Facts of the Crime:
On August 25, 2005, Mark Anthony Poole was sentenced to death in Polk County for the murder of Noah Scott and to life in prison for the attempted murder Scott’s fiancée. Noah Scott, 24, and his fiancée, whose name is intentionally omitted, were living in the Orangewood Village Mobile Home Park in Lakeland, Florida. At the time, Scott’s fiancée was about five months pregnant with the couple’s first child. On the evening of October 12, 2001, Poole broke into the couple’s home as they were sleeping. His fiancée awoke in the middle of the night with a pillow being placed over her face and an intruder sitting on top of her. Poole began to rape her and sexually assault her, demanding to know where the money was. She resisted and begged Poole not to hurt her because of her pregnancy, but Poole repeatedly struck her with a tire iron, severing two of her fingers and causing her to move in and out of consciousness. During the attack, Scott attempted to stop Poole but was repeatedly struck in the head with the tire iron, rendering him unconscious. At some point after the attack, Poole left the bedroom to collect a cache of video games and game equipment. Before leaving, Poole re-entered the bedroom, touched her vaginal area and said “thank you.” The female victim fully regained consciousness the next morning at the sound of her alarm. She retrieved her cell phone and called 911. Shortly thereafter, police officers were dispatched to the home.
Scott was pronounced dead at the scene. His fiancée was found severely injured in the hallway adjacent to the bedroom with multiple face and head wounds and missing part of her fingers. She was rushed to Lakeland Regional Medical Center where doctors treated nine lacerations to her head. Some were so deep they exposed her skull. Medical reports indicated that Scott was struck at least 13 times in the head. Several witnesses told police officers that they saw Poole or a man matching Poole’s description near the victims’ home on the night of the attacks. Pamela Johnson, Poole’s girlfriend, testified that on that evening, Poole left his house sometime in the evening and did not return until 4:50 a.m. Scott’s fiancée testified that Scott had owned a Sega Genesis, Sega Dreamcast, and a Super Nintendo. The night of the attacks, Poole sold the gaming systems to Ventura Rico, a man who lived in the same mobile home park as the victims. Melissa Nixon, girlfriend to Rico’s cousin, had witnessed the exchange. Nixon testified that the next morning, her son noticed blood on one of the gaming systems. DNA analysis confirmed that the blood found on the Sega Genesis box, Sega Dreamcast box, and the Super Nintendo matched the DNA profile of Scott. A vaginal swab confirmed that the semen found in the female victim was that of Mark Poole. From Poole’s home, police retrieved a blue polo shirt and the pair of Vans shoes Poole said he had been wearing on the night of the murder. A stain found on the left sleeve of one of Poole’s shirts matched the female victim’s blood type. A footwear examination revealed that one of the two footwear impressions found on a notebook in the victim’s trailer matched Poole’s left Vans shoe. The tire iron used in the crimes was found underneath a motor home near the victims’ home. After surviving the attack, Scott’s fiancée gave birth to a baby boy.
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