Oba Chandler was a man who lived a life of crime long before he became known as a killer. His name may not be as infamous as some other serial criminals, but his crimes were just as horrifying. The brutal murders that led to his downfall shocked Florida and took investigators years to solve.
A Troubled Beginning
Oba Chandler was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1946. His early years were anything but stable. When he was just 10 years old, his father died by suicide. This tragic event left a lasting impact on him, though it wasn’t the only hardship he faced.
As he grew up, Chandler turned to crime. By the time he was a teenager, he was already in trouble with the law. His criminal record included burglary, theft, and even armed robbery. He spent time in and out of jail, never staying on the right path for long. His life choices only got darker from there.
A Deadly Encounter
In the summer of 1989, a family from Ohio set out on a Florida vacation, completely unaware that they were about to cross paths with a killer. Joan “Jo” Rogers, a 36-year-old mother, was traveling with her two teenage daughters, Michelle and Christe. They were excited about their trip, but it ended in the most tragic way imaginable.
While driving through Tampa, the Rogers family got lost and stopped to ask for directions. Unfortunately, the man they approached was Oba Chandler. He seemed helpful, but his intentions were anything but good. He gave them directions and later convinced them to go on a sunset boat ride with him.
That decision sealed their fate. Instead of a pleasant evening on the water, they were attacked. Investigators later determined that Chandler bound the three women, sexually assaulted the daughters, and then threw them into Tampa Bay, still alive, with concrete blocks tied around their necks. Their bodies were discovered floating in the bay days later, a sight that horrified even the most seasoned law enforcement officers.
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A Long Investigation
Despite the brutality of the murders, it took years for police to find their suspect. The case remained unsolved until 1992, when detectives made a bold move. They released a sample of the suspect’s handwriting—taken from a note written to one of the victims—on billboards across Florida. The strategy worked. A neighbor recognized the handwriting and identified Chandler as the man police were looking for.
Once investigators took a closer look at Chandler, everything fell into place. His boat matched descriptions given by witnesses, and evidence from his home connected him to the murders. On top of that, a Canadian woman came forward with a disturbing story. She said she had been approached by Chandler under similar circumstances but managed to escape. Her testimony painted a terrifying picture of what could have happened to other potential victims.
Justice Served
In 1994, Chandler was put on trial for the murders of Joan, Michelle, and Christe Rogers. The evidence against him was overwhelming, and he was found guilty. The judge sentenced him to death, and he spent the next 17 years on death row.
Throughout his time in prison, Chandler never admitted to the murders. Even as his execution date approached, he refused to confess or apologize. On November 15, 2011, he was executed by lethal injection at Florida State Prison. He took whatever secrets he had to the grave.
A Case That Still Haunts Florida
The murders of the Rogers family left a lasting impact on the Tampa Bay area. It was a case that highlighted the dangers of trusting the wrong person and the devastating consequences that can follow.
Chandler’s crimes serve as a reminder that predators don’t always look like villains. He seemed like a friendly stranger willing to help, but behind that facade was a man capable of pure evil.
Though justice was eventually served, nothing could undo the pain and loss suffered by the Rogers family. Their story remains one of Florida’s most heartbreaking crime cases, and their names will not be forgotten.
Lisa Crow contributed to this article. She is a true crime junkie and lifestyle blogger based in Waco, Texas. Lisa is the Head of Content at Gigi’s Ramblings and Southern Bred True Crime Junkie. She spends her free time traveling when she can and making memories with her large family which consists of six children and fifteen grandchildren.
