Where is serial killer Bobby Joe Long now?

4 June 2021, 15:33 | Updated: 12 July 2021, 19:21

By Radio X

@RadioX

Believe Me is a film adaptation based on the true events of the 1984 abduction of Lisa McVey.

Trigger warning: The following article contains themes of sexual assault and abuse that some readers may find upsetting.

Based on the harrowing true story of Lisa McVey, Believe Me is a gripping portrayal of the Tampa Bay teenager's abduction.

Not only was she kidnapped by Bobby Joe Long, McVey was then continually raped and held captive for a 26-hour period.

Upon her escape, however, police met her account with disbelief.

Here, we take a look at the true story of serial killer Bobby Joe Long, as the movie lands on Netflix.

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Who was Bobby Joe Long?

Born in Kenova, West Virginia in 1953, Long was a serial killer and rapist who attacked women in the Tampa Bay area in the 1984.

Long married his high school girlfriend in 1974, with whom he had two children. She then filed for divorce in 1980.

According to reports, Long had committed at least 50 rapes before embarking on an eight-month killing spree.

Lisa McVey was the only survivor.

Whilst in his apartment, the 17-year-old touched various surfaces in an attempt to leave her DNA behind, and made notes of clues, such as the assailant's facial features and the building itself, in order to assist police later on.

She was eventually allowed to go and recalls the moment she took her blindfold off: “When he released me and drove off, I took off my blindfold and saw this amazing oak tree. I had wanted to die before and now I wanted to live, I got a second chance at life.”

McVey has since worked at the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office for nearly two decades, and has also been working as a School Resource Officer.

When was Bobby Joe Long caught?

Bobby was eventually arrested outside a Florida movie theatre in November that year.

He was charged with sexual battery and the kidnapping of McVey, before police linked him to several murder cases.

McVey played a key part in leading the investigators to Long.

How many women did he kill?

Long eventually confessed to killing ten women and pleaded guilty at his trial in 1985.

According to the Florida Department of Corrections, received one five-year sentence, four 99-year sentences, 28 life sentences, and one death sentence.

What happened to Lisa McVey's attacker?

Bobby Joe Long was executed via lethal injection on May 23, 2019 - more 30 years after his conviction.

Long's last meal consisted of roast beef, bacon, french fries and soda.

His death warrant was the first to be signed by the newly-appointed Florida Governor, Ron DeSantis.

Believe Me is available to stream on Netflix now