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Thread: Meryl Stanley McDonald - Florida Death Row

  1. #1
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    Meryl Stanley McDonald - Florida Death Row




    Facts of the Crime:

    Denise Davidson and her fiancé, Leonardo Cisneros, hired Robert Gordon and Meryl McDonald, to kill Ms. Davidson’s estranged husband, Dr. Louis Davidson. Early on the morning of January 25, 1994, McDonald and Gordon waited in the parking lot of the apartment complex where Dr. Davidson lived. The two were driven by Susan Shore. Gordon met with Dr. Davidson and the two walked to Davidson’s apartment. Dr. Davidson’s body was discovered later that day by his fiancée. His body was blindfolded, bound, gagged, and hog-tied, lying face down in a bathtub full of bloody water.

    The apartment had been ransacked, and Davidson’s watch, camera, and money clip were missing, although $19,300 in cash and some credit cards remained. The medical examiner testified that Davidson had bruises on his face and shoulders, three broken ribs, and multiple lacerations on the back of his scalp, caused by a blunt object. The cause of Davidson’s death was drowning. Money transfers from Denise Davidson to McDonald, as well as phone records and physical evidence recovered from the hotel where Gordon and McDonald were staying during the time of the murder, implicated McDonald in the murder scheme.

    McDonald was sentenced to death in Pinellas County on November 16, 1995.

    Co-defendant information:
    Robert Roy Gordon (DC# 123911)
    For his involvement in the murder, Gordon was tried with McDonald and was found guilty of first-degree murder. Gordon was also sentenced to death (CC# 94-2958). For more on Gordon, see: http://www.cncpunishment.com/forums/...oto=nextnewest
    Denise Ann Davidson (DC# 153691)
    Davidson was found guilty of first-degree murder in a separate trial. She was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for 25 years (CC# 94-2958).
    Susan Shore
    Shore agreed to testify for the State, and as a result, her charges were reduced to Accessory After the Fact. She was sentenced to probation.
    Leonardo Cisneros
    Cisneros remains a fugitive.

  2. #2
    Senior Member CnCP Legend JLR's Avatar
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    Factors Contributing to the Delay in the Imposition of the Sentence:

    The Direct Appeal was pending for four years in the Florida Supreme Court.

    Case Information:

    McDonald filed a Direct Appeal to the Florida Supreme Court on 12/22/95. On 04/14/97, the Florida Supreme Court granted a pro se motion to dismiss Richard Sanders as McDonald’s attorney. On 05/27/97, the initial appellant’s brief was struck and on 06/18/97 Richard N. Watts became McDonald’s attorney. McDonald raised eight issues on appeal. Many of these issues were parallel to the issues raised by Gordon on his appeal, specifically denying Gordon’s motion to strike the venire; denying motion for judgment of acquittal at the close of evidence; denying request for a separate penalty phase from that of his co-defendant and a new penalty phase jury; disproportional sentencing; and improper finding of the cold, calculated, and premeditated and heinous, atrocious, or cruel aggravating factors. Due to the fact that the evidence against McDonald was synonymous to the evidence against Gordon, the Florida Supreme Court rejected them on the same basis. The Florida Supreme Court found two of the issues not cognizant on appeal and no error on the remaining issues; therefore, the Court affirmed McDonald’s conviction and sentence on 07/01/99. The rehearing was denied on 09/17/99 and the mandate was issued on 10/18/99.

    McDonald filed a 3.850 Motion to the Circuit Court on 12/15/00. The motion was denied on 02/10/04.

    McDonald then filed a 3.850 Appeal to the Florida Supreme Court on 03/31/03. McDonald’s CCRC counsel raised several claims on appeal, which were not adequately presented because McDonald failed to raise them when he was allowed to represent himself during the post-conviction proceedings. The claims were: (1) the Faretta inquiry, (2) Brady and Giglio claims, and (3) ineffective assistance of counsel. The Court denied all claims and concluded that, since the lower court properly allowed McDonald to represent himself, these claims may not be raised for the first time on appeal. On 11/02/06, the Court affirmed the lower court’s denial of McDonald’s 3.850 Motion. The Motion for Rehearing was denied on 03/12/07 and the mandate was issued on 03/28/07.

    McDonald also filed a Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus to the Florida Supreme Court on 04/30/04. McDonald claimed that he is entitled to relief because: (1) the United States Supreme Court decided Ring, and (2) the trial court conducted an inadequate inquiry under Faretta. The Court decided that, since Ring was decided after McDonald’s convictions became final, the Ring claim is inapplicable to this case. The claim raises no new issues and is therefore without merit. For the Faretta inquiry, the Court stated that habeas petitions cannot be used as a means to seek a second appeal or to litigate issues that could have been or were raised in a post-conviction appeal. Thus, the Faretta claim was procedurally barred. On 11/02/06, the Court denied McDonald’s Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus. The Motion for Rehearing was denied on 03/12/07 and the mandate was issued on 03/28/07.

    On 04/02/07, McDonald filed a Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus to the United States District Court, Middle District. The case is currently pending.

    McDonald filed a Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus to the Florida Supreme Court on 01/11/08, which was denied on 08/26/08.

  3. #3
    Administrator Heidi's Avatar
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    On August 3, 2011, the 11th Circuit denied McDonald's habeas appeal.

    In today's United States Supreme Court orders, McDonald's petition for a writ of certiorari and motion for leave to proceed in forma pauperis was DENIED.

    http://www.supremecourt.gov/Search.a...es/11-8030.htm

  4. #4
    Administrator Moh's Avatar
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    In today's United States Supreme Court orders, McDonald's petition for a writ of certiorari was DENIED.

    Docketed: August 13, 2013
    Lower Ct: Supreme Court of Florida
    Case Nos.: (SC12-1761)
    Decision Date: May 28, 2013

    http://www.supremecourt.gov/Search.a...es/13-5790.htm

  5. #5
    Administrator Moh's Avatar
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    In today's orders, the United States Supreme Court declined to review McDonald's petition for certiorari.

    Lower Ct: Supreme Court of Florida
    Case Numbers: (SC14-973)
    Decision Date: June 23, 2017
    Rehearing Denied: August 31, 2017

    https://www.supremecourt.gov/search....c/17-6838.html

  6. #6
    Administrator Heidi's Avatar
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    MERYL S. MCDONALD v STATE OF FLORIDA

    In today's opinions, the Florida Supreme Court AFFIRMED the circuit court’s summary denial of McDonald's fourth postconviction motion filed pursuant to Florida Rule of Criminal Procedure 3.851.
    An uninformed opponent is a dangerous opponent.

    "Y'all be makin shit up" ~ Markeith Loyd

  7. #7
    Moderator Bobsicles's Avatar
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    Distributed for conference January 8, 2021.

    https://www.supremecourt.gov/search....c/20-5954.html
    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

  8. #8
    Moderator Bobsicles's Avatar
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    Petition for certiorari denied.

    Lower Ct: Supreme Court of Florida
    Case Numbers: (SC19-635)
    Decision Date: June 4, 2020

    https://www.supremecourt.gov/orders/...21zor_5he6.pdf
    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

  9. #9
    Moderator Bobsicles's Avatar
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    McDonald filed a petition for writ of habeas corpus to the Florida Supreme Court on 4/17/2023.

    https://acis.flcourts.gov/portal/cou...8-F1220FDEC058
    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

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