Detective Michael Wilson, a Fort Walton Beach Cold Case investigator, leads reinvestigations into long-unsolved Gulf Coast murders. He discusses links between a convicted killer’s confessions and two Florida victims. Short scenes cover discovery details, evidence retesting, confession credibility, and next steps in the hunt for answers.
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Recanted Serial-Killer Confession
Mark Reby told FDLE he killed 13 people and gave specific details for several victims including Rhonda Taylor.
His later recantation erased a major lead and stalled multiple cold-case investigations.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Rhonda Taylor Found In Backseat
On July 7, 1990, Rhonda Taylor was found naked in her car with ten stab wounds to chest and neck.
The car was left in town, baffling detectives because the scene was easily discoverable.
insights INSIGHT
Confession Matched Local Details
Reby's confession included details suggesting personal knowledge of Rhonda and the scene, like picking up a third man and dumping a buck knife.
Those specifics matched witness reports and physical disposals near the crime location.
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Our cards this week are Ronda Taylor and Bonnie Ryther, the King of Clubs and 9 of Diamonds from Florida.
There is a man serving a life sentence in a Florida prison for his part in the 1989 murder of a 29-year-old pregnant woman named Donna Callahan. Two brothers were ultimately convicted for her abduction – and each of them pointed to the other as the ultimate preparator. But only one of them would go on to confess to over a dozen other murders. That man is now considered, by some, to be one of the deadliest killers on Florida’s Gulf Coast. And if his original confessions are to be believed, then not one, but two Fort Walton Beach cases could be closed. Right now, one detective is making it his mission to find out once and for all: Can he prove Mark Riebe is the serial killer everyone thinks he is? And was he–or someone else entirely–responsible for the murders of Ronda Taylor and Bonnie Ryther?
If you know anything about the murders of Ronda Taylor or Bonnie Ryther in Florida’s Gulf Coast, you can contact Detective Wilson directly at 850-797-2458. You can also call the Emerald Coast Crime Stoppers at 850-863-TIPS.
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