FL FL - Ocala Natl Forest Could Loran Cole be a serial killer?

[deathrowstories]

Myname is Chris Dahl. I recently finishe da series of books on inmates awaiting death in the Union Correctional Institution in Raiford, Florida. One of the subjects of the books is a guy named Loran Cole (the book is Meet the Devil: The Loran Cole Story). I have read and re-read his storyu in particular and aside frombeing a very brutal story, it seems to have some holes in it. There are gaps in his chronology and it seems he was wandering the country for long periods of time and i doubt he was not active in crime. So how can we solve it? He claims to have killed the nephew of senator John Edwards in the Ocala National Forest. Anyone have any sort of leads or knowledge I might now have on this guy? You can check out some of the book at www.death-row-stories.com. Appreciate any input at all.

[bessie]

Here are links to early articles.

Published February 23, 1994

A teen-aged male camper was beaten to death and his sister was raped last weekend while camping a Florida national forest, and on Monday two men were charged with the crimes.One of the men had been released from a state prison in June after serving less than a third of his sentence.

http://www.nytimes.com/1994/02/23/us...al-forest.html

September 29, 1995|By Lesley Clark of The Sentinel Staff


OCALA — A drifter with a long criminal history was convicted Thursday of first-degree murder, kidnapping and rape in the 1994 slaying of a Florida State University student and assault of his sister in the Ocala National Forest...


John Timothy Edwards and his sister, then a senior at Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, were camping near Hopkins Prairie in February 1994 when they were lured down a forest path and attacked by Cole and William Christopher Paul.


http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/...s-cole-gleason


He has a long criminal history of burglary and theft, but he was never a murder suspect. Still, it's conceivable that he killed before the Edwards murder and rape. I think we can leave the thread open in this forum and see what time will tell.

[Sleuthster]

It's a possibility, but in all actuality many killers are caught after their first kill. It's basically a crime of opportunity. In this case, hiding out in the Ocala National Forest these 2 dumbarses came across the brother and sister and acted on the oppportunity IMO. Loren Cole was also released from prison only 8 months before this horrible crime. Now do I think he could have committed other crimes? Most definitely, especially robbery, car theft, etc.

I read Bessie's links and it is a sad case.