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Date of Sentence:
05/31/94
Circumstances of Offense:
Marvin Jones bought a used car
from San Pablo Motors’ owner, Ezra Harold Stow, in Jacksonville,
Florida. Jones returned the vehicle the following month due to a “blown
engine.”
Jones and Stow established an agreement to rebuild the engine
at a cost of $1,500. Jones was to pay Stow $800 up front and finance
the remainder of the balance.
After the repairs were done, Stow
requested the $800, but instead Jones wrote Stow a check for $4,200,
which was the remaining amount owed for the car and the cost of the
repairs. Jones then left in the repaired vehicle.
Jones wrote the check with the
knowledge that he had bounced six other checks and only carried a
balance of $5 in his checking account. The bank notified Stow that the
check bounced.
Stow asked his 22-year-old daughter, Monique Stow, to
call Jones about the bounced check. Jones said that he would return to
San Pablo Motors on March 3, 1992, to give Stow the money.
Jones arrived at the dealership
at approximately 6:00 p.m. and entered the trailer where Stow’s office
was located. Jones said that he had to get something from his car and
returned with a .25 caliber pistol.
Jones shot Monique while she was
washing her hands in the restroom. She was shot between the eyes and
behind her left ear.
Upon hearing the shots, Stow reached for his gun.
Jones hurried into Stow’s office and aimed his gun towards Stow’s face.
As Jones fired the gun, Stow threw up his arm.
The bullet went through
his arm and nicked his head. Stow collapsed behind his desk because he
went unconscious momentarily. Jones went around the desk and shot Stow
a second time in the face. The bullet entered his cheek, broke his jaw
and was embedded in his neck.
Jones left, taking with him the papers
for the car that were on Stow’s desk. Due to his injuries, Stow was
incapable of speaking, yet prior to being taken to the hospital, he
communicated through writing and gesturing that Jones was the
perpetrator. Stow survived, but his daughter, Monique, died late in the
night.
Jones testified at trial that
Stow agreed to hold the $4,200 check until he deposited the money in his
account. Jones said that on March 3, he gave Stow $4,200 in cash, but
Stow became angry and requested another $2,000.
Jones said that when
Stow reached for his gun, he shot Stow in self-defense. Jones got ill
at the sight of Stow and went to the restroom. Jones stated that when
he heard a noise in the bathroom, he was startled and shot Monique
reflexively.
Trial Summary:
03/18/93
Defendant indicted for the following
Count I: First-Degree
Murder
Count II: Attempted
First-Degree Murder
02/18/94
Defendant guilty on both counts
02/23/94
Jury recommended Death by a vote of 9-3
05/31/94
Defendant sentenced as follows:
Count I: First-Degree
Murder – Death
Count II: Attempted
First-Degree Murder – Life sentence
Case Information:
The Direct Appeal was filed with the Florida Supreme Court on 07/14/94.
Issues that were raised included whether the trial court erred in
finding that the murder was committed for pecuniary gain and whether the
trial court erred in giving the standard jury instruction to define
cold, calculated, and premeditated aggravating circumstance.
The
Florida Supreme Court found all of the issues either harmless or without
error and affirmed the conviction and sentence of Death on 12/26/96.
A
Petition for a Writ of Certiorari was filed with the United States
Supreme Court on 06/23/97 and denied on 10/06/97.
A
3.850 Motion was filed with the state circuit court on 09/17/98 and was
denied on 01/23/04.
A
3.850 Motion Appeal was filed with the Florida Supreme Court on
02/25/04, citing the following issues: ineffective assistance of
counsel, denying a request to interview jurors, and loss of trial
counsel’s files in a fire. On 04/13/06, the FSC affirmed the denial of
the motion.
FloridaCapitalCases.state.fl.us
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