Oba Chandler

Serial Killer

Oba Chandler

Overview

Oba Chandler was a Florida murderer and sexual predator whose crimes became associated with one of the most notorious homicide investigations in the history of the Tampa Bay area. Chandler was convicted of murdering Joan "Jo" Rogers and her teenage daughters, Michelle and Christe Rogers, during their 1989 vacation in Florida. More than two decades later, improved DNA testing posthumously connected him to the 1990 rape and murder of 20-year-old Ivelisse Berrios-Beguerisse in South Florida. The additional DNA identification established that Chandler had killed in separate incidents more than a year apart. Chandler was born on October 11, 1946, in Cincinnati, Ohio. By adulthood he had accumulated a lengthy criminal history that included burglary, robbery and other offenses. He eventually moved to Florida, where he worked in the aluminum-siding business and owned a powerboat. His ability to present himself as friendly and helpful became a significant feature of the crimes later attributed to him. Investigators concluded that he could gain a stranger's confidence before placing the person in a situation where escape or outside assistance was difficult.

The Rogers Family Vacation

Joan Rogers, 36, and her daughters Michelle, 17, and Christe, 14, lived with their family on a dairy farm in Ohio. In May 1989, the three left Ohio for a Florida vacation. It was a major trip for the mother and daughters, taking them through the Orlando area and eventually to Tampa. On June 1, 1989, they checked into a Days Inn in Tampa. During the afternoon of June 1, the Rogers women encountered Chandler near a Tampa convenience store or gas station while seeking directions. Chandler acknowledged at his later trial that he met the family and gave them directions. He wrote those directions on a brochure that the women kept. That apparently ordinary encounter became one of the most important pieces of the eventual murder investigation. Evidence indicated that Chandler offered the women an opportunity to take a boat ride on Tampa Bay. Photographs taken by the Rogers family during their final hours included a sunset over the water. The women left their motel and traveled to a boat ramp along the Courtney Campbell Causeway. Their automobile was subsequently found there. ...

Confirmed Victims: (4)

Joan Mae Rogers Age: (36), Date of Death: June 1, 1989

Oba Chandler - Wikipedia