Bio 

Daniel Patrick Hauser, also known in court records as Dan Patrick Hauser, was born on July 24, 1970. Some sources describe him as originally from Dublin, California, and later as a drifter who moved between different states before the murder of Melanie Rodrigues.

Later court filings and reports stated that he had been adopted as an infant and that he had experienced mental health problems from adolescence. Claims about bipolar disorder and other mental health issues were raised during later attempts by others to stop his execution, but the courts ultimately found that he was competent to waive further appeals and represent himself.

Before the murder, Hauser had been involved in criminal activity that included theft-related conduct. He was arrested in Reno, Nevada, in February 1995 on a stolen vehicle charge connected to a pickup truck taken in North Carolina. That arrest led investigators to question him about the Florida homicide.

By the end of 1994, Hauser had traveled to the Fort Walton Beach area of Okaloosa County, Florida. On December 31, 1994, he rented a motel room near Sammy’s on the Island, a nightclub where Melanie Rodrigues worked. Rodrigues also worked at a convenience store and had taken the nightclub job as temporary work.

Court records show that Hauser later admitted being in the Fort Walton Beach area at the time of Rodrigues’ death. He told police he had visited several bars that night and initially said he could not remember the later part of the evening because he had been drinking heavily. Physical evidence later connected him to the motel room where Rodrigues was found.

Hauser’s case became unusual because he did not fight the death penalty in the normal way. He pleaded no contest to first-degree murder, waived a sentencing jury, later dismissed lawyers, and repeatedly stated that he wanted no further appeals filed on his behalf. His decision led to litigation over whether he was competent to waive legal review and whether his execution amounted to state-assisted suicide. Courts found that he understood his legal position and could choose to proceed without further appeals.

Murder Story

On January 1, 1995, Melanie Rodrigues left work at Sammy’s on the Island in the Fort Walton Beach area of Florida around 2:00 a.m. She did not return to work later that day. Two days later, her partially nude body was found under a bed in Room 223 of the EconoLodge near the nightclub. She had been strangled.

Motel records showed that Room 223 had last been rented to Dan Patrick Hauser. Investigators also found evidence linking him to the room and to Rodrigues. Her car keys, house key, and underpants were later found in Hauser’s truck, and his fingerprint was found on a cigarette package near her body.

Hauser was arrested on February 10, 1995, in Reno, Nevada, on a charge involving a stolen pickup truck from North Carolina. After his arrest, he admitted that he had been in Fort Walton Beach at the time Rodrigues was killed. He later confessed to killing her.

The prosecution’s case stated that Hauser had gone to local bars and strip clubs looking for a woman he could bring back to his motel room. He later said he chose Rodrigues after seeing her at Sammy’s and offered her money to go back to his room. Once they were inside the motel room, Hauser strangled her. After the murder, he hid her body under the bed and left Florida.

Hauser was indicted in Okaloosa County for first-degree murder. On November 21, 1995, he entered a plea of nolo contendere, also known as no contest, to first-degree premeditated murder. The court accepted the plea, and Hauser admitted guilt during the plea proceedings.

Before sentencing, Hauser contacted Investigator Stan Griggs from jail and gave him a handwritten statement describing the killing. The statement became important during the penalty phase because it was used to support aggravating factors for the death sentence. Hauser also waived a sentencing jury and instructed his attorney not to present mitigating evidence.

In February 1996, the trial court sentenced Hauser to death. The court found aggravating factors, including that the murder was committed for pecuniary gain, that it was cold, calculated, and premeditated, and that it was especially heinous, atrocious, or cruel. The court also considered mitigating factors, including that Hauser had no significant prior criminal history, had cooperated with police, had shown good conduct in jail, had been under the influence of drugs or alcohol, and had mental or emotional health issues.

On September 18, 1997, the Florida Supreme Court affirmed Hauser’s conviction and death sentence. The court found that the judgment and sentence were supported by the record and that the sentence was proportionate.

Afterward, Hauser continued to waive post-conviction proceedings. A circuit court found him competent to dismiss appointed counsel and represent himself. In 2000, his biological mother and capital collateral counsel attempted to intervene as “next friends” to stop the execution, arguing that Hauser was not competent to waive appeals. The Florida Supreme Court rejected the motion for lack of standing, and the Eleventh Circuit later vacated a federal stay of execution.

Hauser’s execution was initially scheduled for August 22, 2000, but a federal judge granted a temporary stay. The Eleventh Circuit lifted the stay on August 24, 2000, and the execution was rescheduled.

Daniel Patrick Hauser was executed by lethal injection at Florida State Prison on August 25, 2000. He was pronounced dead at 6:08 p.m. He declined to give a final statement.