Miami Standard (Opa-Locka, FL) – In a shocking turn of events, two Florida men have been sentenced to life in prison following a gruesome kidnapping case from 2020. Prosecutors revealed that the pair abducted three individuals, subjected them to severe torture inside a U-Haul rental van, and ultimately executed two of the victims, while one managed to survive against all odds.

Last Tuesday, James Edward Daniels, 59, and Frederick Eugene Rudolph, 69, both hailing from Miami, received life sentences for the tragic shooting deaths of Osmar Oliva, 50, and Johan Gonzalez Quesada, 26, which occurred in December 2020.

Last year, the duo faced convictions for conspiracy to commit kidnapping leading to death, several counts of kidnapping resulting in death, and kidnapping, as reported by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida. Herbert Barr, the third defendant, admitted to kidnapping and received a sentence of 12 and a half years in prison, along with five years of supervised release.

“On Dec. 5, 2020, Daniels, Rudolph, Barr and other co-conspirators kidnapped three victims from a truck yard in Opa-Locka, Fla.,” the attorney’s office said in a press release last week. “They bound and tortured the victims, duct-taped their eyes and threw them in the back of a rented van after stealing the victims’ drugs. They drove around the city for hours before taking the victims to an abandoned house in Opa-locka and attempting to execute them by shooting the three victims. Two of the victims died, while one miraculously survived.”

Prosecutors reported that the survivor was airlifted to the hospital and has since made a complete recovery. Alongside the assault and torture, Miami-Dade police revealed that the group had also fallen victim to theft.

Read More – Florida Boy, 5, Dies after Drinking Meth-Laced Juice; Mom in Custody: Riviera PD

“Daniels stole jewelry from one of the murdered victims,” prosecutors explained. “And all defendants benefitted by receiving drugs, money, or both, in exchange for their participation in the conspiracy.”

Documents indicate that Daniels and Rudolph faced separate drug distribution charges in July 2022. A judge has handed down a sentence of 11 years for Rudolph and 35 months, nearly three years, for Daniels. In November 2023, the individuals faced charges related to the kidnapping incident.

Both individuals are familiar with the criminal justice system, as Daniels has a history of incarceration with the Florida Department of Corrections that spans four decades. At the time of the murders, records indicate that Rudolph was under probation for a drug-related offense.

The inquiry surrounding the 2020 abduction and gunfire incidents was carried out by the South Florida High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force.

Read More – Georgia Woman Sentenced to Life for Poisoning Husband With Cocktail Spiked with Antifreeze in Thomas County