Summary of Offense:
On July 15, 1995, the body of Denise O’Neill was found dumped in a canal near the Sawgrass Expressway in Broward County. Her body was covered by a sheet and was bound with black shoelaces, a multicolored dog leash, and electrical cords attached to heat rocks. Her clothing had been cut in the crotch area.
Police canvassed O’Neill’s apartment complex, looking for neighbors with reptiles and dogs as pets, since the body was bound with a dog leash and electrical cords attached to heat rocks, which are used in reptile tanks. Investigators learned that Luis Caballero lived next door to O’Neill and owned snakes and a dog. Caballero accompanied detectives to the police station for questioning. At the police station, Caballero confessed to O’Neill’s murder, but stated he only served as a lookout while Isac Brown committed the robbery and murder.
According to Caballero, on the day of the murder, Caballero saw O’Neill carrying a laundry basket up the stairs. As she reached the door, Brown pushed her inside Caballero’s apartment and shoved her to the floor. Brown and Caballero restrained her with towels from her laundry basket and gagged her with a sock. O’Neill gave Brown and Caballero credit card and banking information, which the two used to withdraw $700 from her credit card account. O’Neill was assured by Brown and Caballero that she would be dropped off somewhere after dark, but Caballero was wary that she would be able to identify him as her neighbor. Caballero then planned to murder O’Neill, but could not agree as to who would carry out the murder. Brown said he would kill O’Neill if he received a larger share of her money. Caballero initially denied participating in the actual murder, but later admitted to helping Brown carry out the crime. Brown first tried to strangle O’Neill with an electrical cord, but the cord broke, so Brown used a second cord while Caballero covered O’Neill’s mouth. After ten to twelve minutes, O’Neill died. Caballero then cut a hole in the crotch of O’Neill’s shorts and had sex with the body and ejaculated.
Later that night, Caballero and Brown wrapped O’Neill’s body in a sheet and tied the sheet with black shoelaces and electrical cords. They loaded the body into the trunk of her car and dumped the body in a canal near the Sawgrass Expressway. After dumping the body, Brown and Caballero again used her credit card to withdraw $400 from her credit card account. They split the money while eating breakfast at an International House of Pancakes (IHOP) restaurant. Although Caballero never mentioned the involvement of another co-defendant, Robert Messer, he was arrested during the investigation of the murder. Messer was implicated in the crime when an IHOP waitress noted that a third man accompanied Brown and Caballero. Messer’s fingerprints were also found in O’Neill’s car.
Caballero was sentenced to death in Broward County on February 15, 2001.
Co-defendant information:
Caballero’s co-defendants, Isac Brown and Robert Messer, were tried separately and convicted of offenses related to the murder of Denise O’Neill.
Isac Brown was convicted of one count each of second-degree murder, kidnapping, and robbery and was sentenced to life imprisonment, 30 years, and 15 years, respectively.
Robert Messer was convicted of one count of manslaughter and was sentenced to seven years, nine months imprisonment. He was released from prison on June 1, 2002.
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