|
Ninth Judicial
Circuit, Orange County Case # 01-2386
Sentencing Judge: The Honorable Belvin Perry
Attorney, Trial: Rowana Williams – Assistant Public Defender
Attorney, Direct Appeal: James R. Wulchak – Assistant Public Defender
Attorney, Collateral Appeals: Marie Parmer – CCRC-M
Date of Offense:
02/14/01
Date of
Sentence: 06/16/04
Circumstances of Offense:
On 02/14/01, Theodore
Rodgers murdered his wife Teresa Henderson. Prior to the murder,
Rodgers suspected that his wife was having an affair.
On 02/14/01, Rodgers left
his plumbing job in the morning to go the daycare facility that was run
by his wife, Teresa Henderson. When he entered the facility,
Henderson’s daughter yelled out that Rodgers was there.
At that point,
Henderson’s ex-husband, Willie Bee Odom, ran past Rodgers while exiting
the facility, wearing just his pants and carrying his shoes and shirt.
Rodgers discovered his wife in the bathroom with only a bra on.
Suspecting his wife had
been unfaithful, he told his wife she was a disappointment and that he
was leaving her. He then left to finish his plumbing job.
Rodgers called a friend,
Verna Fudge, who is also a minister and was a previous romantic partner,
for a place to stay temporarily while he left his wife. She could not
provide him with a place to stay but advised him to seek counsel and
talk to his wife. Rodgers then called his plumbing partner to inquire
about jobs.
During the conversation,
he mentioned he was having marital problems and was “tired of her doing
what she’s doing,” and, depending on his wife’s version of what happened
with her ex-husband, he was going to either “take care of the problem”
or “kill her.”
Rodgers then went to a
store to purchase a Valentine’s Day card and flowers. He took them back
to his home. He then received a call from Henderson asking him to
return to the day care to resolve their dispute. Upon arriving at the
day care, Rodgers claimed no lights were on, the television was on, and
no children were present.
He also claimed that he
began to question his wife. She then got up from the couch where she
had been sitting and pointed a gun and at him and fired. The shot
missed and a struggle ensued over the gun. During the struggle, the gun
fired a few times, hitting her.
Three children, who were
present at the day care on 02/14/01, testified that Rodgers angrily
entered the day care and began arguing with Henderson. He kicked and
slapped Henderson and then retrieved a gun out of a back bedroom. The
children said Rodgers shot Henderson a few times as she tried to escape
through the front door.
After driving around for a while,
Rodgers went to a pool hall where he saw a couple friends. He told
his friends he was going to hell. He did not act like his usual
self and called his work partner to tell him goodbye and that he had
killed his wife and was now going to kill himself. He then took a
gun and shot himself in the head, but survived the suicide attempt.
Prior Incarceration History in the State
of Florida:
|
Offense Date |
Offense |
Sentence Date |
County |
Prison Sentence
|
|
02/04/78 |
MANSLAUGHTER |
06/08/79 |
ORANGE |
5Y 0M 0D |
|
02/04/78 |
HOMICIDE,MANSL.CUL.NEGL |
06/08/79 |
ORANGE |
10Y 0M 0D |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Trial Summary:
03/27/01
Indicted as follows:
Count I:
First-Degree Murder
10/17/03
Jury returned a guilty verdict on the sole count of the indictment.
10/22/03
Upon advisory sentencing, the jury, by an 8 to 4 majority, voted for the
death penalty.
06/16/04
Sentenced as follows:
Count I: First-Degree
Murder – Death
Case Information:
On 07/19/04, Rodgers filed a Direct Appeal to the
Florida Supreme Court, alleging several court errors: improperly
excusing a juror who stated that they could follow the law and
return a death sentence, if called for by the aggravating and
mitigating circumstances; improperly basing a sentence on hearsay
evidence, thus depriving the defendant of his right to
confrontation; ruling that unscientific I.Q. test results are
admissible; ignoring a claim of mental retardation; erring in
handing down a death sentence despite mental retardation; expressing
judicial views on sentencing of domestic abusers and killers; and
following a death penalty procedure that violates the Sixth and
Fourteenth Amendments under Ring v. Arizona.
On 10/26/06, the FSC affirmed the conviction and
sentence.
On 04/24/07, Rodgers filed a Petition for Writ of
Certiorari with the U.S. Supreme Court that is pending.
Floridacapitalcases.state.fl.us |
