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Thread: Steven Anthony Cozzie - Florida Death Row

  1. #11
    Administrator Heidi's Avatar
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    Cozzie’s fate in jurors’ hands

    They will begin deliberating death or life in prison Thursday

    Twelve jurors have spent seven days listening to testimony during the trial and penalty phases of the first-degree murder trial of Steven Cozzie.

    Thursday, each will be asked to decide whether he or she believes Cozzie should be put to death or spend the rest of his life in prison.

    In closing penalty phase arguments Wednesday, Assistant State Attorney Bobby Elmore laid out the reasons he believed Cozzie should die for the “heinous, atrocious and cruel” means he used to kill 15-year-old Courtney Wilkes of Lyons, Ga.

    “Now it’s for you to decide whether what Steven Cozzie did to a special, precious, exceptional child deserves the ultimate punishment,” Elmore said. “I submit if it does not, no crime does.”

    Defense Attorney Sharon Wilson pointed to the “parade of horribles” that Cozzie’s 23 years on earth have been and asked jurors to take mercy on “a very sick boy.”

    “I call him a boy because mentally and emotionally he is a child,” she said.

    Cozzie was convicted Friday of first-degree premeditated murder for the June 16, 2011, killing of Wilkes, who he lured away from the South Walton beachfront condominium she was staying at with her family.

    He convinced Wilkes to visit Cassine Gardens Nature Trail in Seagrove Bach with him. When she mentioned she needed to leave, he attacked her with a shirt, strangled her into submission, then raped her and beat her to death with a heavy piece of lumber.

    In addition to the murder, Cozzie was convicted of kidnapping, aggravated child abuse and sexual assault.

    After they receive final instructions from Walton County Circuit Judge Kelvin Wells this morning, the jurors will retire to their quarters and decide individually what their recommendation will be. The conclusion of the majority will serve as the recommendation to Wells.

    By law, Wells must give “great weight” to the recommendation, but ultimately the decision will be his. He can impose sentence immediately or take the jury’s recommendation under advisement and pass sentence at a later time.

    Wilson noted in her closing that Cozzie’s “parade of horribles” had been laid bare during the course of the weeklong trial and two-day sentencing phase.

    At trial, Elmore presented graphic evidence as he described the gruesome nature of the crime and the injuries inflicted on Wilkes one month before her 16th birthday.

    During the sentencing phase, it was the defense team’s turn to discuss the awful circumstances of Cozzie’s upbringing. Family members and later psychologists described physical, emotional and sexual abuse inflicted on a mentally deficient child by his father, step-mother and siblings at home and by others elsewhere who found him “weird” and an easy mark for bullying and exploitation.

    “I’m not asking you to forgive Steven Cozzie,” Wilson said. “Do we execute a 13-year-old in a 23-year-old’s body?

    “Mercy is not something that can be earned. Mercy is something granted. I’m asking you all to grant mercy to Steven Cozzie,” Wilson said. “I’m asking each of you to recommend a life sentence for Steven Cozzie.”

    Elmore told jurors Cozzie new what he was doing when he lured Wilkes to the place he intended to rape and kill her. He had attempted a violent sexual attack on a 14-year-old at the same place a week before Wilkes’ murder, he argued. Life in prison would allow Cozzie to see the sun and the stars, a luxury he did not afford his victim, Elmore said.

    “He deserves the ultimate penalty for what he did, how he did it and for the thoughts he was thinking as he did it.”

    http://www.newsherald.com/news/crime...hands-1.161114
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  2. #12
    Administrator Heidi's Avatar
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    Jury recommends death for man who killed teen

    DEFUNIAK SPRINGS, Fla. (AP) -- Jurors have recommended death on Thursday for a Florida Panhandle man convicted of killing a teenage Georgia girl on vacation with her family.

    A Walton County jury voted 12-0 that Steven Cozzie, 23, should die. Circuit Judge Kelvin Wells will make the final decision sometime in the future. Cozzie was convicted last week of first-degree murder, sexual battery, aggravated child abuse and kidnapping.

    Authorities say Courtney Wilkes, 15, was found dead in Seagrove Beach a day after she went missing in June 2011. She and her family had been visiting from Lyons, Ga.

    Courtney's mother, Toni Wilkes, addressed the media after the recommendation.

    "We feel relieved. We feel vindicated. We feel this is the penalty he should have gotten," Wilkes said. "It doesn't relieve our circumstances, but today may be the first day of our healing."

    The Northwest Florida Daily News (http://goo.gl/pqdEY) reports that witnesses connected Cozzie to Courtney, and he was arrested shortly after her body was found.

    Cozzie had been hanging around the condominium where the Wilkes family was staying two years ago when he asked Courtney to take a walk with him. Courtney's mother allowed her to go.

    On a secluded nature trail nearby, Cozzie wrapped his shirt around Courtney's neck and began choking her. He then dragged into a dry cypress swamp, where he raped her and then beat her to death with a heavy piece of lumber.

    Earlier this week, Cozzie's family members tried to convince jurors that he should receive a life sentence rather than the death penalty. They described him as a mentally challenged young man who had been physically, emotionally and sexually battered inside and outside his home for most of his life.

    http://www.fortmilltimes.com/2013/06...h-for-man.html
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  3. #13
    Administrator Heidi's Avatar
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    Judge Sets Hearing in Cozzie Case

    The man who killed Toombs County teenager Courtney Wilkes two years ago in Florida is facing the death penalty and the next phase in the sentencing process will take place in August.

    Judge Kelvin Wells will hold what's called a "Spencer Hearing" for Steven Cozzie August 21 in the Walton County Circuit Court in DeFuniak Springs.

    The purpose of the "Spencer Hearing" is to ensure the reliability of the penalty and sentencing process in Florida. The hearing was named for Leonard Spencer, who was sentenced in 1989 to death after a jury found him guilty of two counts of first-degree murder and multiple counts of armed robbery.

    In Spencer's case, the defense attorney went looking for the Judge and Prosecutor and found them in the Judge's chambers proofreading an order sentencing Spencer to death. The attorney, "voiced his concern that the Judge had drafted an order expressing his reasons and conclusions for imposing the death penalty prior to Spencer's counsel having an opportunity to be heard," according to the Appeals Court.

    The Florida Supreme Court ultimately determined that a Trial Judge should not formulate his/her sentencing decision prior to giving the defendant an opportunity to be heard. They then established a procedure to be used in the sentencing phase, which included the Trial Judge holding a hearing to give the defendant and his or her counsel the opportunity to be heard and an opportunity to present any additional evidence - now called a "Spencer Hearing". The Prosecuting attorney will also have an opportunity to offer additional evidence in support of the death sentence.

    After the hearing, Judge Wells will make the ultimate decison on the life or death of Cozzie.

    https://www.southeastgeorgiatoday.co...155&Itemid=117
    An uninformed opponent is a dangerous opponent.

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  4. #14
    Administrator Heidi's Avatar
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    Convicted Murderer Steven Cozzie Has Spencer Hearing

    Steven Cozzie is convicted of kidnapping, raping, and murdering 15 year old Courtney Wilkes, but Thursday a Spencer hearing took place - meaning the prosecution and defense can each submit evidence or bring up witnesses to try to sway the judge in his final decision to give Cozzie life in prison or the death penalty.

    At the beginning of the hearing, the prosecution said they had no witnesses or evidence to add to their case, however after defense introduced their evidence, the prosecution had a change of heart. Cozzie's defense wanted to bring in a transcript of a recorded interview that one of the 15 year old witnesses had with the police. The conversation included some information about communication between herself and Cozzie's former friend - and a key witness in the case - Michael Spencer.

    After noting that the 15 year old witness would need to be cross examined for things to be fair, prosecution chose to introduce the deposition of Michael Spencer to combat the transcribed interview.

    "It's a matter that the state deserved to have the opportunity to cross examine the witness about," commented Assistant State Attorney Robert Elmore. "Now I don't think it's going to harm the state's case, but I felt it was an inappropriate procedural tactic."

    Both sides will now provide a written memorandum to the court and wait to see what Judge Wells decision will be during sentencing on October 17th.

    http://www.wjhg.com/news/headlines/C...220746641.html
    An uninformed opponent is a dangerous opponent.

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

  5. #15
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    Courtney Wilkes' Killer to be Sentenced Thursday

    A Florida man convicted in the 2011 murder of a Toombs County teen is expected to be sentenced tomorrow afternoon.

    Steven Anthony Cozzie was found guilty of first-degree Premeditated Murder this past June for killing 15 year old Courtney Wilkes.

    Prosecutors said that Cozzie lured the teen away from her family while they vacationed in Seagrove Beach in June 2011.

    He then used his shirt to strangle Wilkes and then dragged her limp body into a swamp where he raped and then beat her to death.

    In closing arguments, Steven Cozzie's attorney conceded that his client killed Wilkes in an attempt to get a second degree murder conviction -- which would have taken the death penalty off the table.

    But the jury took less than two hours to find him guilty of first-degree Premeditated Murder, Sexual Battery, Aggravated Child Abuse and Kidnapping.

    They later recommended that he be sentenced to death.

    "We feel vindicated. We feel like this is the penalty he should have gotten. It doesn't change our circumstances, but we're relieved, relieved to have it over," said Courtney's mother,Toni Wilkes, at the time.

    Cozzie's fate now lies in the hands of a Walton County, Florida judge who will hand down his sentence at 1:30 p.m. Thursday.

    Wilkes was from Lyons and would have been a junior at Toombs County High School that fall.

    A scholarship, The Courtney Wilkes Memorial Agriculture and Veterinary Scholarship, was established in his honor by Vidalia Onion farmers.

    http://www.wsav.com/story/23710056/c...enced-thursday
    An uninformed opponent is a dangerous opponent.

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

  6. #16
    Weidmann1939
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    Steven Cozzie Gets Death Penalty

    DEFUNIAK SPRINGS - A Walton County judge has sentenced Steven Cozzie to death for the murder of 15-year-old Courtney Wilkes.

    Cozzie was convicted in June of kidnapping, raping, and killing Wilkes in 2011. The 15-year-old from Georgia was on vacation with her family.

    In an attempt to save Cozzie's life, his attorney threw a closing argument curve ball, admitting Cozzie killed Wilkes. But he claimed it was not premeditated.

    The jury found him guilty and then recommended the death penalty.

    As expected, the judge took the jury's recommendation.

    http://www.wjhg.com/home/headlines/228221631.html

  7. #17
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    STEVEN ANTHONY COZZIE v THE STATE OF FLORIDA

    In today's opinions, the Florida Supreme Court AFFIRMED Cozzie's conviction and sentence of death on direct appeal.
    An uninformed opponent is a dangerous opponent.

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

  8. #18
    Administrator Aaron's Avatar
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    Article

    Death Sentence Upheld for Walton Murderer

    WALTON COUNTY, Fla. - The conviction and death sentence of a Walton County murderer was upheld Thursday by Florida's Supreme Court.

    The court ruled the trial judge was not responsible for any errors that merited an appeal and the capital sentence he received was constitutional.

    In addition to the death penalty for felony first-degree murder, Cozzie received the maximum sentences possible for separate counts of sexual battery, aggravated child abuse, and kidnapping with a weapon with the intent to commit a felony.

    Cozzie will serve all these sentences consecutively as punishment for the murder of 15-year-old Georgia resident Courtney Wilkes.

    Wilkes was on vacation with her family in Seagrove Beach in June 2011 when Cozzie raped and killed her.

    http://www.mypanhandle.com/news/deat...erer/711688348
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    "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

  9. #19
    Administrator Moh's Avatar
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    On July 31, 2017, Cozzie filed a habeas petition in Federal District Court.

    https://dockets.justia.com/docket/fl...7cv00335/93258

  10. #20
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    In today's United States Supreme Court orders, Cozzie's petition for writ of certiorari was DENIED. Justice Sotomayor dissented.

    Lower Ct: Supreme Court of Florida
    Case Numbers: (SC13-2393)
    Decision Date: May 11, 2017
    Rehearing Denied: August 31, 2017

    https://www.supremecourt.gov/search....c/17-7545.html

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