The Dark Legacy of Tony Alvin Ables: A Tampa Bay Serial Killer
Tony Alvin Ables, born on December 28, 1954, in St. Petersburg, Florida, carved a dark path through the Tampa Bay area as a serial killer whose crimes spanned two decades.
The Journey
His violent journey began at the age of 15, when, in 1970, he took a man’s life during a robbery. Arrested swiftly and pleading guilty to first-degree murder in March 1971, Ables was sentenced to life in prison.
However, after serving just 12 years, he was released on parole in 1983, stepping back into society with a job as a construction worker—and a hidden capacity for further bloodshed.
Right Back to Killing
Freedom proved fleeting for both Ables and his victims. Within months of his release, on June 25, 1983, he broke into the home of 84-year-old Adeline McLaughlin, a retired widow. There, he sexually assaulted her before smothering her with a pillow and ransacking her apartment.
Four years later, on Valentine’s Day 1987, his girlfriend Deborah Kisor, 31, met a brutal end. Last seen alive making a call from a payphone, her partially clothed body was discovered near Roser Park Bridge, marked by bruises and signs of sexual assault.
Despite their romantic connection, Ables evaded suspicion at the time. His final known killing came on June 4, 1990, when, after a drunken argument, he pushed his 48-year-old girlfriend Marlene Burns down a staircase in their shared apartment.
Not stopping there, he beat and kicked her until she died, leaving the scene with blood on his hands as witnesses alerted the police.
Ables Finally Gets Caught Again
Arrested on the spot for Burns’ murder, Ables faced swift justice. Convicted of first-degree murder in 1990, he was initially sentenced to die in the electric chair.
Two years later, that sentence was commuted to life imprisonment, influenced by evidence of mental health struggles tied to a traumatic childhood—his father’s abuse had driven his mother to abandon the family, leaving lasting scars.
New DNA Evidence
The cases of McLaughlin and Kisor remained unsolved until 2006, when DNA evidence linked Ables to both crimes. Authorities closed Kisor’s case without charges due to their relationship, while McLaughlin’s murder, though tied to him, has yet to see a trial.
Where is Tony Alvin Ables Now?
Today, Ables remains behind bars, serving life for Burns’ death, with lingering questions about other unsolved crimes he may have left in his wake.
His story is a chilling reminder of violence’s deep roots and the justice system’s complex dance with redemption and retribution.
