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Jose Antonio JIMENEZ
Classification: Murderer
Characteristics:
Robberies
Number of victims: 2
Date of murders: October 19, 1990 / October 2, 1992
Date
of arrest:October 5,
1992
Date of birth:
October 12,
1963
Victims profile: ??? / Phyllis Minas, 63
Method of murder: Stabbing
with knife
Location: Dade County, Florida, USA
Status: Sentenced to death on December 14, 1994
The United States Court of Appeals For the Eleventh Circuit
Eleventh Judicial Circuit, Dade
County Case # 92-34156
Sentencing Judge: The Honorable
Leslie Rothenberg
Trial Attorneys: Michael Matters
& Andrew Kassier – Special Public Defenders
Attorney, Direct Appeal: J.
Rafael Rodriguez – Special Appointed Public Defender
Attorney, Collateral Appeals:
Martin McClain – Registry
Date of Offense: 10/02/92
Date of Sentence: 12/14/94
Circumstances of the Offense:
Jose Jimenez entered the home of
Phyllis Minas, a 63-year-old woman, and beat and stabbed her to death.
Minas’ neighbors heard her scream “Oh God, Oh my God!” during the
attack. The neighbors attempted to enter the apartment through Minas’
unlocked front door.
As they were attempting to enter, Jimenez slammed
the front door shut and locked it. Jimenez left the apartment by going
through the bedroom and out to the balcony. Jimenez jumped over to the
neighboring apartment’s balcony and then jumped down to the ground.
When rescue workers arrived
within minutes of the attack, Minas was still alive. Jimenez cleaned
himself up and changed clothes before approaching neighbors in the
hallway. Jimenez asked one of the female neighbors whether he could use
her phone to call a cab.
Fingerprints were found on the
inside of the front door of Minas’ apartment that matched Jimenez’s
prints. Jimenez was arrested at his parents’ home in Miami, Florida,
three days after the crime.
Additional Information:
Jimenez was subsequently
convicted of Second-Degree Murder, Robbery with a Deadly Weapon, and
Burglary with Assault for a different crime that was perpetrated on
10/19/90. He was sentenced to 17 years for the Murder, 17 years for the
Robbery, and 15 years for the Burglary.
Trial Summary:
10/21/92 Defendant was
indicted with the following:
Count I: First-Degree Murder
Count II: Burglary with Assault
10/06/94Defendant was found guilty by the trial jury on all
counts
11/10/94 The jury
recommended Death by a vote of 12 to 0
12/14/94 Defendant was
sentenced as follows:
Count I: First-Degree Murder – Death
Count II: Burglary with
Assault – Life sentence
*Please note, sentences are to
run consecutively
Case Information:
A Direct Appeal was filed with
the Florida Supreme Court on 01/17/95. Issues that were raised included
whether the trial court erred by impermissibly restricting Jimenez’s
right to cross-examine and whether the trial court conducted an
insufficient hearing and improperly denied Jimenez’s request to
discharge his court-appointed counsel. The Florida Supreme Court found
all claims either harmless or without merit and affirmed the convictions
and sentence of death on 10/30/97.
A Petition for Writ of
Certiorari was filed with the United States Supreme Court on 02/05/98
and denied on 05/18/98.
A 3.850 Motion was filed with
the circuit court on 02/01/00 and was denied on 06/08/00.
A 3.850 Appeal was filed on
07/05/00 and the Florida Supreme Court affirmed the Circuit Court’s
denial of the 3.850 on 09/26/01.
A Petition for Writ of Habeas
Corpus was filed with the Florida Supreme Court on 07/12/01 and was
dismissed on 11/13/01.
A Petition for Writ of
Certiorari was filed on 12/06/01 and denied on 05/13/02.
A Petition for Writ of Habeas
Corpus was filed with the Florida Supreme Court on 12/11/02 and denied
on 06/10/03.
A Petition for Writ of Habeas
Corpus was filed with the United States District Court on 01/20/04 and
amended on 04/27/05. On 01/30/06, the USDC denied the petition.
A Petition for Writ of Habeas
Corpus was filed with the Florida Supreme Court on 05/26/04 and was
denied on 03/18/05.
A 3.851 Motion was filed with
the Circuit Court on 04/28/05 and was denied on 09/15/05.
A 3.851 Motion Appeal was filed
with the Florida Supreme Court on 12/22/05 that is pending.
