Results 1 to 5 of 5

Thread: Richard Alan England - Florida

  1. #1
    Guest
    Join Date
    Oct 2010
    Posts
    5,534

    Richard Alan England - Florida




    Summary of Offense:

    On July 2, 2001, 71-year-old Howard Wetherell was alone in his Daytona Beach condominium, when he encountered Richard England and his companion, Michael Jackson. Jackson had been living with Wetherell, trading sex for money and a place to stay. In Wetherell’s upstairs bedroom, England used a fire poker to repeatedly beat Wetherell who later died of a cervical spine fracture resulting in suffocation due to a paralyzed diaphragm. This same night, England and Jackson stole Wetherell’s antique guns, jewelry, silver and Wetherell’s green Mercury Sable car.

    The two fled to Orlando, Florida, employing Reynaldo DeLeon, a friend of England’s, to fence the stolen items. Several days after the murder, Jackson was arrested after wrecking the stolen car in Walton County and soon implicated England in the murder. England, taken into custody on an unrelated violation of probation charge, was later charged with Wetherell’s murder. At the trial, witnesses testified that England claimed Wetherell was a pervert who deserved to be killed for having sexual relations with a young man. England also made inculpatory statements to DeLeon claiming responsibility for the murder. DNA on cigarette butts linked the two offenders to the scene, but investigations were stalled due to a white powdery substance that, according to crime scene investigators, had been sprayed to destroy evidence that may have been left. Handwriting analysis also linked England to a photograph recovered from the crime scene with the words “Pervert, f—k with us” with an arrow pointing to the victim.

    England was sentenced to death in Volusia County on July 23, 2004.

    Co-defendant information:
    Michael Jackson was convicted of second-degree murder and is currently serving a life sentence.
    Reynaldo DeLeon was charged with multiple felony charges and sentenced to 18 years.

  2. #2
    Senior Member CnCP Legend JLR's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2011
    Posts
    2,740
    Case Information:

    On 08/24/04, England filed a direct appeal in the Florida Supreme Court, raising 14 issues involving possible errors with the trial itself. The FSC affirmed both the convictions and death sentence imposed on England. A motion for rehearing was denied on 09/26/06 and a mandate was issued on 10/16/06.

    A Petition for a Writ of Certiorari to the United States Supreme Court was filed on 01/26/07 and denied on 04/02/07.

    England filed a 3.851 Motion in the state circuit court on 02/01/08. This petition is pending.

  3. #3
    Administrator Moh's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2010
    Location
    Germany
    Posts
    13,014
    Daytona Beach killer loses appeal, remains on death row for 2001 fire-poker murder

    By Kevin P. Connolly
    The Orlando Sentinel

    The Florida Supreme Court this week again upheld the death sentence of a two-time convicted murderer from Daytona Beach

    Richard England, 42, was sentenced to death in 2004 for the fatal beating of 71-year-old Howard "Cooter" Wetherell with a fire poker.

    Wetherell was found dead in the bathtub of his Daytona Beach condominium on July 2, 2001.

    The widower was a prominent member of the community, having served on the city's planning board and having been active in several charities.

    England's friend, 23-year-old Michael Douglas Jackson, who confessed to the brutal beating, was sentenced to life in prison.

    Before the trial began, Jackson blamed the murder on England, but then changed his story, claiming sole responsibility for the beating.

    Prosecutors said England and Jackson bludgeoned Wetherell to death with a fire poker and robbed his condominium.

    Court records show that England was convicted of second-degree murder when he was 16 for the beating death of 50-year-old Richard Ryland.

    England beat Ryland to death with a motorcycle muffler in 1987 in New Smyrna Beach and served nine years in prison as a result.

    The state's high court rejected a previous appeal from England in 2006 stemming from the 2001 murder.

    http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/...,6216516.story

  4. #4
    Administrator Moh's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2010
    Location
    Germany
    Posts
    13,014
    On October 6, 2014, England filed a habeas petition in Federal District Court.

    http://dockets.justia.com/docket/flo...cv01627/302969

  5. #5
    Moderator Bobsicles's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2019
    Location
    Tennessee
    Posts
    7,316
    Thank you for the adventure - Axol

    Tried so hard and got so far, but in the end it doesn’t even matter - Linkin Park

    Hear me, my chiefs! I am tired. My heart is sick and sad. From where the sun now stands, I will fight no more forever. - Hin-mah-too-yah-lat-kekt

    I’m going to the ghost McDonalds - Garcello

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)

Tags for this Thread

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •