South of the Saint Marys River - Stories from the History of Northeast Florida

  Florida State Prison (formerly Raiford Prison) had it's humble beginning in the early 20th century as a farm designed to temporarily hold offenders deemed too infirm to work on chain gangs.  Today, it is a high security institution confining Florida's most dangerous criminals and the home of it's death chamber.   Florida Felons: Stories from the History of Raiford Prison  traces the history of Florida's only named "prison" through the eyes of those unfortunate people who spent time within it's walls. From the author of the Amazon Best Seller  South of the St. Marys River: Stories from the History of Northeast Florida , the new book,  Florida Felons , examines the history of Florida State Prison through the lives of some of Florida's most unusual criminals.  Each story is as unique as the individual behind it, from the youthful indiscretions that blossomed into lifelong sentences to the harrowing circumstances that forced individuals into a life ...

On May 13, 1980, Judy Buenoano decided to take her three children (Michael – age 19, James – age 14 and Kimberly – age 13) on a fishing trip.  They drove to the East River, about a half-hour from their home in Gulf Breeze, Florida .  Kimberly was left on shore while the other three boarded a two-person canoe.  James was in the front, Judy was in the back, and Michael was seated between them in a folding lawn chair because he had just been fitted with braces on both his legs and his right arm. About two hours into the trip the canoe capsized throwing all three into the water.  Judy and James stayed afloat and were rescued by a passing boater.  Michael, having no function in his arms or legs and weighed down by his heavy metallic braces sank to the bottom of the river and died. This is the story of Judy Buenoano, dubbed “the Black Widow” by prosecutors and the press, who on March 30, 1998 became the first woman to die in Florida ’s electric chair. Judias (Ju...

This article is reprinted from the book   Florida Felons: Stories from the History of Raiford Prison On July 27, 1981 Reve Walsh took her six year old, Adam shopping at a Sears store in Hollywood , Florida .  She left him playing video games in the toy department for a few minutes.  When she returned Adam was nowhere to be found.  Two weeks later the boy’s head was discovered by fishermen in a canal near Vero Beach , nearly 120 miles away.  Adam’s body was never found.  Over the following years, Adam’s father, John Walsh, became an activist on behalf of murdered and missing children and went on to host the television show “ America ’s Most Wanted.” While the case was never officially solved, both the police and John Walsh believe they know who was responsible for Adam’s abduction and murder:  Ottis Elwood Toole of Jacksonville , Florida . Ottis Elwood Toole was born in the Springfield area of Jacksonville on March 5, 1947.  As a young boy, ...