Summary of Offense:
Michael Bell was sentenced to two death sentences for the murders of Jimmy West and Tamecka Smith on December 9, 1993. Earlier in 1993, Michael Bell’s brother was killed by Theodore Wright. The shooting was deemed as justifiable homicide because Wright claimed he fired in self-defense. Bell vowed revenge for his brother’s death and swore to friends and family that he would kill Wright. On the night of December 9, 1993, Bell noticed Wright’s car in the area. He gathered two of his friends and an AK-47 assault rifle he had purchased the day before, and returned to the area where he had previously spotted Wright’s car. Bell was unaware that Wright had sold the car to his half-brother Jimmy West. Bell saw the car in the parking lot of a liquor lounge and waited for West to exit the club. After a while, West, Smith, and another female left the lounge and started to enter the car. Bell proceeded to the driver’s side of the car, opened the door, and fired at point-blank range. West died immediately from 12 bullet wounds, and Smith died from four bullet wounds while in route to the hospital. The other female managed to duck away from the spray of the bullets. Bell fired at a crowd of onlookers waiting outside the club before he fled to his aunt’s house.
Bell was sentenced to death in Duval County on June 2, 1995.
NOTE: Bell was convicted of the following murders subsequent to the December 9, 1993 murders for which he was convicted and sentenced to death:
On September 25, 1989, Bell shot and killed Lashawn Cowart and her two-year-old son Travis. The three were driving together when Bell stopped, exited the vehicle and opened fire on the mother and son. Afterwards, an accomplice vehicle came and picked up Bell.
On August 18, 1993, Bell shot and killed Michael Johnson, the boyfriend of Bell’s mother. After the couple had an argument, Bell went to Johnson’s house and shot him to death on the front porch.
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