Lakeland Woman Sentenced to Life in Prison for Shooting Death of Rival

By Jason Geary - TheLedger.com

Friday, September 27, 2013

BARTOW - Jamie Carole Davis was sentenced Friday to spend the rest of her life in prison for fatally shooting a woman who had been having sex with her longtime boyfriend.

Last month, a jury found the 38-year-old Lakeland woman guilty of second-degree murder in the death of Christina Tuzzolino, 32, who was shot on the morning of Aug. 8, 2010.

Davis' boyfriend, Danny Beckner, and Tuzzolino had been together at a motel, and the shooting took place after they drove to the home on Sea Oats Circle in Lakeland where Davis and Beckner lived, according to investigative reports.

Davis testified during her trial that Tuzzolino threatened her during a cellphone argument, and she armed herself with a revolver because she was afraid of Tuzzolino.

Davis told jurors that the handgun accidentally fired as she struggled with Tuzzolino.

Prosecutors argued there wasn't a struggle, and Davis fired the handgun in anger because she was upset Tuzzolino was having a sexual relationship with Beckner.

Davis did not speak during Friday morning's hearing.

Her lawyer, Adam Bantner, said his client was "very remorseful" for Tuzzolino's death and wanted to express condolences to her family.

He described Davis as a good mother to her six children.

He said the shooting was a tragic incident that was out of character for Davis, who has no prior criminal history.

Circuit Judge Roger Alcott could have imposed a mandatory minimum punishment of 25 years in prison.

Instead, the judge went higher, saying he heard the testimony during Davis' trial and felt life imprisonment was appropriate.

Assistant State Attorney David Sammons and Tuzzolino's parents, Terry and Cynthia Wilson, also had urged the judge to sentence Davis to life imprisonment.

Cynthia Wilson described Davis as a "monster" and a "bully" who allowed her children to have contact with Beckner, whom she accused of being a drug dealer.

Beckner was arrested on criminal charges stemming from the investigation into the fatal shooting.

Last year, he pleaded no contest to several charges, including tampering with physical evidence and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

He was sentenced to four years in prison and 10 years of probation.

Cynthia Wilson spoke about the pain of losing her daughter and watching Tuzzolino's three children grow up without a mother.

"You took my baby's life," she said, weeping. "You don't deserve to be anywhere but prison for the rest of your life."

Tuzzolino's father, Terry Wilson, said he didn't think Davis was remorseful for his daughter's killing.

"I hope she never sees the light of day again," he said. "She gets to speak to her six children again. All we can do is look at a picture of our daughter."

Lakeland Woman Convicted in Shooting Death of Rival

By Jason Geary - The Ledger.com

Friday, August 23, 2013

BARTOW - A circuit court jury found Jamie Davis guilty Friday of second-degree murder in the fatal shooting of a woman who had been having sex with her longtime boyfriend.

Davis, 38, faces up to life imprisonment. She will be sentenced next month by Circuit Judge Roger Alcott.

She was found guilty as charged of killing Christina Tuzzolino, 32, who was shot on the morning of Aug. 8, 2010.

"It's been three long years that we've been waiting for this," said Tuzzolino's father, Terry Wilson. "The family is ecstatic with the outcome."

Wilson thanked prosecutors for their hard work in taking the case to trial.

"Now our daughter can rest in peace," he said.

During Friday's closing arguments, Assistant State Attorney David Sammons told jurors that Davis opened fire on Tuzzolino because she was angry.

Davis' boyfriend, Danny Beckner, and Tuzzolino were having a sexual relationship, he said.

"Jamie Davis was livid," Sammons said. "She was seeing red. She couldn't see straight. She grabbed a revolver to go out and confront them."

Beckner and Tuzzolino had been together at a motel, according to investigative reports. The two got in Beckner's truck and drove to the home on Sea Oats Circle in Lakeland where Davis and Beckner lived.

During the drive, Davis called Beckner's cellphone and a heated argument took place between Tuzzolino and Davis, and the women threatened each other, reports state.

When the truck arrived at Davis' home, Davis came outside with a .38-caliber revolver, and Tuzzolino was shot, reports state.

During closing arguments, Davis' lawyer, Adam Bantner, told jurors that his client got the handgun because she was afraid after Tuzzolino's threats, and the handgun accidentally fired during a struggle.

Davis testified the gun went off as she was "tussling" with Tuzzolino, who was still inside the truck.

Davis said the gun fired as she was trying to block Tuzzolino from striking her.

She said she saw something in Tuzzolino's hand that she thought was a knife.

Investigative reports suggest the object could have been a cellphone. A knife was not found in the area of the truck, reports state.

Bantner argued the gunshot wound to Tuzzolino's neck was fired at very close range and was consistent with a struggle taking place between the two women.

One neighbor testified to seeing a struggle. However, another neighbor told jurors that there wasn't a struggle, and Davis raised the gun to fire.

Prosecutors disagreed that Davis was acting in fear and insisted she could have called law enforcement for help.

"She wasn't scared," Sammons said.

After the shooting, Davis called 911 and lied to dispatchers that Tuzzolino was armed with a knife and was trying to force her way into Davis' home, Sammons said.

"From the very beginning, Jamie Davis is trying to say what she needs to say to make this go away," Sammons said.

Lakeland Woman on Trial in Fatal 2010 Shooting

By Jason Geary - TheLedger.com

Thursday, August 22, 2013

BARTOW - A lawyer told jurors Thursday that a Lakeland woman was trying to defend her family when she fatally shot another woman who had been having sex with her longtime boyfriend.

Jamie Carole Davis is accused of second-degree murder in the killing of Christina Tuzzolino. If convicted as charged, Davis faces up to life imprisonment.

The trial is expected to continue today.

Tuzzolino, 32, was shot on the morning of Aug. 8, 2010.

Prosecutors say Tuzzolino had been having a sexual relationship with Davis' longtime boyfriend, Danny Beckner.

During Thursday's opening statements, Assistant State Attorney David Sammons told jurors that Beckner and Davis had an argument the day before the shooting took place.

Beckner left and met Tuzzolino at a motel, Sammons said.

The two later got in Beckner's truck and drove to the home on Sea Oats Circle in Lakeland where Davis and Beckner lived, he said.

Investigative reports state Beckner told detectives that Tuzzolino wanted $500, and she was threatening to harm him with a knife.

Davis' lawyer, Adam Bantner, told jurors that Davis called Beckner's cellphone and they got into an argument.

Davis also argued with Tuzzolino during the cellphone call, and Tuzzolino threatened to harm Davis and her children, Bantner said.

"Family is not an important thing. It's everything," Bantner said.

Davis decided to get a handgun to protect her family and went outside when she saw Beckner's truck, the lawyer said.

Bantner insisted that his client didn't intentionally fire the .38-caliber revolver.

Davis saw something in Tuzzolino's hand and thought it was a knife, he said.

Investigative reports suggest the object could have been a cellphone. A knife was not found in the area of the truck, reports state.

Davis tried to use her handgun to block the object, and the firearm discharged, Bantner said.

Autopsy results show Tuzzolino was struck once around her neck.

She walked a short distance away before collapsing and was taken to Lakeland Regional Medical Center, where she died from her injuries, according to investigative reports.

Beckner, 46, was arrested on criminal charges stemming from the investigation into the fatal shooting.

Last year, he pleaded no contest to several charges, including tampering with physical evidence and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

He was sentenced to four years in prison followed by 10 years of probation.

A friend of Beckner's, Sherri Ann Casinger, also was arrested on charges stemming from the investigation into the fatal shooting.

She pleaded no contest in November 2010 to tampering with physical evidence and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

She was sentenced to 18 months in prison followed by five years of probation.

Sheriff Judd: Love Triangle Triggered Slaying

Jamie Davis is accused of killing boyfriend's lover.

By Jeremy Maready - TheLedger.com

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

LAKELAND - Jamie Davis told detectives she snapped after she learned her boyfriend of 18 years was having an affair and then saw him parked in the driveway of their home with the other woman.

Davis grabbed a .38-caliber pistol Sunday morning and charged the truck with her boyfriend, Danny Beckner, and Christina Tuzzolino inside. After a brief argument, Davis shot Tuzzolino in the neck, sheriff's officials said. Tuzzolino died from her injuries Sunday evening at Lakeland Regional Medical Center.

"I was so mad, I couldn't see straight," Davis told detectives, according to Polk Sheriff Grady Judd.

She told detectives the shooting wasn't intentional but witnesses contradicted that account.

On Tuesday, after sorting through multiple stories, sheriff's detectives charged Davis with second-degree murder.

Beckner was charged with accessory to second-degree murder, resisting an officer without violence, possession of methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia, maintaining a dwelling for drug use and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, according to arrest affidavits.

Polk County Judge John Kirkland ordered Davis be held without bail. The judge revoked Beckner's bail for the charge of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Kirkland ordered Beckner be held without bail on that charge and set $62,000 bail for Beckner's other charges.

The shooting happened about 7:35 a.m. Sunday at the home Davis and Beckner share at 2622 Sea Oats Circle in Lakeland. The situation had been escalating for hours, according to investigative documents.

About 3 a.m., Beckner and Tuzzolino met at Relax Inn in North Lakeland to have sex, according to reports.

About 5 a.m., Davis called Beckner, asking where he was and who he was with, Judd said. Beckner told Davis he was at the Relax Inn with a male friend. Davis and Beckner argued about his association with Tuzzolino, reports said.

About 7:30 a.m., Beckner and Tuzzolino left the motel and drove to the home on Sea Oats Circle in West Lakeland.

That's when Davis called again, detectives said. This time, Tuzzolino grabbed Beckner's phone and argued with Davis.

The pair threatened to harm each other, reports said. During the argument, Tuzzolino called her boyfriend, Rudolph Vokojevich, and left a voicemail recording of the argument.

That was typical for Tuzzolino, Judd said. "It's her safety net for when she's with someone."

During the call, Tuzzolino can be heard telling Beckner to let her out and to take her back to the motel, reports said.

But they continued to Beckner's home.

When they arrived, Davis ran out of the home and argued with Tuzzolino, who was inside the truck, detectives said in reports.

That's when Davis shot her.

Davis, who has six children, told detectives she never meant to shoot Tuzzolino.

She told investigators she wanted to scare Beckner and Tuzzolino, but the gun went off and a bullet struck Tuzzolino in the neck.

That account was countered by nine witnesses, who all said they saw Davis come out of the home and immediately shoot Tuzzolino, Judd said.

"I almost feel sorry for her but there's no excuse for murder," Judd said. "She should never have left that house."

Tuzzolino's death has been devastating for her boyfriend, Rudolph Vokojevich.

He knew she had her share of legal and drug problems. But Tuzzolino was trying to change her life for herself and her three children, Vokojevich said.

"She was working to get herself straight. She was doing good."

Vokojevich knew that she had been sexually involved with Beckner the morning she was killed. It wasn't something he was happy about, but Vokojevich said Beckner helped them out while he was disabled from two recent strokes.

"It's a real tragedy," he said Tuesday. "When no one was there, she was there (for me)."

Vokojevich, who had dated her for nearly a year, described Tuzzolino as a caring woman who loved her children, but who could be very outspoken.

That sometimes got her in trouble.

Since 1997, Tuzzolino had compiled a lengthy record of criminal convictions. Some of the most serious offenses included felony battery, battery on a law enforcement officer and possession of methamphetamine, heroin, diazepam and cocaine, according to court records.

Beckner also has a lengthy criminal history with convictions for incest, domestic violence, trafficking amphetamine, possession of methamphetamine and aggravated fleeing to elude law enforcement, according to court records.

  

Love-triangle murder: Woman fatally shot boyfriend's lover in neck, Polk officials say

By Kevin P. Connolly, Orlando Sentinel

August 11, 2010

A 35-year-old Lakeland woman is accused of fatally shooting another woman in the neck after the victim had sex with the woman's long-time boyfriend at a Polk County motel, officials said today.

Jamie Davis was charged with second-degree murder in the shooting death of 32-year-old Christina Tuzzolino early Sunday, the Polk County Sheriff's Office said.

Davis' long-time boyfriend, 43-year-old Danny Beckner, faces numerous charges, including accessory after-the-fact to second-degree murder. Beckner and Davis have been together for 18 years.

Beckner and Tuzzolino met for sex at about 3 a.m. Sunday morning at the Relax Inn on Lakeland Hills Boulevard.

At some point, Davis called Beckner on his cell phone and asked him where he was and what he was doing. They got into an argument. Then Beckner left with Tozzolino to go to home he and Davis share on Sea Oats Circle Drive in Lakeland.

"While in route, Davis called again; Tozzolino took the phone & Davis and Tozzolino got into a verbal argument, making mutual threats to each other,'' officials said in a report.

"Also while in route, Tuzzolino called her boyfriend (Rudolph Vokojevich of 63 Pritchard Street, Lakeland) leaving a conversation on Vokojevich's cell phone voice mail,'' the report said. "On that recording, Tuzzolino can be heard asking Beckner to let her out and take her back to the motel."

Davis had a gun in her hand when Beckner and Tuzzolino drove up to the house on Sea Oats Circle Drive. The women got into an argument and Davis shot Tuzzolino at close range in the neck, officials say.

"Tuzzolino was on her knees in the car when she was shot," a report said.

Davis, who called 911 at 7:55 a.m., initially told authorities Tuzzolino had a knife to Becker's throat, Tuzzolino threatened to have someone hurt Davis' children and there was a "mutual physical altercation" before the gun went off.

No knife was ever found and Davis later admitted Tuzzolino never had one.

Davis said she was just "mad, sad, and hurt" because Beckner had sex with Tuzzolino, the report says.

Beckner still insists he was held at knifepoint, even though Tuzzolino can be heard on her boyfriend's voice mail asking Beckner to take her home, the report says.

Beckner also was charged with resisting an officer without violence, possession of methamphetamine, possession of drug paraphernalia, maintaining a dwelling for drug use and possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon.

The Lakeland Ledger is reporting that Davis is being held at the Polk County Jail without bail.

The newspaper said a judge revoked Beckner's bail for the firearm charge and held him without bail on that charge. The bail for Beckner's other charges was set at $62,000, the Lakeland Ledger said.