What happened to Bobby Joe Long? The serial killer who abducted Lisa McVey

There have been updates since the film was made

3 years ago

Believe Me: The Abduction of Lisa McVey is a true crime drama film which recreates the shocking real events of what happened to 17-year-old Lisa McVey when she was abducted and sexually assaulted by serial killer Bobby Joe Long.

The film, which has just been added to Netflix, recalls her ordeal of being held and tortured for 26 hours by the killer, who had already murdered 10 other women. Lisa miraculously managed to persuade Long to set her free, and then was a hero as she recalled her story so vividly with police that they could track him down.

At the end of the film, it says that Long is currently on death row for his crimes, but there have been updates since the movie was made. Here’s everything we know about Bobby Joe Long, and the latest on what has happened to him.

Believe Me: The Abduction of Lisa McVey on Netflix

via Netflix

Who was Bobby Joe Long?

Bobby Joe Long was born in 1953, to parents Joe and Louetta Long. He was reportedly born with an extra X chromosome, which caused him to have excessive estrogen levels and develop breasts. He underwent surgery as a child for this, and is also said to have slept in his mother’s bed until he was a teenager, and resented that she had multiple boyfriends.

Bobby Joe Long married his school girlfriend in 1974, but the pair were divorced in 1980. After his divorce is when he is believed to have grown a hatred for women, and his killing began. He’s reported to have searched for women who were selling appliances in local newspapers, and then would visit their homes hoping they were alone. He would ask to use the bathroom before assaulting the women. After a short stint in prison, his crimes escalated to murder, and his victims were attacked in different brutal ways.

He murdered 10 women, and is thought to have sexually assaulted up to 50. His victims were: 20-year-old Artiss Ann Wick, 19-year-old Ngeun Thi Long, 22-year-old Michelle Denise Simms, 22-year-old Elizabeth Loudenback, 21-year-old Vicky Marie Elliott, 18-year-old Chanel Devoun Williams, 28-year-old Karen Beth Dinsfriend, 22-year-old Kimberly Kyle Hopps, 18-year-old Virginia Lee Johnson and 21-year-old Kim Marie Swann.

After killing 10, Long abducted Lisa. Lisa was cycling home from her job at a doughnut shop when she was held at gunpoint and put into a car by Long. She was taken to his apartment and sexually assaulted multiple times, whilst still being held at gunpoint.

Lisa managed to persuade Bobby Joe Long to release her, and then led the police to him.

Bobby Joe Long, serial killer, now, trial, death row, latest

Long at his sentencing

What happened to Bobby Joe Long after he abducted Lisa McVey?

At the end of Believe Me: The Abduction of Lisa McVey it says that Bobby Joe Long is now on death row for his crimes, however the film was made in 2018 and there have been updates since.

Long confessed to the crimes he was accused of and was sentenced to death in 1985. He was finally executed by lethal injection on 23rd May 2019 in Florida State Prison, when he was aged 65. He had spent 34 years on death row and was among the longest serving prisoners in the Florida State death row.

Some 25 people witnessed his death, where his final word was “no” as he declined to make a final statement before being executed. One of those witnesses was Lisa McVey herself, who sat on the front row. “I wanted to be the first person he saw,” she said. “I wanted to look him in the eye. Unfortunately, he didn’t open his eyes. It was comforting to know this was actually happening.”

He was killed at around 6:55pm local time, after having his final meal of roast beef, bacon and fries at around 9:30am. Bobby Joe Long’s daughter, Sarah Crosby, was among around a dozen protestors who held a vigil for Long outside the prison.

Bobby Joe Long before his execution in 2019

Believe Me: The Abduction of Lisa McVey is available on Netflix now. For all the latest Netflix news, drops, quizzes and memes like The Holy Church of Netflix on Facebook.