In Florida, a man named Daniel O. Conahan Jr. is waiting on death row. He was found guilty of killing Richard Montgomery.
Back in 1994, some people hunting hogs found a dead body in the woods. Then, in 1996, a dog found another body. Soon after, a third body was found and identified as John Melaragno.
Later in 1996, two workers found the body of Kenneth Smith. While looking for more of Smith’s body, they found Richard Montgomery’s body wrapped in carpet.
Investigators believed a serial killer was responsible, targeting homeless people and drifters. He would offer them money for photos, then attack and kill them. Some victims were found tied to trees. These crimes became known as the “Hog Trail Murders.”
A big clue came when a man in prison, David Payton, saw a news report about the murders. He told police that a man named Dan had offered him money for photos. Dan drove him to a muddy road, and Payton saw a camera, tarp, and rope in the back of the car. Payton got scared and ran away with the car.
Daniel O. Conahan Jr. reported his car stolen, and Payton was arrested. Another man, Stanley Burden, said that Conahan tied him to a tree and tried to strangle him but eventually left him there.
Burden identified Conahan, a nurse, in a police lineup. Conahan was found guilty of Montgomery’s murder and sentenced to death in 1999.
Police also suspect Conahan in the deaths of eight other men found in the woods in 2007. One of the victims from 1994 was identified in 2021 as Jerry Lombard.
