DC#    111508
DOB:   05/07/68

Seventh Judicial Circuit, Putnam County Case # 87-1695
Sentencing and Resentencing Judge: The Honorable Robert Perry
Attorney, Trial: Howard Pearl – APD
Attorney, Direct Appeal (1990): Larry Henderson – APD
Attorney, Direct Appeal (1992): Gilbert Schaffnit – Private
Attorney, Collateral Appeals: Robert Strain & Carol Rodriguez – CCRC-M

Date of Offense: 07/27/87

Date of Sentence: 05/03/88         

Date of Resentence: 05/28/91

Circumstances of Offense:

During the evening of 07/26/87, Randall Jones and Chris Reesh went target shooting with a 30-30 caliber rifle near Rodman Dam in Putnam County.  Jones’ car became stuck in the sand pits, and after midnight, they tried to flag down a fisherman to pull them out. 

The fisherman refused, but told them to ask for help from the driver of a Chevrolet pickup truck parked in the parking lot.  Inside the cab of that truck slept Matthew Brock and Kelly Perry.

A 12-year-old camper heard three gunshots between 12:30 a.m. and 1:30 a.m.   A Rodman Dam concession worker found cigarette packs, broken glass, and blood in the parking lot that morning. 

She followed a trail of blood across the parking lot to a wooded area and discovered Brock’s body.  A search of the area by police led to the discovery of the partially clothed body of Perry.  Both Brock and Perry died from gunshots to the head.

Brock’s brother, Richard Brock, and sister-in-law saw Brock’s truck in the possession of Jones at a convenience store in Green Cove Springs, Florida at 7 a.m. on 07/27/87. 

They noticed bullet holes in the windshield and a 30-30 caliber rifle inside.  When Richard Brock confronted Jones about the truck, Jones claimed that Matthew Brock sold him the truck for $4,000.

On 08/16/87, Jones was arrested in Mississippi for possession of a stolen vehicle.  In interviews with Putnam County Sheriff’s Deputies, Jones implicated himself in the murders, but blamed Reesh for the shootings.

Codefendant Information:

Pursuant to a plea bargain, Chris Reesh pled guilty to one count of Armed Robbery, one count of Armed Burglary, two counts of Accepting Money to Conceal a Crime, and one count of Shooting a Deadly Missile into Occupied Vehicle.  He was sentenced to two terms of 20 years, two terms of 5 years, and one term of 15 years of Community Supervision, respectively.

Trial Summary:

08/28/87 - Indicted as follows:

Count I: First-Degree Murder (Brock)
Count II: First-Degree Murder (Perry)
Count III: Armed Robbery
Count IV: Armed Burglary of a Conveyance
Count V: Shooting a Deadly Missile into Occupied Vehicle
Count VI: Second-Degree Grand Theft
Count VII: Sexual Battery

03/15/88 - State nolle prossed Count VI of the indictment

03/24/88 - Jury returned guilty verdicts on all counts of the indictment

03/28/88 - Jury recommended death by a vote of 11-1

05/03/88 - Sentenced as follows

Count I: First-Degree Murder (Brock) – Death
Count II: First-Degree Murder (Perry) – Death
Count III: Armed Robbery – 9 years
Count IV: Armed Burglary of a Conveyance – 7 years
Count V: Shooting a Deadly Missile into Occupied Vehicle – 3.5 years  
Count VII: Sexual Battery – 17 years

09/13/90 - FSC vacated death sentences, reversed Sexual Battery conviction, remanded for resentencing

03/13/91 - Jury recommended death by a vote of 10-2

05/28/91 - Resentenced as follows:

Count I: First-Degree Murder (Brock)
Count II: First-Degree Murder (Perry)

Case Information:

Jones filed a Direct Appeal with the Florida Supreme Court on 05/19/88, citing the following errors: failing to suppress statements made to the police; absence during voir dire; improper finding of guilt for sexual battery conviction; lacking of adequate predicate for DNA identification testimony; failing to affix Jones’ fingerprints to a judgment of guilt; failing to use a special verdict form and unanimity on aggravating circumstances; unconstitutionality of the death penalty statute; improper finding of aggravating circumstances; allowing family members to give victim-impact statements; failing to allow arguments that Jones could be sentenced to two consecutive minimum 25-year prison terms should the jury recommend life imprisonment; allowing the State to comment on the lack of remorse of Jones. 

On 09/13/90, the First-Degree Murder, Armed Robbery, Armed Burglary, and Shooting a Missile convictions were affirmed, but the Sexual Battery conviction and was reversed and the death sentences vacated. 

The court found that the trial court erred by instructing the jury that the murder was heinous, atrocious, or cruel; by admitting victim-impact testimony; preventing the jury from considering the potential sentence of imprisonment; and by permitting the State to introduce evidence of a lack of remorse.  The court determined that the cumulative effect of these errors required a new sentencing phase.

Jones was resentenced to death on 05/28/91.

Jones filed a Direct Appeal with the Florida Supreme Court on 06/24/91, citing the following errors: failing to conduct an adequate inquiry into conflict of interest claims between Jones and his trial counsel; failing to suppress statements to police; failing to use a special verdict form and unanimity on aggravating circumstances; unconstitutionality of the death penalty statute; improper comments to a witness by the judge; improper references to the victims and codefendant during the State’s closing arguments; and finding the cold, calculated, and premeditated and pecuniary gain aggravators. 

On 12/17/92, the sentences of death were affirmed

Jones filed a Petition for Writ of Certiorari with the U.S. Supreme Court on 05/17/93 that was denied on 10/04/93.

Jones filed a 3.850 Motion with the Circuit Court on 10/28/94 , raising thirty claims.  Jones amended the motion on 10/03/95 and 11/17/97.  The 3.850 Motion was denied on 06/08/00.

Jones filed a 3.850 Motion Appeal with the Florida Supreme Court on 07/13/00, citing the following errors: engaging in ex parte contact with the State, failing to engage in the required independent weighing of aggravating and mitigating circumstances, and claiming ineffective assistance of counsel.  On 02/13/03, the denial of the 3.850 Motion was affirmed.

Jones filed a Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus with the Florida Supreme Court on 11/02/01, citing claims of ineffective assistance of counsel, violating Jones’ 8^th Amendment rights because he may be incompetent at the time of execution, and the unconstitutionality of the death penalty because it violates the rulings of the U.S. Supreme Court’s rulings in Apprendi and Ring.  On 02/13/03, the Petition was denied.

Jones filed a Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus with the U.S. District Court, Middle District, on 06/01/04 and amended it on 12/21/04.  The Petition is pending.

FloridaCapitalCases.state.fl.us

Randall Scott Jones