GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Louisiana drifter Danny Rolling, awaiting trial on charges he killed five college students, was sentenced Thursday to his fifth life prison term stemming from bank robbery -- and in response he sang a religious song.
U.S. District Judge Maurice Paul imposed the sentence, saying Rolling, who turns 38 on Tuesday, is a career criminal.
'His whole life has been revolving around armed robberies,' Paul said.
Rolling, a drifter from Shreveport, La., already is serving four life sentences for robberies in central Florida.
He was convicted in U.S. District Court in Tallahassee in March of robbing the First Union National Bank of Gainesville of $7,000 on Aug. 27, 1990 -- the same week the bodies of the five victims were discovered in Gainesville. Rolling's bank robbery trial was moved to Tallahassee because of pretrial publicity.
Paul sentenced Rolling to 300 months for robbery, life for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon -- with the sentences to run concurrently -- and 60 months for possession of a firearm in the commission of a dangerous felony.
Asked by Paul if he had anything to say, Rolling replied: 'This is going to be a little unusual, so I hope you and these people will bear with me.' He then sang a song that began, 'Jesus, I want to be more like you, I just want you to know I'm trying. All my life I've known misery.'
After the song, Rolling told Paul that, 'Judge, your honor, I take a lot of sorrow and misery. Mr. DA, I don't hate you guys. I think we're looking to the wrong person for answers to our problems, our fellow man. We should look to our Creator and Jesus Christ.'
Rolling also was ordered to pay $1,200 in restitution, but he told the court: 'I don't know how I can pay it back, judge.'
Rolling is awaiting trial on charges of first-degree murder in the stabbing deaths of Christa Hoyt, 18, Gainesville; Christina Powell, 18, Jacksonville; Sonya Larson, 18, Deerfield Beach; Tracey Paules, 23, Palm Springs North; and Manuel Taboada, 23, Carol City. He was indicted Nov. 15, 1991. He also is charged with three counts of sexual battery with great force and four counts of armed burglary with battery in connection with the deaths.
Trial on the murder charges is not expected to begin until late 1993 or possibly 1994.
