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A.K.A. Malik Abdul-Sajjad
Date of Sentence: 04/05/89
Circumstances of Offense:
Richard Randolph was convicted
and sentenced to death for the murder of Minnie Ruth McCollum.
Minnie Ruth McCollum managed a
Handy-Way convenience store in Patatka, where Richard Randolph used to
work.
On 08/15/88, witnesses Terry Sorrell, Dorothy Patilla and Deborah
Patilla, saw Randolph wearing an employee shirt and locking the front
door of the Handy-Way convenience store.
The women questioned Randolph
about why the store was closed and where McCollum was. Randolph told
the women that McCollum’s car had broken down and McCollum had borrowed
his car. He informed the women he had fixed McCollum’s car and was
going to pick her up. He then left the store.
The three women looked in the
window of the store. They saw that the security camera was pulled out
of its normal location and wires were in the trashcan. The women noted
the store was in disarray with the trashcan overturned and the counter
disordered. They called the sheriff’s office and reported the
situation.
A deputy responded to the call
and broke a window to gain entry to the store. The deputy found
McCollum, who was alive and moaning, lying on her back with blood coming
from the back of her neck and head. McCollum was also naked from the
waist down. The deputy had her transported to the hospital immediately.
After leaving the convenience
store, Randolph drove to the home of Norma Janene Betts, his girlfriend
and the mother of their daughter. Betts testified that Randolph told
her he had robbed the convenience store and attacked McCollum. Randolph
also told her he was going to a store in Jacksonville to borrow money
from the manager of a grocery store and to cash in lottery tickets.
According to Betts, he promised to return for her and their daughter and
take them to North Carolina. Randolph, however, was arrested at the
grocery store while he was awaiting his money advancement.
Detective William Hord testified
as to what Randolph told them after his arrest. Randolph told the
police he went to the convenience store with a toy gun, which he hid
behind the store.
He told police that he knew the stores routine and
attempted to rob the safe while the manager was attending to the gas
pumps and would not see him. McCollum, the manager, returned quickly
from the gas pumps and saw Randolph at the safe. A struggle ensued
between the two.
Randolph claimed he dragged McCollum into the back
room and hit her until she stopped moving. When Randolph saw McCollum
begin to move again, he took the drawstring out of his hooded sweatshirt
and strangled her with it until she stopped moving. Randolph was not
able to open the safe, so he took only lottery tickets.
At this point,
McCollum begin to scream and Randolph hit her until she quieted down.
McCollum made noise again, and Randolph stabbed her with a small knife
and strangled her again with the drawstring from his sweatshirt.
According to Randolph, he then raped McCollum to make it appear a maniac
committed the crime. Randolph put on a Handy-Way uniform, ripped out
the store video camera and put it in the trashcan, and left the store.
He also told police that on the way to Jacksonville he had thrown away
the losing lottery tickets and his bloodied clothes and shoes at a
McDonald’s. The police were able to recover the items.
Dr. Kirby Bland, a surgeon,
testified that McCollum was in a coma upon arrival at the hospital. He
determined she had been severely beaten and had received multiple hits
to the head. McCollum had many lacerations on her scalp, face and
neck. McCollum’s jawbone was fractured. She also had a knife cut to
the side of her neck and a stab wound near her left eye. McCollum died
six days after the incident from severe brain injury.
Additional Information:
A psychologist examined Randolph
and testified that several nonstatutory circumstances existed which
contributed to the offense. He testified that Randolph, who was adopted
at five months old, had problems getting along with people in school
which resulted in him being referred to psychotherapy for a year in the
third grade.
Randolph’s mother was emotionally unstable while raising
him and was hospitalized for psychiatric reasons several times.
Randolph’s dad was physically abusive. He would discipline Randolph by
tying him and beating him with his hands, a broomstick, and a belt.
Randolph graduated from high school and joined the Army. He was
honorably discharged for marijuana and crack cocaine use. According to
the psychologist, Randolph’s addiction and prolonged use of crack
cocaine is responsible for his abnormal personality and criminal
behavior on 08/15/88.
Trial Summary:
09/01/88 The defendant was indicted on the following counts:
Count I: First-Degree
Murder
Count II: Armed Robbery
Count III: Sexual Battery
with Deadly Weapon
Count IV: Grand Theft
02/23/89 The defendant was found guilty on all counts charged
in the indictment.
02/24/89 Upon
advisory sentencing, the jury, by an 8 to 4 majority, voted for the
death penalty.
04/05/89 Randolph was sentenced as follows:
Count I: First-Degree
Murder –
Death
Count II: Armed Robbery
– 9 Years
Count III: Sexual Battery
with Deadly Weapon –
27 Years
Count IV: Grand Theft – 9
Years Concurrent with count II
Case Information:
Randolph filed his Direct Appeal in the Florida Supreme Court on
04/21/89. Randolph contended that the trial court violated his due
process protections and erred in denying his motions for individual
voir dire and for a mistrial. Randolph also argued that irrelevant,
prejudicial photographs of McCollum’s body were improperly admitted into
trial, the state improperly questioned the medical examiner; and, the
trial court could not have found the murder to be heinous, atrocious or
cruel. Randolph made other claims, but they were rendered meritless,
warranting no discussion.
The Florida Supreme Court did not find errors
that warranted a reversal, so the court affirmed the convictions and
sentences on 05/03/90.
Randolph filed a Petition for Writ of Certiorari in the United States
Supreme Court on 10/09/90. The Petition was denied on 11/26/90.
Randolph filed a 3.850 Motion (I) in the circuit court on 04/07/92. The
motion was denied on 04/02/93.
On
05/01/93, Randolph filed another 3.850 Motion (II) with the circuit
court. On 01/26/98, he filed an amended 3.850 Motion with the circuit
court. The circuit court denied claims 1 through 19 and 21 on
02/24/98. An evidentiary hearing was held for claim 20 on 04/24/98. On
05/14/98, the motion was denied.
On
06/18/93, Randolph filed a 3.850 Appeal (I) in the Florida Supreme
Court. The main issue raised was conflict of interest of defense
attorney, Assistant Public Defender Howard Pearl, who was also a deputy
sheriff at the time. Randolph was unaware of this information during
his trial. The Florida Supreme Court, however, reversed the denial of
the 3.850 Motion on 03/07/96 based on the fact that Randolph’s due
process rights were violated by not having the opportunity to
cross-examine several witnesses.
On
08/13/98, Randolph filed a 3.850 Appeal (II) in the Florida Supreme
Court. Issues raised were ex parte communication, ineffective
assistance of counsel during the penalty phase, denial of a full and
fair evidentiary hearing, conflict of interest of his defense attorney
and the unconstitionality of the heinous, atrocious or cruel aggravating
factor. The Florida Supreme Court affirmed the denial of 3.850 relief on
04/24/03.
Randolph filed a Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus in the Florida
Supreme Court on 12/27/01. In this petition, Randolph argued
ineffective assistance of counsel based on five claims. The Florida
Supreme Court denied the petition on 04/24/03.
Randolph filed a Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus in the Florida
Supreme Court on 06/25/03. The petition was denied on 11/21/03.
On 11/17/04, Randolph filed a Petition for Writ of Habeas
Corpus with the United States District Court. The petition is
currently pending.
Floridacapitalcases.state.fl.us
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