Date of Sentence: 04/17/89
Circumstances of Offense:
Richard Shere was convicted and
sentenced to death for the murder of Drew Snyder.
Drew Snyder, the victim, was
reported missing in December of 1987. The investigation into Snyder’s
disappearance led police to speak with Richard Shere on 01/13/88.
Shere
was a friend of Snyder. Shere waived his Miranda rights, spoke with the
police about the murder, and took them to several locations where
portions of Drew Snyder’s murder occurred.
According to Shere, Bruce Demo,
the codefendant and a friend of both Shere and Snyder, called Shere on
12/24/87, the night before the murder. Demo said that Snyder had
“ratted” on illegal activities committed by both Demo and Shere.
Demo
threatened to kill Shere if he did not help him kill Snyder. Demo and
Shere went to Snyder’s home early on the morning of 12/25/87 and
convinced Snyder to go hunting with them.
Shere said that he left his
.22-caliber rifle on the roof of the car when he went to relieve
himself. He claimed that Demo took the rifle and shot Snyder, who was
still in the car, several times. Shere stated that he wanted to take
Snyder to the hospital, but Demo pulled out his own pistol and shot
Snyder in the head and chest.
Bruce Demo provided a different
testimony about the murder. Demo said that he was the one who went to
relieve himself and heard shots. He said that Shere was the one who
delivered the first couple of shots. According to Demo, Shere then
pointed the firearm at him and ordered him to shoot Snyder. Demo then
shot Snyder in the head and chest.
Demo and Shere put Snyder’s body
in the trunk and drove a short distance. Demo made Shere dig the hole
and bury Snyder’s body because, according to Demo, he was too upset by
the events that had transpired. Demo suggested that Shere take a few of
Snyder’s belonging and dump them in Clearwater to make it look like
Snyder had left town in a hurry, which Shere did with the help of his
girlfriend, Heidi Greulich.
Shere also traded the firearm,
which the police recovered later and determined that the gun was the
same one used to kill Snyder. The police were able to determine that
shots had been fired in Shere’s automobile and that there was human
blood on a pair of Shere’s boots.
Snyder was shot a total of ten
times. Shots were fired into his head, chest, back, buttocks, an arm,
and one leg. The two shots to the head were determined to be from a
pistol and one shot to the leg was from a rifle.
Heidi Greulich, who married
Shere after the murder, testified to seeing blood on Shere’s clothing
and in his car the day of the murder. She also testified that Shere
told her that he killed Snyder alone. According to Shere, if Demo found
out that Greulich knew Demo was involved in the murder, then she would
have been in danger from Demo.
Ray Pruden, a friend of Shere,
testified that Shere told him that he killed Snyder while they were
hunting. Shere did not indicate to Pruden whether Demo was involved in
the murder.
Additional Information:
Co-Defendant Status:
Bruce Demo (Hernando County Circuit Court
#89-0021, #89-0512)
Bruce Demo was convicted and
sentenced on 05/04/89. He received a life sentence for the Second
Degree Murder of Drew Snyder (#89-0021). On 09/01/89, he received two
three-and-a-half year sentences for Possession of Firearm by a Felon and
Carrying a Concealed Firearm (#89-0512).
Trial Summary:
01/15/88 Shere was arrested.
02/02/88 Shere was indicted on the following count:
Count I: First-Degree
Murder
04/21/89 Shere was found guilty for Count I of the indictment.
04/26/89 Upon
advisory sentencing, the jury, by a 7 to 5 majority, voted for the death
penalty.
04/17/89 Shere was sentenced as follows:
Count I: First-Degree
Murder – Death
Case Information:
Richard Shere filed his Direct Appeal in the Florida Supreme Court on
06/12/89. He raised several issues on Direct Appeal. These issues
included that the trial court erred in denying his motion for a
mistrial, denying his motion to suppress statements that he made to
detectives, calling Greulich to testify, and denying post-trial motions
for a jury interview.
The Florida Supreme Court did not find errors
that warranted reversing the conviction or sentence and affirmed the
conviction and sentence on 04/04/91. Rehearing was denied on 06/04/91.
A Mandate was issued on 07/11/91.
Shere filed a 3.850 Motion in the Hernando County Circuit Court on
02/02/93. This Motion was denied on 08/18/97.
Shere filed a 3.850 Appeal in the Florida Supreme Court on 10/16/97.
The Florida Supreme Court denied the appeal on 06/24/99. Rehearing was
denied on 08/24/99. A Mandate was issued on 09/23/99.
Shere filed a 3.850 Motion in the Hernando County Circuit Court on
04/15/98. This motion was denied on 05/07/98.
Shere filed a Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus in the Florida State
Supreme Court on 09/25/00. Shere claimed that counsel was ineffective
because the counsel did not certain issues on appeal. Shere also argued
that he is incompetent, thus executing him would constitute cruel and
unusual punishment.
The Florida Supreme Court denied the petition on
09/12/02. Rehearing was denied on 10/28/02.
On
09/26/00, Shere filed a Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus in the United
States District Court, Middle District. The petition is currently
pending.
Shere filed a 3.850 Motion in the Circuit Court on 02/25/03. The motion
was denied on 10/20/03.
Shere filed a 3.850 Appeal in the Florida Supreme Court on 11/12/03. On
04/01/05, the Florida Supreme Court affirmed the denial of Shere’s 3.850
Motion.
Floridacapitalcases.state.fl.us
