- Collection:
- WSB-TV Newsfilm Collection
- Title:
- Series of WSB-TV newsfilm clips of convicted teenage murderer Dennis Whitney discussing his motivations behind the murders and why he believes he doesn't deserve his death penalty sentence, Miami, Florida, 1960 June 30
- Creator:
- WSB-TV (Television station : Atlanta, Ga.)
- Date of Original:
- 1960-06-30
- Subject:
- Capital punishment--Florida--Miami
Murder--United States
Murderers
Juvenile delinquents
Whitney, Dennis, 1943-2005 - Location:
- United States, California, Placer County, 39.06343, -120.71766
United States, Florida, Miami-Dade County, 25.60897, -80.49867
United States, Florida, Miami-Dade County, Miami, 25.77427, -80.19366 - Medium:
- news
unedited footage - Type:
- Moving Image
- Format:
- video/mp4
- Description:
- In this series of WSB-TV newsfilm clips from June 30, 1960 in Miami, Florida, convicted teenage murderer Dennis Whitney discusses his motivations behind the murders and why he believes he doesn't deserve his death penalty sentence. The clips begin with an unidentified male reporter off-screen interviewing Dennis Whitney. The interview is transcribed in full below:
Reporter (from off-camera): "How did you get into difficulties on your cross-country trip? What seemed to motivate you to engage in this series of violent acts that ended here in Florida?"
Dennis Whitney: "Well when I left California I was quite upset and I just wanted to get away or to just get lost. I was running away from my troubles and I was looking for work and never could find any work, which had me moving around quite a bit. I don't know what caused me to do what I did. I never planned any of it. Sorry for it. I wish there was some way I could undo it."
At this point the clip zooms out to show the unidentified male reporter sitting next to Whitney and the interview continues.
Reporter: "Dennis, the relatives of the victims involved in these shootings when questioned yesterday seemed to feel that yesterday's verdict was justified. You mentioned a few minutes ago that you felt in some instances it was. Why do you feel that in your particular case it isn't?"
Dennis Whitney: "Well I don't feel I was completely responsible for what I done. I know I done what I done. I've been honest about it all along, but when I left California I was quite upset. I don't think I was quite myself so I don't feel it was--it was like any other case."
Supporting information was taken from the following source: "Electrocution Due." The Atlanta Journal and the Atlanta Constitution 3 July 1960. 17A. Web.
Title supplied by cataloger.
Clip number: wsbn3519435194 - External Identifiers:
- Metadata URL:
- https://dlg.galileo.usg.edu/news/id:wsbn35194
- Digital Object URL:
- https://dlg.galileo.usg.edu/news/id:wsbn35194
- IIIF manifest:
- https://dlg.usg.edu/record/ugabma_wsbn_wsbn35194/presentation/manifest.json
- Bibliographic Citation (Cite As):
- Cite as: wsbn3519435194, Series of WSB-TV newsfilm clips of convicted teenage murderer Dennis Whitney discussing his motivations behind the murders and why he believes he doesn't deserve his death penalty sentence, Miami, Florida, 1960 June 30, WSB-TV newsfilm collection, reel 0780, 53:46/55:28, Walter J. Brown Media Archives and Peabody Awards Collection, The University of Georgia Libraries, Athens, Ga
- Extent:
- 1 clip (about 2 min.): black-and-white, sound ; 16 mm.
- Original Collection:
- Original found in the WSB-TV newsfilm collection.
- Holding Institution:
- Walter J. Brown Media Archives and Peabody Awards Collection
- Rights:
-
