Daniel Conahan
Encyclopedia
Daniel Owen Conahan, Jr. (born May 11, 1954) is a convicted
American murder
er and suspected serial killer
. Conahan was convicted of one murder but has been linked to over a dozen murders, mostly of homosexual
men in the Charlotte County, Florida
area in what came to be known as the Hog Trail Murders.
and moved with his family to Punta Gorda, Florida
shortly after birth. His parents expressed displeasure at his homosexuality during his high school years and sent him to a psychiatrist
. He graduated Miami Norland High School in 1973 and joined the United States Navy
in 1977, stationed at Naval Station Great Lakes
in Illinois
. In 1978, he was nearly court-martial
ed for homosexual solicitation and was discharged
a few months later after more homosexual behavior triggered a large fight.
After his Navy discharge, Conahan stayed in Chicago
for 13 years before moving back to Punta Gorda to live with his elderly parents in 1993. In 1995, he became a licensed practical nurse
, graduating at the top of his class from Charlotte Vocational-Technical Center. He was employed by Charlotte Regional Medical Center
in Punta Gorda.
family's dog brought home a male human skull. Police eventually pieced together much of a skeleton and determined that the genitalia had been cut out, similar to the 1994 victim. The North Port skeleton was also never identified. A third man's mutilated body was discovered in North Port on March 7, 1996. He had been killed only 10 days earlier. He also remained unidentified until June 1999 when he was identified as John William Melaragno.
Another man's skull was found in Charlotte County on April 17, 1996. Police searched the surrounding woods and found the rest of the man as well as a second body. The second was a man who had been raped, murdered and mutilated only the day before, and was identified as Richard Allen Montgomery. The first body was later identified as Kenneth Lee Smith. Speculation became rampant about a serial killer and the media dubbed the murders "The Hog Trail Killings".
police report where Stanley Burden had been propositioned, tied to a tree, and nearly strangled. Burden survived and even had rope scars on his body two years later. Conahan's credit cards were subpoena
ed and his house was searched turning up evidence linking him to Burden and Richard Montgomery. On July 3, 1996, Conahan was arrested and brought to Lee County
for the attempted murder
of Burden. The following February, he was charged with the murder of Montgomery while the Burden attempted murder charges were dropped.
While Conahan awaited trial, another skeleton was found in Charlotte County on May 22, 1997. 10 months later, DNA
identified the remains as William Charles Patten who had disappeared in 1993.
on August 9, 1999. The star witness was Stanley Burden who had been nearly killed in 1994. Conahan's attorney rebutted that Burden was an imprisoned pedophile
, serving a 10- to 25-year sentence in Ohio
. On August 17, 1999, Judge William Blackwell deliberated for 25 minutes and found Conahan guilty of first-degree premeditated murder and kidnapping. Conahan succeeded in moving the penalty phase of his trial to Collier County
but, in November, a jury recommended a sentence of death and Judge Blackwell agreed on December 10.
Several more bodies were discovered in the Charlotte County area with similarities to the Hog Trail Killings: one in 2000, two in 2001, and one in 2002. On March 23, 2007, eight skulls and skeletal remains were found in a wooded area in Fort Myers, the largest such discovery in Florida history. Although a connection to a closed funeral home was considered possible, speculation soon turned to Conahan. Stanley Burden, the star witness at Conahan's trial, had been attacked within a mile of the site where the eight skeletons were found. Two were later identified as men who had disappeared in 1995.
Conahan is currently housed at Union Correctional Institution
in Raiford, Florida
.
.
Conviction
In law, a conviction is the verdict that results when a court of law finds a defendant guilty of a crime.The opposite of a conviction is an acquittal . In Scotland and in the Netherlands, there can also be a verdict of "not proven", which counts as an acquittal...
American murder
Murder
Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
er and suspected serial killer
Serial killer
A serial killer, as typically defined, is an individual who has murdered three or more people over a period of more than a month, with down time between the murders, and whose motivation for killing is usually based on psychological gratification...
. Conahan was convicted of one murder but has been linked to over a dozen murders, mostly of homosexual
Homosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...
men in the Charlotte County, Florida
Charlotte County, Florida
Charlotte County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. As of 2000, the population was 141,627. In 2005, the population of the MSA was 154,030.The U.S. Census Bureau 2007 estimate for the county was 152,814...
area in what came to be known as the Hog Trail Murders.
Early life and career
Conahan was born in Charlotte, North CarolinaCharlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the seat of Mecklenburg County. In 2010, Charlotte's population according to the US Census Bureau was 731,424, making it the 17th largest city in the United States based on population. The Charlotte metropolitan area had a 2009...
and moved with his family to Punta Gorda, Florida
Punta Gorda, Florida
Punta Gorda is a city in Charlotte County, Florida, United States. According to the U.S. Census Bureau estimates of 2007, the city had a population of 16,762. It is the county seat of Charlotte County and the only incorporated municipality in the county...
shortly after birth. His parents expressed displeasure at his homosexuality during his high school years and sent him to a psychiatrist
Psychiatry
Psychiatry is the medical specialty devoted to the study and treatment of mental disorders. These mental disorders include various affective, behavioural, cognitive and perceptual abnormalities...
. He graduated Miami Norland High School in 1973 and joined the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
in 1977, stationed at Naval Station Great Lakes
Naval Station Great Lakes
Naval Station Great Lakes is the home of the United States Navy's only boot camp, located near the city of North Chicago, Illinois, in Lake County. Important tenant commands include the Recruit Training Command, Training Support Center and Navy Recruiting District Chicago...
in Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
. In 1978, he was nearly court-martial
Court-martial
A court-martial is a military court. A court-martial is empowered to determine the guilt of members of the armed forces subject to military law, and, if the defendant is found guilty, to decide upon punishment.Most militaries maintain a court-martial system to try cases in which a breach of...
ed for homosexual solicitation and was discharged
Military discharge
A military discharge is given when a member of the armed forces is released from their obligation to serve.-United States:Discharge or separation should not be confused with retirement; career U.S...
a few months later after more homosexual behavior triggered a large fight.
After his Navy discharge, Conahan stayed in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
for 13 years before moving back to Punta Gorda to live with his elderly parents in 1993. In 1995, he became a licensed practical nurse
Licensed Practical Nurse
Licensed practical nurse is the term used in much of the United States and most Canadian provinces to refer to a nurse who cares for "people who are sick, injured, convalescent, or disabled under the direction of registered nurses and physicians. The term licensed vocational nurses is used in...
, graduating at the top of his class from Charlotte Vocational-Technical Center. He was employed by Charlotte Regional Medical Center
Charlotte Regional Medical Center
Charlotte Regional Medical Center is a 208 bed for-profit hospital in Punta Gorda, Florida, operated by Health Management Associates. It was the first hospital in Charlotte County, and the hospital first opened its doors on August 17, 1947 as Charlotte Hospital. The hospital is mostly known for its...
in Punta Gorda.
Murders
On February 1, 1994, the mutilated corpse of a man was discovered in Punta Gorda. The body had been outside for about a month and had rope burns on the skin and the genitalia had been removed and discarded. The man was never identified. On January 1, 1996, a North PortNorth Port, Florida
North Port is a city in southern Sarasota County, Florida, United States. The population was 22,797 at the 2000 census. As of 2007, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 54,308. It is part of the Bradenton–Sarasota–Venice Metropolitan Statistical Area...
family's dog brought home a male human skull. Police eventually pieced together much of a skeleton and determined that the genitalia had been cut out, similar to the 1994 victim. The North Port skeleton was also never identified. A third man's mutilated body was discovered in North Port on March 7, 1996. He had been killed only 10 days earlier. He also remained unidentified until June 1999 when he was identified as John William Melaragno.
Another man's skull was found in Charlotte County on April 17, 1996. Police searched the surrounding woods and found the rest of the man as well as a second body. The second was a man who had been raped, murdered and mutilated only the day before, and was identified as Richard Allen Montgomery. The first body was later identified as Kenneth Lee Smith. Speculation became rampant about a serial killer and the media dubbed the murders "The Hog Trail Killings".
Arrest
In May 1996, a few witnesses directed police to Daniel Conahan, including one who had escaped him when Conahan's car became stuck while driving him down a dirt road. Later, police linked Conahan to a 1994 Fort MyersFort Myers, Florida
Fort Myers is the county seat and commercial center of Lee County, Florida, United States. Its population was 62,298 in the 2010 census, a 29.23 percent increase over the 2000 figure....
police report where Stanley Burden had been propositioned, tied to a tree, and nearly strangled. Burden survived and even had rope scars on his body two years later. Conahan's credit cards were subpoena
Subpoena
A subpoena is a writ by a government agency, most often a court, that has authority to compel testimony by a witness or production of evidence under a penalty for failure. There are two common types of subpoena:...
ed and his house was searched turning up evidence linking him to Burden and Richard Montgomery. On July 3, 1996, Conahan was arrested and brought to Lee County
Lee County, Florida
Lee County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. Located in southwest Florida, the principal cities in the county are Fort Myers and Cape Coral...
for the attempted murder
Attempted murder
Attempted murder is a crime in England and Wales and Northern Ireland.-Today:In English criminal law, attempted murder is the crime of more than merely preparing to commit unlawful killing and at the same time having a specific intention to cause the death of human being under the Queen's Peace...
of Burden. The following February, he was charged with the murder of Montgomery while the Burden attempted murder charges were dropped.
While Conahan awaited trial, another skeleton was found in Charlotte County on May 22, 1997. 10 months later, DNA
DNA
Deoxyribonucleic acid is a nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms . The DNA segments that carry this genetic information are called genes, but other DNA sequences have structural purposes, or are involved in...
identified the remains as William Charles Patten who had disappeared in 1993.
Trial and more skeletons
In Punta Gorda, Conahan waived his right to a jury trialJury trial
A jury trial is a legal proceeding in which a jury either makes a decision or makes findings of fact which are then applied by a judge...
on August 9, 1999. The star witness was Stanley Burden who had been nearly killed in 1994. Conahan's attorney rebutted that Burden was an imprisoned pedophile
Pedophilia
As a medical diagnosis, pedophilia is defined as a psychiatric disorder in adults or late adolescents typically characterized by a primary or exclusive sexual interest in prepubescent children...
, serving a 10- to 25-year sentence in Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
. On August 17, 1999, Judge William Blackwell deliberated for 25 minutes and found Conahan guilty of first-degree premeditated murder and kidnapping. Conahan succeeded in moving the penalty phase of his trial to Collier County
Collier County, Florida
Collier County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. As of 2000, the population was 251,377. The U.S. Census Bureau 2007 estimate for the county is 315,839...
but, in November, a jury recommended a sentence of death and Judge Blackwell agreed on December 10.
Several more bodies were discovered in the Charlotte County area with similarities to the Hog Trail Killings: one in 2000, two in 2001, and one in 2002. On March 23, 2007, eight skulls and skeletal remains were found in a wooded area in Fort Myers, the largest such discovery in Florida history. Although a connection to a closed funeral home was considered possible, speculation soon turned to Conahan. Stanley Burden, the star witness at Conahan's trial, had been attacked within a mile of the site where the eight skeletons were found. Two were later identified as men who had disappeared in 1995.
Conahan is currently housed at Union Correctional Institution
Union Correctional Institution
Union Correctional Institution, formerly referred to as “Florida State Prison”, “Raiford Prison” and “State Prison Farm” is located in unincorporated Union County, Florida, near Raiford. Opened in 1913, the prison underwent large scale renovation and restructure in 1961 splitting into the present...
in Raiford, Florida
Raiford, Florida
Raiford is a town in Union County, Florida, United States. The population was 187 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population recorded by the U.S...
.
External links
Profile on the Florida Department of CorrectionsFlorida Department of Corrections
The Florida Department of Corrections, established in 1821, operates state prisons in Florida. It has its headquarters in Tallahassee.The Florida Department of Corrections operates the third largest state prison system in the United States...
.