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Thread: Jack Rilea Sliney - Florida Death Row

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    Jack Rilea Sliney - Florida Death Row




    Facts of the Crime:

    Jack R. Sliney was convicted and sentenced to death for the murder of a pawnshop owner, George Blumberg. On June 18, 1992, Marilyn Blumberg discovered her husband, George Blumberg, dead behind the counter of the pawnshop that they owned and ran together. He had received blunt head trauma, possibly from being hit with a camera, had been stabbed three times in the neck with a pair of scissors, and had been hit several times in the head with a hammer. The one relevant fingerprint found by police belonged to Keith Witteman, whom Sliney implicated in his testimony.

    Witness, Kenneth Dobbins, testified that he saw two young men enter the store and speak with Blumberg about a piece of jewelry. Composite sketches were drawn from Dobbins’ description. An officer showed the sketch to his stepdaughter’s boyfriend, Thomas Capeles, because he was in the same age group as the suspects and might know them. Capeles did not recognize either individual. Capeles, however, later contacted the officer because Jack Sliney, manager of Club Manta Ray, offered to sell him a gun, and Sliney looked similar to one of the men in the composite sketches.

    Capeles agreed to assist in the investigation, and a controlled gun buy was arranged. The serial number of the gun that was bought from Sliney matched the gun registry from the Blumberg’s pawnshop. Another controlled gun buy was arranged, and these guns also matched the pawnshop registry. Sliney was arrested shortly after the second gun sale.

    Sliney confessed to the murder of Blumberg in both a taped oral statement and in a written statement. Sliney told officers that he and Witteman went into the store and argued with Blumberg over the price of a necklace. He reported that Witteman told him to hit Blumberg and then said that he would have to kill Blumberg because the victim could identify them. Sliney admitted to hitting Blumberg in the head with a camera, stabbing him with scissors, and finally hitting him with a hammer. During the trial, Sliney testified that Witteman killed Blumberg, which contradicted his original statement to the police.

    Sliney was sentenced to death on February 14, 1994.

    Co-defendant information:
    Keith Witteman was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment for first-degree murder during the commission of a felony. He also was sentenced to ten years for robbery with a deadly weapon.

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

    The Direct Appeal was pending for three and a half years prior to being decided. The 3.850 Motion was pending from 02/19/99 – 12/14/04.

    Case Information:

    Sliney filed a Direct Appeal in the Florida Supreme Court on 03/08/94. He raised several issues on Direct Appeal. Sliney contended that his confession was forced and should not have been admitted. Another issue was that the tape from the gun sale between Capeles and Sliney and the tape of Marilyn Blumberg’s 9-1-1 call should not have been allowed. Sliney also argued that the trial court erred in not allowing inmates to testify that they heard Witteman, the codefendant, confess, not allowing adequate preparation time, and finding aggravating factors. Another issue argued was that the penalty of death was disproportionate to the crime committed. The Florida Supreme Court did not find errors that warranted reversing the conviction or sentence and affirmed the conviction and sentence on 07/17/97. Rehearing was denied on 09/18/97. A mandate was issued on 10/20/97.

    Sliney filed a Petition for Writ of Certiorari in the United States Supreme Court on 12/17/97. The United States Supreme Court denied the petition on 02/23/98.

    On 02/19/99, Sliney filed a 3.850 Motion in the Charlotte County Circuit Court. Amended motions were filed on 03/31/99 and 04/12/99. A consolidated motion was filed on 06/19/01. Evidentiary hearings were held on 04/29/02 and 05/09/03. Amended motions were filed on 10/10/03 and 11/17/03. The motion was denied on 12/14/04.

    On 01/03/05, Sliney filed a 3.850 appeal with the Florida Supreme Court, citing allegations of ineffective assistance of counsel. On 11/09/06, the FSC affirmed the denial of the motion.

    Sliney filed a petition for writ of habeas corpus in the Florida Supreme Court on 08/19/05, citing allegations of ineffective assistance of counsel. On 11/09/06, the FSC denied the petition.

    On 12/18/06, Sliney filed a Habeas Petition in the United States District Court, Middle District. Grounds one, three, four, and five of this petition were dismissed with prejudice; grounds two and six were denied with prejudice on 09/22/10.

    On 10/25/10, Sliney filed a Habeas Appeal in the United States Court of Appeals. This appeal is currently pending.

  3. #3
    Administrator Aaron's Avatar
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    Don't ask questions, just consume product and then get excited for next products.

    "They will hurt you. They will hurt your grandma, these people. The root cause of this is there's no discipline in the homes, they don't go to school, you know, they live off the government, no personal accountability, and they just beat people up for no reason, and it's disgusting." - Former Hamilton County Prosecutor Joe Deters

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    Administrator Moh's Avatar
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    In today's orders, the United States Supreme Court DENIED Sliney's certiorari petition.

    Lower Ct: Supreme Court of Florida
    Case Numbers: (SC17-1074)
    Decision Date: January 31, 2018

    https://www.supremecourt.gov/search....c/18-5042.html

  5. #5
    Moderator Bobsicles's Avatar
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    The Florida Supreme Court has affirmed the trial court’s denial of post-conviction relief.

    https://supremecourt.flcourts.gov/co...c2022-0700.pdf
    Thank you for the adventure - Axol

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    Senior Member CnCP Legend Mastro Titta's Avatar
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    In Monday's orders, the United States Supreme Court DENIED Sliney's petition for certiorari.

    Lower Ct: Supreme Court of Florida
    Case Numbers: (SC2022-0700)
    Decision Date: May 25, 2023

    https://www.supremecourt.gov/orders/...23zor_e29g.pdf

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