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Daniel Conahan is a convicted killer and alleged serial killer who was notorious in the 1990s for a series of gruesome murders in Florida. Conahan, known as the "Hog Trail Killer," was convicted of murdering Richard Montgomery but is suspected of at least a dozen more murders. The majority of his suspected victims were transient men or job seekers, some of whom were part of the local gay community.
The victims' bodies tended to be discovered in isolated areas along hog trails in Charlotte and Sarasota counties, and this gave the case its nickname. Conahan's crimes appalled the community because of the violence associated with them and the vulnerability of his victims.
He is also suspected of killing the so-called "Fort Myers Eight," a group of men whose bodies were found buried in a mass grave in 2007. Though he was convicted of committing only one murder, law enforcement officials are convinced that Conahan murdered many more people. He is still on death row in Florida.
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His case is set to be highlighted in Unknown Serial Killers of America season 1, episode 3, airing on June 1, 2025, on Oxygen.
A glimpse at Netflix's darkest show RIGHT HERE
5 shocking things to know about Daniel Conahan’s crimes
1) The Hog Trail Murders
Daniel Conahan is best known for the "Hog Trail Murders," a string of murders in Florida between 1993 and 1996. Conahan approached men promising them money or labor, and then led them into isolated wooded areas, investigators said. There, he would bind them to trees, torture, r*pe, and eventually murder them.
The bodies were usually found in late stages of decomposition, and therefore, identification was tricky. The bodies were normally discovered close to animal trails, and this was how the killings came to be known. Police connected Conahan to the crimes based on physical evidence and testimony.
2) Victim profile and method
The majority of Conahan's suspected victims were transient males or members of the local gay community. According to information from multiple sources, he preyed on those who were vulnerable, including hitchhikers or those looking for work. Per police reports, Daniel Conahan would pick up these men, offer them work or money, and take them to remote areas.
There, using items such as rope, knives, and tape—all bought with his credit cards—he restrained and murdered his victims. The pattern was routine: binding, torture, s*xual assault, and killing. Some of the survivors offered key testimony about how they had escaped the same attacks by the skin of their teeth.
3) Evidence and arrest
As per CCSO, Daniel Conahan's arrest came after a series of investigative leads. In May 1996, witnesses had picked him out as the man who had attempted to entice them or had attacked them. One of the survivors, Stanley Burden, had escaped when Conahan's car became stuck on a dirt road.
Burden's testimony, combined with physical evidence like rope marks and the same fibers, implicated Daniel Conahan in the crimes. The police also discovered that Conahan had bought instruments that were frequently used in the killings, such as ropes and knives.
A search of his residence and credit history offered more evidence. Conahan was arrested on July 3, 1996, and subsequently indicted for the murder of Richard Montgomery.
4) Trial and conviction
According to CCSO, Daniel Conahan was prosecuted for the kidnapping and murder of Richard Montgomery. Conahan waived his right to a jury trial and, instead, opted for a bench trial. The prosecution's case depended largely on Stanley Burden's testimony and forensic evidence connecting Conahan with the crime scene.
On August 17, 1999, Judge William Blackwell found Conahan guilty of first-degree murder and kidnapping. The penalty phase was transferred to another county, and there a jury called for the death penalty.
Daniel Conahan received the death penalty and is still on death row at Union Correctional Institution in Raiford, Florida. Conahan had appealed his sentence and conviction, but these appeals were rejected.
5) The "Fort Myers Eight" and ongoing suspicions
As per EPFL, Daniel Conahan is also the number one suspect in the murders of the "Fort Myers Eight," a group of men whose bodies were discovered buried in a shallow grave in 2007. The victims were murdered in a pattern that was similar to the Hog Trail Murders, but Conahan has not been charged with these crimes.
There are still investigators who attribute him to other murders that are never solved in the area, anticipating that the real number of his victims will never be discovered. The fact that more remains were found after he had been put behind bars implies that his offenses were more prevalent than previously imagined.
Watch Unknown Serial Killers of America on Oxygen for more details on the case.
