Letter from Dan Routly, Death Row Inmate, 12th March, 1984, Starke, Florida

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March 12, 1984
Dear Laura,
Hi, got your letter, tonite, am glad to hear from you. It sound's like you had a good time, down in Ft. Lauderdale - (outside of your bathing suit accident). Might have been interesting, to see, though... You really do seem to express your love for the ocean. I've only gone into the ocean, once, and it just didn't seem right, to me. (I swim under water, alot). I like to swim under, rather than above & that salt water just didn't act right, on my eyes. I probably just needed goggles, or something, but ...
Did you get your suit replaced? I'd like to get you one, if you'd let me? Of course I'll want pictures of you, in it, if you agree. (I'll pay for the film, too!) Sound's like I want 'em pretty badly - huh? (What can I say?) I'd like it to
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be (kind-of) a surprise. So... if you just tell me your size, and type you prefer - then ... I can have it ordered & sent to you - okay? I'd really like to do this for you - please? I'd like to do something for you! (okay?)
Oh, the lawyer I have, (from Florida) is doing this round of appeal's on his own - (he's not charging me). So... I can't really tell him to pack his fucking case and pedal it somewhere else, know what I mean? After this round, he'll be gone, anyway - (and, seriously, Laura, I think I'm taking some tension out on him, too). So ... he's not all that great - I know - but ... it's all I've got right now. I'm just hoping that the idiot will get some favorable results's with this U.S. Supreme Court appeal - or ...

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I'm gonna be in alot of real trouble, here! I think he's acting pretty decent, though, 'cause ... he's, (finally) directed his attention around the issue I've been trying to get him to work on, for the past two (2) year's. (I should get a copy of the brief, this week - so... I'll know what type of a job he did, then.)
I tell you, Laura, you talk about your hair and I about fall over! It's so beautiful and I know that it depend's on the woman, but ... don't you ever get that hair cut short - okay!? When my hair would get down to the middle of my back, I'd usually wear it in one braid. I'd get it layered, but ... when I did, it'd start wavying and curling up, it got tangled alot, too. I don't like this short hair, but ... it doesn't "bother" me, like it use to.
Nope ... we're not allowed to
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do too much, of anything, here. They keep the peace pretty tight, and ther's not a whole lot of movement. They open the incoming mail, but it's women guard's who do that & they're just looking for contraband item's (they don't read the mail). Really... I'm not "suppose" to seal my out-going mail - but ... I do.
You sound a little radical at times, but ... nothing wrong with that. I could get going on my way's of thinking, (about the system, etc., etc.) and you may then, think I was sounding "strange").
Well... gonna try to get this out, tonite - so ... I better (leave? unsure) off & get your envelope ready.
(Thank's for the information on your perfume - I'll remember it!) It smell's good, it'd be hard to forget!
Take special care -
Dan