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Richard Harold ANDERSON
Classification: Murderer
Characteristics: Robberies
Number of victims: 2
Date of murders: 1972 / 1987
Date of birth: 1948
Victims profile: ??? / Robert Grantham
Method of murder:
Shooting
Location: Florida, USA
Status: Sentenced to death on February 26, 1988
The United States Court
of Appeals For the Eleventh Circuit
Thirteenth Judicial Circuit,
Hillsborough County, Case #87-8047
Sentencing Judge: The Honorable
M. Wm. Graybill
Trial Attorneys: William Fuente
& Mark Ober – Private
Attorney, Direct Appeal: Paul
Helm – Assistant Public Defender
Attorney, Collateral Appeal:
Robert Strain & Carol Rodriguez – CCRC-M
Date of Offense: 05/07/87
Date of Sentence: 02/26/88
Circumstances of Offense:
Richard Anderson, the defendant,
was convicted and sentenced to death for the May 7, 1987, murder of
Robert Grantham.
Robert Grantham reportedly
offered Connie Beasley, the defendant’s girlfriend, a large sum of money
in exchange for sexual favors. Beasley rejected the proposal and told
Anderson of Grantham’s offer.
Anderson believed Grantham was a rich man
and knew he would be returning home from a gambling trip to Las Vegas
with his winnings. Anderson instructed Beasley to agree to spend one
night with Grantham for $10,000. Beasley was told to get Grantham
intoxicated, and Anderson would then rob him.
On May 7, 1987, after dinner and
drinks, Beasley brought Grantham back to Anderson’s apartment. Anderson
arrived at the apartment later in the evening under the pretense of
returning Beasley’s car and then needing a ride home.
Grantham agreed
to drive him, but Anderson insisted that Beasley accompany them. While
in the car, Anderson shot Grantham four times in the head from the back
seat, and then proceeded to dump his body in a wooded area. Connie
Beasley was sitting on the front passenger side when Grantham was shot.
Anderson abandoned Grantham’s car at the Tampa Airport and returned with
Beasley to his apartment. After rummaging through Grantham’s
belongings, Anderson and Beasley only found $2,600.
Additional Information:
Richard Anderson was convicted
and sentenced to 20 years for First Degree Premeditated or Attempted
Murder in Pinellas County on 05/29/74. Anderson was an accomplice in
this crime.
Codefendant Information:
Connie Beasley was convicted of
Third-Degree Murder, and sentenced to one year and one day in prison.
Trial Summary:
07/15/87 Defendant
indicted for First-Degree Murder
02/17/88 The jury found
the Defendant guilty of First-Degree Murder.
02/18/88 Upon advisory sentencing, the trial
jury, by an 11 to 1 majority, voted for the death penalty.
02/26/88 The Defendant was sentenced to
death for First-Degree Murder.
Case Information:
Anderson filed his Direct Appeal
to the Florida Supreme Court on 03/21/88. Anderson’s appeal claimed the
court erred when it neglected to dismiss his indictment that was based
on the perjured grand jury testimony of Connie Beasley. Anderson also
contended that the court erred when it allowed testimony that violated
the hearsay rule. All of the claims that Anderson entered were
rejected.
The Supreme Court affirmed the conviction and sentence of
death on 01/03/91.
A Petition for Writ of
Certiorari was filed on 05/28/91 in the United States Supreme Court and
was denied on 10/07/91.
On 10/12/92, Anderson filed
3.850 Motion in the Circuit Court, which was dismissed on 10/14/92.
Anderson filed a 3.850 Appeal in
the Florida Supreme Court on 12/04/92. On 10/28/93, the appeal was
remanded to the Circuit Court to pursue Anderson’s request for public
records.
Anderson filed an amended 3.850
Motion in the Circuit Court on 02/28/94. The motion was amended a
second time on 05/27/97, and again a third time on 11/19/99. The motion
was denied on 08/25/00.
On 01/04/01, Anderson filed an
appeal of the 3.850 Motion denial in the Florida Supreme Court. The
Florida Supreme Court affirmed the denial of Anderson’s 3.850 Motion on
06/13/02.
On 07/14/03, Anderson filed a
Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus in the United States District Court
that was denied on 12/05/05.
Anderson filed a Petition for
Writ of Habeas Corpus Appeal in the U.S. Court of Appeals, 11th
Circuit, on 12/30/05 that is pending.
