DC# 067457
DOB: 07/24/61
First Judicial Circuit, Escambia
County, Case #89-01139
Sentencing Judge: The Honorable
Nickolas P. Geeker
Trial Attorney: Ted A. Stokes –
Private
Attorney, Direct Appeal: Ted A.
Stokes – Private
Attorney, Collateral Appeals:
Harry Brody – Registry
Date of Offense: 09/19/88
Date of Sentence: 09/29/89
Circumstances of Offense:
Pensacola members of the “Miami
Boys,” a statewide drug organization, placed a safe containing drugs and
money in the home of Michael McCormick. McCormick’s neighbors, Derrick
Hill and Morris Douglas stole the safe from him. In order to keep the
location of the stolen goods unknown, Hill and Douglas then gave the
drugs and money to Darlene Crenshaw.
On 09/19/88, Michael Coleman,
Timothy Robinson, Bruce Frazier, and Michael McCormick, members of the
“Miami Boys,” busted into Hill and Douglas’ apartment in search of the
stolen goods. Darlene Crenshaw and Amanda Merrell were also in the
apartment visiting Hill and Douglas.
Coleman and his associates then
forced all the apartment’s inhabitants to completely strip, after which
he tied them up with electrical cord. Darrell Frazier then arrived with
Mildred Baker, McCormick’s girlfriend.
Robinson ordered the captives to
relinquish the stolen drugs, and when no one spoke up, he began stabbing
Hill. Crenshaw stated that she could take them to the drugs, and left
with Bruce and Darrell Frazier. Coleman and Robinson then raped both
Merrell and Baker.
After showing the Fraziers to
the drugs and money, Crenshaw escaped. When the Fraziers returned to
Hill and Douglas’ apartment, Coleman and Robinson slashed and shot their
five captives, including McCormick, and then all four men left. Despite
being shot in the head and having her throat slashed, Merrell survived
the attack and summoned police. The other four prisoners died at the
scene.
Merrell and Crenshaw were able
to identify Coleman from photographs, which aided authorities in their
search for the defendant. The Pensacola Sheriff’s Department arrested
Coleman on 02/14/89.
Codefendant Information:
Timothy Robinson was sentenced
to death for his part in the murders on 09/26/89.
Robinson was convicted of
First-Degree Murder, Attempted Murder, Armed Kidnapping, Armed Sexual
Battery, Armed Robbery, Armed Burglary and Conspiracy to Traffic.
Bruce Frazier was convicted of
Second-Degree Murder, Attempted Murder, Armed Kidnapping, Armed Robbery,
Armed Burglary, and Conspiracy to Traffic. Frazier was sentenced to 30
years for Trafficking and 50 years for each of the other convictions.
Darrell Frazier was convicted
and sentenced to life for First-Degree Murder, Second-Degree Murder,
Armed Kidnapping, Armed Robbery, and Armed Burglary. He was sentenced
to 30 years for Second-Degree Murder and Conspiracy to Traffic.
NOTE: On
01/21/92, Michael Coleman was sentenced to 15 years for an Aggravated
Battery that occurred while he was incarcerated in the Florida prison
system for the aforementioned quadruple homicide.
Trial Summary:
02/14/89 Defendant
arrested.
02/28/89 Defendant
indicted.
05/23/89 Amended
indictment filed, charging:
Count I: First-Degree
Murder
Count II: First-Degree
Murder
Count III: First-Degree Murder
Count IV: First-Degree Murder
Count V: Attempted Murder
Count VI: Armed Kidnapping
Count VII: Armed Kidnapping
Count VIII: Armed Kidnapping
Count IX: Armed Kidnapping
Count X: Armed Kidnapping
Count XI: Armed Kidnapping
Count XII: Armed Sexual Battery
Count XIII: Armed Sexual Battery
Count XIV: Conspiracy to Traffic
Count XV: Armed Burglary
Count XVI: Armed Robbery
Count XVII: Armed Robbery
06/01/89 The defendant
was found guilty on all counts.
06/02/89
Upon advisory sentencing, the jury,
by a 6 to 6 count, voted for life imprisonment.
09/29/89
Judge Geeker overrode the jury’s
recommendation of life and the defendant was sentenced as followed
Count I:
First-Degree Murder
- Death
Count II:
First-Degree Murder
- Death
Count III:
First-Degree Murder - Death
Count IV: First-Degree
Murder - Death
Count V: Attempted
Murder - 30 Years
Count VI: Armed
Kidnapping - Life
Count VII: Armed
Kidnapping - Life
Count VIII: Armed
Kidnapping - Life
Count IX: Armed
Kidnapping - Life
Count X: Armed
Kidnapping - Life
Count XI: Armed
Kidnapping - Life
Count XII: Armed Sexual
Battery - Life
Count XIII: Armed Sexual
Battery - Life
Count XIV: Conspiracy to
Traffic - 30 Years
Count XV: Armed
Burglary - Life
Count XVI: Armed
Robbery - Life
Count XVII: Armed Robbery -
Life
Case Information:
Coleman filed a Direct Appeal in
the Florida Supreme Court on 10/30/89. In that appeal, he argued that
the trial court erred in not severing his trial from those of
his co-defendants, in refusing to have a requested
portion of the record regarding DNA evidence read back to the jury, and
in denying his motion to suppress the testimony of certain witnesses.
Also, Coleman contended that the sentencing judge erred in overriding
the jury’s recommendation of life. The Florida Supreme Court affirmed
the convictions and sentence of death on 12/24/02.
Coleman then filed a Petition
for Writ of Certiorari in the United States Supreme Court, which was
denied on 10/12/93.
Coleman next filed a 3.850
Motion on 03/24/97 that was denied on 07/16/04.
Coleman filed a 3.850 Motion
Appeal in the Florida Supreme Court on 08/02/04 that is pending.
Coleman filed a 3.851 Motion on 04/21/05 that is pending.
FloridaCapitalCases.state.fl.us
