" — complete with a bloody Mary bar, champagne, mimosas, a multi-station brunch, and music — at the St. Johns County Convention Center. The Jazz Brunch will have two seatings, 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. This is a family-friendly event.
Admission: $129.00 per person.

Improv Night at Colonial Oak Music Park

• Trained comedy professionals dive headfirst into any challenge the audience throws at them in this unscripted, interactive comedy experience held each Wednesday at Colonial Oak Music Park in Historic Downtown.
• Suitable for the whole family, the show is always clean and never mean. Staged by First Coast Comedy, Improv Night features comedians trained by actor and comedian, Alex Grindeland, and veteran improv comedian, David Bogan.
• Admission: There is no set price, and ticket donations of $10.00 to $25.00 are appreciated. Tickets can be purchased in advance, or on the day of the show, for this general admission seating event.
• When: 7:30 to 9:00 p.m. Wednesdays through 2024
• Where: The Colonial Oak Music Park is located at 21 St. George St. in Historic Downtown.

[](tel:+1 (904) 385-9121)

Here is my list for Missouri's post Furman execution roster that I wrote for my personal death penalty project. I'll probably release Florida next, and I'm currently working on completing my list for Texas.
As always, the dates given are a time frame of the offender's earliest known criminal activities to their execution. Many of cases described here are extremely depraved in nature, so please read at your own risk. Missouri has also scheduled David Hosier for execution on June 11, and is filling death warrants for Christopher Collings and Marcellus Williams. If these future executions are carried out as planned, then I might update this post with their information.
Due to it exceeding the character count limitations that reddit allows for submissions, I had to divide this list into two separate posts. For the link to part 2, please click here.
The currently executed 98 offenders, cases 1 to 49:
1. George Mercer (~1960s-1989, lethal injection): Mercer was the president of the Missing Links MC motorcycle gang, a title he inherited after his predecessor was killed in a bar fight. Under his leadership, the gang involved itself heavily with organized crime, and had a well earned reputation for extreme violence. The gang harassed and assaulted what they deemed to be "political undesirables" such as left leaning hippies and prohibitionists, and terrorized those aligned with rival motorcycle gangs. They were also predatory towards teenage girls and young women. In one incident, Mercer beat a Vietnam veteran unconscious when the man tried to stop him from sexually harassing underaged girls at a concert, and gang-raped a kidnapped 17 year old girl with some associates in another. One of his followers lured Karen Keeton, a 22 year old tavern waitress, to Mercer's home as a "birthday present" for him. Mercer raped Keeton in his bedroom, and manually strangled her to death. Mercer and his gang members were also speculated to be involved in the murder of 15 year old David Eyman by some webslueths due to his ties with them, but credible evidence is currently lacking.
2. Gerald Smith (1983-1990, lethal injection): Smith beat his girlfriend, 22 year old Karen Roberts, to death with a metal pipe out of fear of her having a venereal disease. While awaiting execution, he stabbed a few death row inmate, 35 year old Robert Baker, with the help of another death row inmate, Frank Guinan. Baker was originally sentenced to death when he shot and killed a detective in a robbery.
3. Winford Stokes (~1969-1990, lethal injection): In 1969, Stokes and his accomplices shot and killed 60 year old Ignatius DiManuele while robbing his tavern. The trio were arrested weeks after the murder. During the trial, they made an escape attempt, but were all recaptured. Stokes was released from prison in 1977, and assaulted a 71 year old man with a claw hammer during a burglary a month later. He fatally shot 73 year old Marie Montgomery and stole her watch in one home invasion, and strangled and stabbed 33 year old Pamela Benda to death in another. Stokes seized Benda's jewelry after rummaging through her drawers.
4. Leonard Laws (1980-1990, lethal injection): Laws and his girlfriend's brothers (one of which was George Gilmore) decided to that the easiest way to earn money for their families was to rob and murder the elderly. He acted as a lookout while the Gilmore murdered and robbed the victims. They were responsible for a total of 5 killings.
5. George Gilmore (1980-1990, lethal injection): Gilmore, his brother, and their sister's boyfriend, the above mentioned Leonard Laws, targeted the elderly in a string of robberies. Their victims, 83 year old Elizabeth Roderique, 83 year old Mary Watters, 65 year old Woodrow Elliott, 83 year old Clarence Williams, and his 81 year old wife Lottie, were shot, stabbed, or strangled to death. After the gang sacked everything of value, they lit the homes on fire. The trio were also suspected in the strangulation murder of 75 year old Edna Winter, but the prosecution weren't able to convict them of it in court.
6. Maurice Byrd (1980-1991, lethal injection): Byrd stormed the Pope’s Cafeteria, a restaurant in a Des Peres mall, and shot 4 employees dead. He stole a total of $9,000 in the robbery. The victims include the manager, 51 year old James Woods, and cooks, 68 year old Edna Ince, and 51 year old Carolyn Turner, and 37 year old Judy Cazaco.
7. Ricky Grubbs (1984-1991, lethal injection): Grubbs and his brother tied 46 year old Jerry Thornton up with neck ties, and stabbed him to death in his trailer. The brothers stole an undisclosed amount of money and food stamps, and burned down the trailer to destroy any evidence of their crime.
8. Martsay Bolder (1973-1993, lethal injection): In 1973, a then teenage Bolder shot and killed 69 year old Louis Donovan in a robbery, and given a life sentence for it. While incarcerated, Bolder feuded with a fellow inmate, 24 year old Theron King. He stabbed King to death for allegedly yelling sexual obscenities at him, and received a death sentence for the killing. King was serving a life sentence for robbery at the time of his murder.
9. Walter Blair Jr. (~1979-1993, lethal injection): Blair allegedly shot and killed 16 year old Sandy Shannon in a robbery, but he wasn't convicted due to the apparent witnesses refusing to testify at the trail. After Blair was cleared of Shannon's murder, he was hired to kill 21 year old Katherine Allen by a man she accused of rape. Blair kidnapped Allen from her apartment, robbed her boyfriend, and shot her to death. His case received notoriety due to the number of his family members that were also convicted for unrelated high profile crimes. One of Blair’s brothers, Terry, was a serial killer that raped and murdered a minimum of 7 sex workers. Another brother, Clifford, abducted and sodomized a woman during a robbery. His sister Warnetta and her husband killed a man together in a robbery and murdered her boyfriend for trying to cut off her drug supply. One of her sons, Nolla IV, later murdered her husband as well. Two more of Warnetta’s, sons, Diamond and William had several robbery convictions. Last but not least, Blair’s mother Janice shot her children's stepfather to death during an argument.
10. Frederick Lashley (1981-1993, lethal injection): Lashley fatally stabbed his foster mother, 55 year old Janie Tracy, during an ambush in their home and stole $15 from her. Tracey had been raising Lashley since he was 2 years old, and had several infirmities, including heart diseases, diabetes and a neuromuscular disorder, at the time of her death.
11. Frank Guinan (~1964-1993, lethal injection): While serving a 40 year sentence for armed robbery, Guinan and another inmate, Richard Zeitvogel, stabbed a fellow prisoner, 30 year old John McBroom (who was incarcerated for drug dealing), to death. Gunian received the death penalty for Pugh's murder. On death row, Gunian assisted the previously mentioned Gerald Smith in the killing of Robert Baker. Guinan had a troubled youth, and was involved with several burglaries and a high speed car chase with police. He had also gotten into several fights with other inmates, and badly injured his cellmate, 38 year old Thomas Pugh (who was also serving a prison sentence for robbery), in one of his incidents.
12. Emmitt Foster (1983-1995, lethal injection): Foster and his accomplice forced themselves into the house that their acquaintance, 26 year old Travis Walker, shared with his girlfriend at gunpoint. The pair shot the couple, killing Walker and injuring his girlfriend. She survived by playing dead. They then sacked the home of any valuables and left. After Foster and his accomplice departed from the scene, Walker's girlfriend wrote down the attackers' names and ran out of the home for help.
13. Larry Griffin (1980-1995, lethal injection): According to prosecutors, Griffin shot and killed 19 year old Quinton Moss while was dealing drugs in a drive by shooting. As Moss was allegedly involved in the murder of Griffin's brother, the investigators believed that it was a revenge killing. His death sentence and execution was controversial, as Griffin's supporters and attorneys alleged that police misconduct occurred during the investigation. However, a posthumous review of his case in 2005 concluded Griffin's guilt.
14. Robert Murray (1985-1995, lethal injection): Murray and his brother held up two men, 27 year old Jeffrey Jackson and 26 year old Craig Stewart, and two women at gunpoint in an apartment. The brothers tied all four of them up, and raped both of the women. They extorted an undisclosed amount of money from their hostages with beatings and shot Stewart and Jackson in the head. The female captives on the other hand managed to jump out of windows to safety.
15. Robert Sidebottom (1985-1995, lethal injection): Sidebottom was upset by how little inheritance that his grandmother, 74 year old May, gave him and decided to grab more money by force in the form of collecting a life insurance policy from her. He broke into May's home and beat her unconscious with chair. As she was incapacitated from the beating, Sidebottom set the house on fire. Although the firefighters were able to put out the flames before she was seriously harmed by them, May died of the injuries she received in the assault.
16. Anthony LaRette (1976-1995, lethal injection): LaRette raped and murdered a minimum of 16 women between the ages of 18-60, but he might have been responsible for a total of 31 murders. All of his known victims were killed in stabbing attacks in their own homes and apartments. While awaiting trial, LaRette was also convicted of conspiring to murder a county jail guard with his father.
17. Robert O'Neal (1979-1995, lethal injection): O'Neal and an accomplice broke into a house that was owned by a prominent doctor, and encountered Ralph Sharick, the homeowner's 78 year old father in law. The pair bound Sharick, locked him in a closet, and shot him to death. They stole several musical instruments and guns in the robbery. O'Neal was captured a few days later and given a life sentence for the murder. During his time in prison, he joined the Aryan Brotherhood, and fatally stabbed a black inmate, 33 year old Arthur Dade, on the behalf on the local leadership. The motives for Dade's killing vary greatly on the source. Some claimed that he was murdered out of racism, while others asserted that it was over a drug trafficking related dispute.
18. Jeffrey Sloan (1985-1996, lethal injection): Sloan entered the bedroom of his parents, 41 year old Paul and 38 year old Judith, and shot them to death while they were in bed. He turned his attention towards his brothers, 18 year old Timothy and 9 year old Jason, and shot them dead in their rooms as well.
19. Doyle Williams (~1967-1996, lethal injection): In 1980, Williams and his partner shot and stabbed A. H. Domann, a 68 year old physician, while breaking into his office, and stole several prescription drugs. His partner's roommate, 28 year old Kerry Bummett, found the stolen drugs baring Domann's name, and the pair abducted her to eliminate a loose end. She was bound with handcuffs that Williams borrowed from a friend in the police force, taken to the Missouri river, and pistol whipped. Bummett jumped into the river in an attempt to escape, but ended up drowning in the process. William had several previous convictions for stealing cars and boats.
20. Emmett Nave (~1958-1996, lethal injection): In 1983, Nave shot his landlady, 53 year old Geneva Roling, dead after he knocked on her door. He then abducted his wife and forced her to drive him to a hospital. On arrival, Nave took 6 nurses hostage, and forced them to inject Demoral and Valium into his body. The kidnapped nurses were then taken to a house and raped. Most of them managed to escape, but Nave forced the remaining captive to administer more Demoral and Valium into him. Nave went unconscious from an overdose and was hospitalized after he was apprehended. He had a criminal record dating back to 1958, and many of his previous arrests include armed robbery, burglary, sexual assault, soliciting prostitutes, and joyriding.
21. Thomas Battle (~1979-1996, lethal injection): Battle and his brother-in-law's brother invaded the home of 80 year old Birdie Johnson and raped her. She was beaten and stabbed to death with a butcher knife. A year before Johnson's murder, Battle was fined for filing a false police report.
22. Richard Oxford (~1968-1996, lethal injection): Oxford and his cellmate escaped from the Conner Correctional Center in 1986, and kidnapped a married couple, 63 year old Harold and 57 year old Melba Wample, from their farm. The Wamples were missing for two months until the discovery of their bodies in a motel parking lot. Both of them had been bound and shot in the head. At the time of his escape and the murders, Oxford was serving a 85 year sentence for a rape and robbery spree, and had several previous convictions of burglary and theft that started when he was 11 years old.
23. Richard Zeitvogel (~1974-1996, lethal injection): While serving a combined total of 20 years in prison for rape and armed robbery, Zeitvogel assisted the above mentioned Guinan in killing John McBroom. He was given a life sentence for his part in the murder. A few years later, he fatally strangled his cellmate, 24 year old Gary Dew (who was also convicted of armed robbery), in their cell and was given the death penalty for it. Allegedly, Guinan and Zeitvogel were in a sexual relationship, and prosecutors believed that he murdered Dew to be placed on death row in a bid to be reunited with him.
24. Eric Schneider (1985-1997, lethal injection): Schneider and two accomplices broke into a home that two school teachers, 53 year old Richard Schwendemann and 55 year old Ronald Thompson, shared together. The homeowners were both bound with rope, wire, chains, and Christmas lights. Schwendemann was choked with a dog leash tied around his neck and shot twice in the head. Thompson suffered from 17 stab wounds in his neck, back, side, and head. A total of $1,800 in cash was stolen from their safe and car.
25. Ralph Feltrop (1987-1997, lethal injection): Feltrop got into an argument with his girlfriend, 27 year old Barbara Roam, in their home and stabbed her to death. He then cut off her head, hands, and legs from her body, and a foot from her one of her already dismembered legs, and tossed them into several garbage bags. In an attempt to dispose of Roam's remains, Feltrop dumped them into nearby ponds.
26. Donald Reese (1986-1997, lethal injection): Reese fatally shot four men, 38 year old Christopher Griffith, 54 year old James Watson, 57 year old John Burford, and Burford's 64 year old brother-in-law Donald Vanderlinden, at a shooting range. He took a total of $1,200 and all the victims' wallets from the scene.
27. Andrew Six (1984-1997, lethal injection): In Iowa, Six beat 41 year old Sarah Link, her 20 year son Justin Hook, and Hook's 19 year old fiance Tina Lade, to death with an unknown blunt instrument in their trailer. A few years later, Six and his uncle stormed a trailer that a pregnant 17 year old girl lived in with her family to rape her. They bound the target and her parents, and sexually assaulted her. The pair then abducted Kathy Allen, the target's cognitively disabled 13 year old sister, and slit their mother's throat in a failed attempt to kill her as they left. Allen was taken to Missouri, where she was repeatedly raped. Her throat was slit and and she was dumped in a ditch. Although Six was captured and sentenced to death for Allen's murder, the triple killings of Link, Hook, and Lade went unsolved until a DNA test in 2014, some 30 years after the murders and 16 years after Six's execution.
28. Samuel McDonald Jr. (~1960s-1997, lethal injection): McDonald held up 46 year old Robert Jordan at gunpoint while he was shopping with his 11 year old daughter. When Jordan pulled out his wallet, McDonald realized that he was a police officer, and shot him. Although he killed Jordan in the shooting, McDonald was wounded by his return fire. McDonald was captured after he was taken to the hospital by a friend. According a blogger that allegedly corresponded with McDonald on death row, he had killed an elderly woman and an infant in a village sweep during the Vietnam War, and lived as a petty criminal with several robbery convictions after his discharge from service.
29. Alan Bannister (~1980s-1997, lethal injection): Bannister accepted an offer for $4,000 by a man to kill 43 year old Darrell Ruetsman. The client wanted Ruetsman dead for running off with his wife. With the help of a piece of paper with Ruetsman's address, Bannister tracked his target to his trailer and shot him dead at his front door. At the time of the murder, Bannister was on parole for rape and armed robbery convictions.
30. Reginald Powell (1986-1998, lethal injection): Powell and his friends beat and stabbed two brothers, 39 year old Freddie and 29 year old Lee Miller, to death during a party. A total of $3 and a pack of cigarettes was stolen in the attack. Earlier that day, the Miller brothers had both refused to buy Powell and his friends (who were then below drinking age) alcohol for them. Powell had a conviction for receiving stolen property at the time of the murders.
31. Milton Griffin-El (1986-1998, lethal injection): Griffin-El went to an apartment to burglarize it. He tied up the residents, 22 year old Jerome Redden and his 19 year old girlfriend Loretta Trotter, and assaulted them in front of their 4 month old son. Trotter was fatally stabbed and Redden was bludgeoned to death with a wrench. Several electronics, including a stereo set and a television set, was stolen in the robbery.
32. Glennon Sweet (~1976-1998, lethal injection): In 1987, Sweet was pulled over by Russell Harper, a 45 year old officer, for speeding. Sweet opened fire on the officers as he climbed out of his truck, and killed Harper. He had several felonies and misdemeanors on his record, which included several charges of disturbing the peace, public intoxication, assault, drug possession, and theft.
33. Kelvin Malone (~1979-1999, lethal injection): Malone kidnapped at least 4 men and women, 62 year old William Parr, 55 year old Myrtle Benham, 51 year old Minnie White, and 39 year old James Rankin, in several robberies across California and Missouri. Most of his victims were shot in the head, but Benham was raped and beaten to death with a pipe. Belongings such as cars and credit cards were taken in the attacks. He was given a death sentence in both states, but chose to be incarcerated in California's San Quentin. Marlone was deported to Missouri when governor Mel Carnahan signed his death warrant. Beyond his murders, he was involved in several non fatal robbery abductions and robbed a judge at gunpoint in the man's own home.
34. James Rodden Jr. (1983-1999, lethal injection): Rodden got into a fight with his ex girlfriend on the phone, and threatened to have sex with Terry Trunnel, a 23 year old women he picked up from a bar, in an apparent attempt to make her jealous. After shouting more threats at his ex girlfriend, Rodden stabbed Trunnel and his roommate, 40 year old Joseph Arnold, to death. He then tried to burn their bodies in an attempt to destroy them.
35. Roy Roberts (~1970s-1999, lethal injection): In 1983, while serving an 18 year sentence for robbery, Roberts allegedly assisted in the stabbing death of Tom Jackson, a 62 year old correctional officer during a prison riot. His death sentence and execution was controversial due to wildly contradicting accounts from eyewitness testimonies. Some of the witnesses claimed to have seen him partaking in Jackson's murder, while others swore that they encountered Roberts in a different prison wing at the time of the murder. Roberts had other previous convictions such as theft and witness tampering at the time of the murder.
36. Roy Ramsey Jr. (1986-1999, lethal injection): Ramsay, his brother, and his brother's girlfriend held a couple, 65 year old Garrett and 63 year old Betty Ledford, at gunpoint after they opened their front door for them. The trio stole a combined total of $7,500 in cash, jewelry, silver coins, and guns, and shot both of the Ledfords dead. Ramsay had several previous robbery convictions, and sodomized a man during one of those incidents.
37. Ralph Davis (1986-1999, lethal injection): Davis shot his estranged wife, 35 year old Susan, to death in their car. Despite the fact that her body was never found, traces of Susan's blood and bone fragments were discovered in the vehicle. Furthermore, shotgun pellets were also recovered from the seats, and they matched to Davis' shotgun. He had a history of domestic abuse before the murder, and Susan's friends reported that Davis threatened to kill her when she filed for divorce.
38. Jessie Wise (1971-1999): In 1971, Wise ambushed 39 year old Ralph Gianino, and beat him to death with a pipe wrench. He then stole $26 from Gianino's wallet, and took his car on a joyride with the body still in the backseat. After Wise's capture, he was given a life sentence, but was paroled in 1983. A few years after his release, Wise went to the apartment of 49 year old Geraldine McDonald to discuss a job relating to washing her car. They got into an argument over money, and he beat her to death with a pipe wrench. Wise stole McDonald's credit cards, jewelry, and undisclosed amount of money. Some of the stolen jewelry was bartered for cocaine and the rest was given to his wife.
39. Bruce Kilgore (1979-1999, lethal injection): One of Kilgore's friends was fired from a restaurant after a coworker, 54 year old Marilyn Wilkins, reported him stealing food. Kilgore, the friend, and his friend then conspired a revenge scheme against Wilkins together. They accosted Wilkins in the restaurant's parking lot and dragged her into their car. During the abduction, Kilgore and his accomplices snatched her rings, slit her throat, and sold two of the stolen rings to a pawn shop. Kilgore had several robbery convictions prior to Wilkins' murder.
40. Robert Walls (1984-1999, lethal injection): Walls and two accomplices forced themselves inside the home of 88 year old Fred Hampton. They attacked Hampton, and broke several of his ribs and fractured his skull in a beating. Hampton was then stuffed alive in a freezer, and he succumbed to a combination of suffocation, hypothermia, and his injuries. The trio stole $100 and Hampton's car in the robbery. Walls had several robbery convictions prior to the murder.
41. David Leisure (~1980s-1999, lethal injection): Leisure, a Syrian immigrant, operated as an enforcer for the Leisure gang, a criminal syndicate under the rule of his cousins. During a gang war over the control of a labor union, he assassinated 75 year old James Michael Sr., a rival crime boss, with a car bomb.
42. James Hampton (~1950s-2000, lethal injection): Hampton abducted 58 year old Frances Keaton and her fiance Allen Mulholland in their own home. He bound them both and demanded $30,000 at gunpoint. After he detected the presence of arriving police officers with a police scanner, Hampton dragged Keaton to his car, and left Mulholland tied up alone in the house. Not wanting to be encumbered with a hostage while on the run, he beat Keaton to death with a hammer, buried her body, and burned her belongings. Hampton fled to New Jersey, and shot and killed 48 year old Christine Schurman during a botched kidnapping. He had spent most of his life in and out of prison for various crimes such as robbery, assault, and drug trafficking, and was first arrested at the age of 11.
43. Bert Hunter (~1963-2000, lethal injection): In 1968, Hunter shot and killed 64 year old John Lyle while robbing his tavern. He was given a life sentence for the murder, but was able to leave prison on parole in the 70s. After his release, Hunter partnered up with another ex convict, Tomas Ervin, for several robbery schemes. They invaded the home that 75 year old Mildred Hodges shared with her 49 year old son Richard. Hunter and Ervin bound the mother and son with duct tape, and ransacked the house for money. Despite their captives' desperate pleas for their lives, the pair suffocated them both with plastic bags. The pair then stole the Hodges' car and burned it in a motel parking lot. Hunter had several burglary arrests as a teenager.
44. Gary Roll (1992-2000, lethal injection): Roll and two other robbers tricked 47 year old Sherry Scheper into letting them inside her home by posing as police officers. They forced Sherry and her 17 year old son Randy to lie on the ground at gunpoint. After he shot Randy in the head, Roll beat Sherry to death with the butt of his gun. The trio also encountered Sherry's older son, 22 year old Curtis, and they fatally stabbed him during a scuffle. A total of $215 and some bags of marijuana were stolen in the robbery.
45. George Harris (~1982-2000, lethal injection): Harris entrusted his illegal submachine guns that he won in a crabs game to a friend for safe keeping. The friend then tasked his younger brothers with hiding the firearms, which they hid in the home of 20 year old Stanley Willoughby without telling him. When Harris returned to retrieve his guns, the friend redirected him to Willoughby's house. However, Willoughby had no clue of what Harris was talking about when he asked for his guns back. It quickly turned into a heated argument, and Harris shot and killed Willoughby out of anger. Years before he murdered Willoughby, Harris was arrested and convicted for armed robbery. He was also captured weeks after the killing while committing another armed robbery.
46. James Chambers (~1971-2000, lethal injection): Chambers struck 33 year old Jerry Oestricker in the head with his pistol and shot and killed him during a bar fight. He also had previous convictions of fraud, burglary, and attempted murder. The attempted murder conviction was for an incident involving him shooting a man in another bar fight.
47. Stanley Lingar (1985-2001, lethal injection): After Lingar lured 16 year old Thomas Allen into his jeep, he tried to force him to masturbate at gunpoint. When Allen was too terrified to obey, Lingar shot him. Allen survived the initial shooting, but he was finished off by a beating with a tire iron and Lingar running him over with the jeep. His execution was a source of minor controversy, as Lingar claimed that he was condemned solely for his sexuality.
48. Tomas Ervin (~1967-2001, lethal injection): In 1967, Ervin stabbed Robert Berry, a 36 year old cab driver, to death in a robbery, and was given a life sentence. After he was paroled in the 80s, he linked up with the above mentioned Bert Hunter, and assisted him in the robbery murders of Mildred and Richard Hodges.
49. Mose Young Jr. (1975-2001, lethal injection): Young fatally shot 3 pawn shop employees, 80 year old Sol Marks, 33 year old James Scneider, and 22 year old Kent Bicknese, after they refused to buy stolen jewelry from him. A fourth employee, who was also Mark's grandson, was injured in the shooting. He had a long criminal history, which included convictions for drug possession and first degree assault.

DAY: MAY 2 2024

• 5-2-2024 COMPANY WILL PAY $6.5 BILLION TO SETTLE TALC OVARIAN CANCER LAWSUITS Johnson & Johnson announced Wednesday that it would pay out more than $6.5 billion over the next 25 years to settle existing lawsuits claiming that its talc-containing products caused ovarian cancer. The settlement still awaits approval from claimants. Claims from consumers that baby powders and other J & J talc-based products cause ovarian cancer have dogged the company for years, leading J & J to discontinue sales of these products.
• 5-2-2024 ECONOMY, ELECTION SPUR RISING ANXIETY AMONG AMERICANS IN 2024 A looming presidential election, continued economic struggles and the threat of gun violence have a rising number of Americans more anxious this year compared to last, a new poll finds. The survey, conducted in early April among 2,000 adults by the American Psychiatric Association (APA), found 43% of respondents saying they were more anxious this year than last. That’s a higher percentage than was found in polls conducted in 2023 (37%) or 2022 (32%) , the APA noted. Seventy percent of adults say they’re worried about current events
• 5-2-2024 HOW MUCH TIME SHOULD YOU SPEND SITTING VERSUS STANDING? NEW RESEARCH REVEALS THE PERFECT MIX FOR OPTIMAL HEALTH People have a pretty intuitive sense of what is healthy—standing is better than sitting, exercise is great for overall health and getting good sleep is imperative. However, if exercise in the evening may disrupt our sleep, or make us feel the need to be more sedentary to recover, a key question emerges—what is the best way to balance our 24 hours to optimize our health?
• 5-2-2024 TOXIC GAS ADDS TO A LONG HISTORY OF POLLUTION IN SOUTHWEST MEMPHIS For many years, Rose Sims had no idea what was going on inside a nondescript brick building on Florida Street a couple of miles from her modest one-story home on the southwestern side of town. Like other residents, she got an unwelcome surprise in October 2022. The EPA notified the predominantly Black community that Sterilization Services of Tennessee —which began operations in the brick building
  
• 5-2-2024 BRAIN CANCER IN CHILDREN IS NOTORIOUSLY HARD TO TREAT—A NEW MRNA CANCER VACCINE TRIGGERS AN ATTACK FROM WITHIN Brain cancers remain among the most challenging tumors to treat. They often don’t respond to traditional treatments because many chemotherapies are unable to penetrate the protective barrier around the brain. Other treatments like radiation and surgery can leave patients with lifelong debilitating side effects. As a result, brain cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death in children.
  
• 5-2-2024 HERE’S HOW YOU CAN TALK TO YOUR KIDS ABOUT GENDERED VIOLENCE, AND SEVEN WAYS TO MODEL GOOD BEHAVIOR Children and young people may be seeing news headlines about men murdering women or footage of people rallying to call for action. Perhaps they or their friends have even gone to the protests. As Australia confronts the shocking numbers of men murdering women, children and young people may have questions or want to talk about violence against women and children. If you are a parent you may also be wondering how you can help your child develop the attitudes and skills they need to have healthy and respectful relationships
  
• 5-2-2024DECLINE IN CIGARETTES SMOKED PER DAY IN ENGLAND IS STALLING A decade-long decline in the number of cigarettes a smoker has per day has stalled, with some people actually smoking more, according to a new study by UCL researchers. Researchers found that the average person who smokes dropped from smoking 14 cigarettes per day
  
• 5-2-2024SEVERE COMPLICATION FROM LUNG TRANSPLANTATION HAS BEEN UNDERESTIMATED, RESEARCHERS FIND PLS (passenger lymphocyte syndrome) is a potentially life-threatening risk in lung transplants that has hardly been researched and is often underestimated in clinical practice. However, the complication occurs more frequently than previously thought
  
• 5-2-2024SURGEONS PERFORM FIRST-EVER DUAL ROBOTIC SURGERY ON PATIENT WITH LYMPHEDEMA AFTER BREAST SURGERY UZ Brussel UZ Brussel is the first hospital worldwide to perform dual-robot assisted lymphedema surgery. The main advantage of this approach is that it is much less invasive for the patient, resulting in less pain and less time spent in hospital. Moreover, robot-assisted surgery is significantly more accurate than conventional surgery.
  
• 5-2-2024WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT BIRD FLU—AN INFECTIOUS DISEASE PHYSICIAN EXPLAINS In light of the United States Food and Drug Administration’s announcement that bird flu has been discovered in cow’s milk, board-certified infectious disease physician Carl Abraham, M.D., shares insights on what the general public should know.
  
• 5-2-2024PREGNANCY-RELATED DEATHS HAVE FALLEN TO PRE-PANDEMIC LEVELS, NEW US DATA SAYS In 2023, U.S. pregnancy-related deaths fell back to pre-pandemic levels, according to data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Thursday, May 2, 2024.
  
• 5-2-2024AT LEAST 9 DEAD, DOZENS TREATED IN TEXAS CAPITAL AFTER UNUSUAL SPIKE IN OVERDOSES Authorities in Texas are investigating at least nine deaths this week in connection with an unusual spike of opioid overdoses in Austin that health officials are calling the city’s worst overdose outbreak in nearly a decade.
  
• 5-2-2024ANALYSIS OF FLOUR AND RICE SHOWS HIGH LEVELS OF HARMFUL FUNGAL TOXINS Exposure to mycotoxins through food can trigger a range of health problems, especially in children and adolescents. By analyzing samples of flour and rice stored in homes
  
• 5-2-2024NEW LINKS BETWEEN BACTEREMIA AND PROBIOTIC USE Detailed clinical information on five cases. Probiotics offer a range of health benefits, but their adverse effects can occasionally lead to bacteremia, wherein bacteria circulate in the bloodstream throughout the body. In Japan, Clostridium butyricum
  
• 5-2-2024SMOKING DURING PREGNANCY MAY RAISE ODDS OF OVERWEIGHT CHILDREN New research has turned up another reason for women to avoid smoking during pregnancy. A recent study published in the journal Gut Microbes has found an association between mothers smoking during pregnancy and a higher risk of their children becoming overweight or obese.
  
• 5-2-2024SWEDISH MOUNTAIN RESCUE SHOULD WORK MORE WITH DROWNING AND OTHER RISKS, REVEALS STUDY A new study analyzes Swedish Police mountain rescue data and describes all known mountain rescue missions during the past five years—a total of 1,543 mountain rescue operations. The results show that Jämtland had the highest proportion of missions (38%), followed by Norrbotten county (36%).
  
• 5-2-2024US MATERNAL MORTALITY RETURNED TO PRE-PANDEMIC LEVEL IN 2022 The US maternal mortality rate in 2022 returned to the same level as two years prior, after a spike in 2021 amid the COVID-19 pandemic, health authorities announced Thursday.
  
• 5-2-2024MEXICO EMERGES AS A DESTINATION FOR AMERICANS SEEKING REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH SERVICES—NOT FOR THE FIRST TIME When its six-week abortion ban went into effect on May 1, 2024, Florida joined nearly two dozen other U.S. states that ban abortion or greatly restrict it. These laws came into effect after the Supreme Court’s 2022 decision
  
• 5-2-2024RESEARCHERS DEVELOP FLUORESCENCE-BASED SENSOR THAT MEASURES OXYGEN CONTENT OF BREATH The noninvasive miniature sensor can be incorporated into existing ventilation equipment via a T-connector. Oxygen saturation in the blood that is either too low or too high can cause lasting physical harm or even death. This is why patients’ oxygen concentrations are monitored continuously in both intensive care and trauma units.
  
• 5-2-2024PSYCHOLOGIST SAYS OUR OWN ENJOYMENT OF NATURE CAN ALSO BENEFIT EARTH ITSELF Have you heard that getting out into nature can be good for your health? While native and indigenous people have known this for millennia, modern scientific pursuits are finally catching up, and some doctors are writing formal prescriptions that recommend their patients spend more quality time in green and blue spaces to improve their health. Even as little as 120 minutes per week can do the trick. To capitalize on the power of the prescription, nature prescription programs, often known as “Nature RX,” have been gaining popularity across the U.S. Read More Read More
  
• 5-2-2024WEB PLATFORM AND APP AIM TO IMPROVE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR PEOPLE WITH PARKINSON’S DISEASE The Active PD app gives people with Parkinson’s disease a way to test their motor skills and answer questions about their overall wellbeing. Credit: Fraunhofer FIT Parkinson’s disease is one of the most prevalent neurodegenerative conditions worldwide. It causes motor impairments such as tremors, slow movement, muscle stiffness, and balance problems. Memory can also worsen as the disease progresses.
  
• 5-2-2024SYNCHRONIZATION BETWEEN CENTRAL AND CIRCADIAN CLOCKS OF TISSUES FOUND TO PRESERVE THEIR FUNCTIONING, PREVENT AGING
  
• 5-2-2024STUDY IN WOMEN SHOWS SIGNIFICANT LINK BETWEEN REGULAR EXERCISE DURING MIDDLE-AGE AND PHYSICAL HEALTH IN LATER LIFE
  
• 5-2-2024SEA SLUGS INSPIRE HIGHLY STRETCHABLE BIOMEDICAL SENSOR
  
• 5-2-2024RESEARCHERS DISCOVER HOW IMMUNE B CELLS HUNT DOWN CANCER AROUND THE BODY
  
• 5-2-2024MOST CAREGIVERS ARE ILL-PREPARED FOR THEIR OWN HOSPITALIZATION
  
• 5-2-2024MORE EFFICIENT WAYS TO MONITOR PATIENT VITAL SIGNS DEVELOPED IN NHS HOSPITALS
  
• 5-2-2024ADDING AI TO ARTIFICIAL PANCREAS ENHANCES EFFICIENCY, STUDY FINDS
  
• 5-2-2024STUDY FINDS METFORMIN REDUCES COVID-19 VIRAL LOAD, VIRAL REBOUND
  
• 5-2-2024STUDY ELUCIDATES HOW ENERGY METABOLISM IS REGULATED AT CELLULAR LEVEL
  
• 5-2-2024RESEARCH SHOWS HOW LOW INTENSITY LIGHT APPLIED TO BRAIN-GUT AXIS CAN FIGHT THE EFFECTS OF CHRONIC STRESS
  
• 5-2-2024HEALTH-RELATED COSTS TOP OLDER ADULTS’ CONCERNS FOR PEOPLE THEIR AGE, POLL FINDS
  
• 5-2-2024SCIENTISTS TRACK ‘DOUBLING’ IN ORIGIN OF CANCER CELLS
  
• 5-2-2024WILL THE MOVEMENT TO LEGALIZE PSYCHEDELICS SUCCEED?
  
• 5-2-2024DIETARY CHANGES MAY HELP TREAT PULMONARY HYPERTENSION
  
• 5-2-2024WEIGHT-LOSS SURGERY BEFORE KIDNEY TRANSPLANTATION HAS BENEFITS, STUDY SHOWS
  
• 5-2-2024CLINICAL TRIAL SHOWS LIVER PATIENTS SEE BENEFITS AFTER GOING MEATLESS FOR ONE MEAL
  
• 5-2-2024VASCULAR PROBLEMS ARE DIFFERENT FOR WOMEN
  
• 5-2-2024NON-WHITE PEDESTRIANS MORE OFTEN END UP IN THE ER FOR VEHICLE-RELATED INJURIES, REPORT SHOWS
  
• 5-2-2024AMERICAN ADULTS POLLED EXPRESS INCREASING ANXIOUSNESS—STRESS, SLEEP KEY FACTORS IMPACTING MENTAL HEALTH
  
• 5-2-2024CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS ENJOY LEARNING NEW WORDS, STUDY FINDS
  
• 5-2-2024SHOULD YOU BE WORRIED ABOUT BIRD FLU IN YOUR MILK? FOOD SAFETY EXPERT EXPLAINS THE DANGERS OF CONSUMING RAW DAIRY
  
• 5-2-2024BANKING BEHAVIOR COULD BE USED TO DETECT EARLY ALZHEIMER’S, FINDS NEW RESEARCH
  
• 5-2-2024INHERITED TRAITS CAN BE OVERSTATED, STUDY SHOWS
  
• 5-2-2024NO NEED TO CHANGE THE DIAGNOSTIC CRITERIA FOR GESTATIONAL DIABETES IN FINLAND, SAYS STUDY
  
• 5-2-2024A NEW FORM OF MPOX THAT MAY SPREAD MORE EASILY FOUND IN CONGO’S BIGGEST OUTBREAK
  
• 5-2-2024STUDY REVEALS HIDDEN DIVERSITY OF INNATE IMMUNE CELLS
  
• 5-2-2024STUDY FINDS YOUNG ADULTS REDUCED DRINKING DURING AND AFTER PANDEMIC
  
• 5-2-2024HEART HEALTH VARIES WITH RACE AMONG SEXUAL-MINORITY FEMALES
  
• 5-2-2024AVOID RAW MILK TO CUT RISK OF BIRD FLU, OFFICIALS URGE
  
• 5-2-2024PEDIATRIC RESOURCE USE LESS LIKELY WITH LEGALIZATION OF RECREATIONAL CANNABIS, STUDY FINDS
  
• 5-2-2024FLORIDA COUNTY WILL BE ONE OF THE FIRST IN THE NATION TO DISPATCH A DRONE THAT RESPONDS TO 911 CALLS
  
• 5-2-2024TOXIC GAS ADDS TO A LONG HISTORY OF POLLUTION IN SOUTHWEST MEMPHIS
  
• 5-2-2024A PROMISING NEW TREATMENT STRATEGY FOR DEADLY FLU-RELATED BRAIN DISORDERS
  
• 5-2-2024SCIENTISTS IDENTIFY NEW TREATMENT TARGET FOR LEADING CAUSE OF BLINDNESS
  
• 5-2-2024STUDY PINPOINTS CELL THAT HELPS LIVER HEAL
  
• 5-2-2024TURNING A TUMOR’S ‘SHIELD’ INTO A WEAPON AGAINST ITSELF
  
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Good morning LA,
My fiancée and I are from Miami. She is traveling to Pomona in two weeks for work. We figured that we could fly into LA earlier that week and stay/explore for our 10 year anniversary. We are getting married back in Miami in June and won’t be taking an instant honey moon, so we want to do something niceish to commemorate everything we’re going through. We’re very excited to try the different types of cuisine that we may not find as easily in South Florida. We plan to hit up the different Museums and do some window shopping around Rodeo Drive, West Hollywood and The Grove (my fiancée likes luxury shopping, even if we don’t always buy something during our trips to higher end malls). We’ll definitely explore the Hollywood Walk of Fame and other landmarks! Universal might be too ambitious for us.
I originally thought we were going to stay at either the Beverly Wilshire or the Cameo Beverly Hills (formerly Mr. C’s) on my corporate rate. However, the Cameo doesn’t have availability on the day we land in LA, and the Beverly Wilshire no longer has standard rooms available— only mid-tiehigher end ones, which even with my discount ($415/night + taxes) get pricey, especially for what is really a two/three day stay. I figured we can cut back slightly on the hotel to enjoy some more meals, etc. also, considering that we’re getting married in June and are paying for pretty much our entire wedding, we should try to save where we can lol. I was looking forward to using the hotel car service at the Beverly Wilshire for short, 2 mile trips and saving on Uber but oh well.
I looked around and saw the following ideas for where we could stay:

• The W West Beverly Hills
• The Beverly Hilton
• The Kimpton Hotel Wilshire
• The Roosevelt Hollywood

I’ve heard all of the above can be hit-or-miss. It is to my understanding that The W West Beverly Hills is situated in a more residential area by UCLA that is further away from all the action. The Beverly Hilton also seems to have the most varied reviews out of all the above for cleanliness, occasionally spotty service etc. The Kimpton hotels seem to be OK compared to other Kimptons around the US. And finally, people seem to love the Roosevelt but recommend staying in the middle of Hollywood. I’ve thought about staying in Downtown LA since we live in the Brickell neighborhood of Miami, but LA-based people at my firm tell me to stay away from hotels in Downtown LA, and that it couldn’t be any more different from Brickell/urban core Miami in terms of nightlife, safety etc. Maybe they’re just biased towards Beverly Hills 🤷‍♂️?
Ideally, we won’t book a car until we check out of our hotel and head up to Pomona for a day. We’ll drive back after doing what we need to do, so we’ll have the rental car for about 24-48 hrs in LA Proper before flying back to Miami. I just can’t fathom paying $55-65/night for valet parking at a lot of these hotels SMH.
Thanh you all! Looking forward to visiting your beautiful city/county soon!

Anyone know where the cheapest places in Brampton that I can buy cigarettes from. Because I swear I would be buying a pall mall smooth small size for like $17 that's too much for a small size.

I’m used to non-filter Camel, Lucky Strike and Pall Mall cigarettes, had a friends American Spirit blue RYO which I liked and thought I’d try a few different brands that were available at a smoke shop. So far have had the Bugler Gold and they’re pretty mild. What a fun way to smoke!

Customer: (walks in, goes up to the counter) I want a pack.
Me: …a pack of what?
Customer: a pack of cigarettes.
We have a wall of cigarettes, with 9 rows, which have on average 10 variations each.
Me: What kind..?
Customer: Pall Mall.
There’s 3 possible colors…
Me: What color..?
Customer: Orange.
…each of which can be either the regular length or long.
Me: Short or 100s..?
Customer: 100s.
Like, holy shit. idk what was going through his head.

When I turned 18 I bought a pack of Marlboros just because I legally could and decided I would quit after one pack. I have successfully kicked the habit but I can't stop hyperfixating on smoking. I have done an immense amount of research and I know all the brands, ingredients of herbal cigarettes, and am learning to identify cigarette brands by smell. I can semi-reliably identify Marlboro, Camel, and Pall Mall so far. I also learned how to pack and clean a pipe and have looked into other smokeable herbs such as cannabis, kratom, wild lettuce, and kanna. I feel like this isn't a healthy interest but I don't know how to stop. Any advice?

We've all wanted to go back to a time we're familiar with, I'm sure. No matter what year, what decade, what age, there is always a golden time where you felt like things were good as they could be. For many of us, it may include a couple of decades. Mine was in the late 80's and the early to middle 90's and finally, the late 90's. In this experience, it'll be the late 90's. From 1997-2000.
I've spent 16+ years abroad by this time without visiting home once. I've seen some changes throughout my town (Warner Robins, Georgia) over Google Earth but in my mind, "it wasn't too different".
I left in March of 2000 to live in Scandinavia. I finally returned in 2016. I remember the airport doors open in Atlanta to the outside and I was rushed with the heat and humidity and that Georgia smell. I was home, finally home.
On my ride back, we stopped at a Waffle House. I hadn't been to a Waffle House in almost two decades. It was nice. I had a Patty Melt and a real Georgia sweet tea. It was like I never left!
Or so it felt until I got back home. It was around 2 A.M. and I wanted to go to Walmart before we got home! Gone was the classic Wal*Mart from my youth, instead replaced by a "Super Walmart". I remember last time I was at a "Super" Walmart was in the mid 90's in Pensacola, Florida. So not too unfamiliar, it was weird to think that Wal*Mart was no more, it was just Walmart. It felt good wandering the isles again, hearing the sounds of a few people doing the same. Looking at the arts and craft section, marveling at the electronics section what was walled off when I used to visit now open.
Then we head home after some time, the house my grandparents bought as it was being built in 1997 was virtually the same! Except, my grandfather wasn't around to greet me, nor our cat that died a couple of years earlier that we got in Pensacola around 1994. She was old, but acted like a kitten and would have lived to 20+ if it wasn't for a car killing her. But besides this, I walked into a time capsule called my room. 95% of everything was like it was. My futon, entertainment section, it was all there. I opened my closet, my 90's black Calvin Klein vest was still hanging there. Almost everything was where I had left it!
It was a treasure trove of nostalgia!
Then I fell asleep in my Futon that I last slept on in 2000. The next day we went out to eat and my grandmother was going to show me around to see all the changes. And you bet, I wore that black 90's vest! lol
So we drive then my grandmother says, "Do you know where we are?". I looked around almost frantically until I finally laid eyes on an old gas station still up and running then it hit me, "Oh, we're here!". The the right of me was now a Neighborhood Walmart, the left Lo Lo's (great place to buy discounted cigarettes lol). Where the Neighborhood Walmart was, used to stand an old grocery store my high school friend worked at.
We drive past my old High School, Northside, almost exactly the same except the temporary classroom trailers were gone and the entrance was remodeled as was the theatric theater we had plays in. But besides that, outside was virtually untouched.
The mall though, it's still hanging on! I walked inside, 98% the same. Just some stores gone, the arcade and KB Toys were gone. There was also a weird feature of some stairs that went down to no-where, those were gone as well.
The main street is all difference, K-Mart? The building is still there, as was the old entrance. The steakhouse across the parking lot is now a Mexican place (good too). But Hardy's still there. Po-Folks? Gone. I used to like it. Tons and tons of hotels and strip malls now.
Toys'R'Us was still there and I got to walk the isles one last time. You could tell this specific store was really on its last legs. But again, it was Toys'R'Us so I was happy to be there one last time!
The Museum of Aviation was almost exactly the same inside, except the little cafeteria in the 2nd or so story was gone. I'd get a hot dog back in the day there.
My best friends house still looked identical, but he has long since moved on.
Now our old house is now gone, so is my grandmother. I miss her greatly.
Now, in 2024 / 2025 I'll be heading back to San Antonio to visit my old elementary school (Millers Point represent!). Less than 500 feet away was our old house. This will be better sweet. As my grandmother, grandfather and uncle who lived there with me are now gone. Memories of the past that are still alive in a weird way. It'll be interesting to walk the streets I played on as a kid in the late 80's. See the houses of my old friends who have since moved on.
It's both nostalgic, eerie and heart breaking. Time moves, if you stand your ground like a rock you will be worn down over time and miss making new memories.
Thanks for reading. I realize this may not be as interesting for you as the experience was for me. But I will never forget standing in the Georgia sun again after 16 years. Or the rush of heat that rushed me at the airport as if it embraced me welcoming me home.