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Ronald Lee WILLIAMS
Classification: Murderer
Characteristics: Leader
of the “Miami Boys,” a drug-trafficking ring - Murders for hire
Number of victims: 4
Date of murders:
September 20,
1988
Date of birth:
February 26,
1963
Victims profile: Derek
Devan Hill, Michael Alfonso Douglass, Michael Anthony McCormack,
and Mildred Jean Baker
Method of murder:
Stabbing
with knife
- Shooting
Location: Escambia County, Florida,
USA
Status: Sentenced to death on June 21,
1991
DC# 076275 DOB: 02/26/63
First Judicial Circuit, Escambia
County, Case #90-3515
Sentencing Judge: The Honorable
Nicolas P. Geeker
Attorney, Trial: Randall J.
Etheridge, Esq.
Attorney, Direct Appeal: Spiro
T. Kypreos, Esq.
Attorney, Collateral Appeals:
Joseph McDermott, Esq. – Registry
Date of Offense: 09/20/88
Date of Sentence: 06/21/91
Circumstances of Offense:
Defendant Ronnie Lee Williams
was the leader of the “Miami Boys,” a drug-trafficking ring that ran
from Miami to Pensacola.
One of his Pensacola employees, Bruce Frazier,
had just broken up with his girlfriend and was afraid that she would
inform police about the drug ring.
Worried, Frazier and Michael
McCormick, a street-level employee, moved a safe containing drugs and
money from the apartment used by the drug ring to McCormick’s
apartment.
Shortly after the safe was moved, Williams called Frazier
from Miami and instructed him to get the money that McCormick owed him.
Frazier went to McCormick’s apartment and was told by McCormick that
both the money and the safe had been stolen, despite the absence of any
visible signs of forced entry.
On 09/18/88, Williams ordered
three of his Miami-based employees – Timothy Robinson, Darrell Frazier
(brother of Bruce Frazier), and Michael Coleman – to go to Pensacola to
recover money and drugs stolen from McCormick.
McCormick and Bruce
Frazier met the three men from Miami at a hotel in Pensacola. The five
men obtained weapons from McCormick and broke into his neighbor’s
apartment looking for the missing goods. Darlene Crenshaw, Amanda
Merrill, Derek Hill and Morris Alfonso Douglas were all inside the
apartment when the men broke in.
Mildred Baker, McCormick’s girlfriend,
was brought in soon after. The five men ordered Hill, Merrill, Douglas
and Baker to undress and lie on the floor, where they were bound and
gagged. The five men began interrogating them about the whereabouts of
the safe.
When no one would answer his questions, Robinson began
stabbing Derek Hill. Darlene Crenshaw spoke up that she knew where the
safe was and that McCormick was involved in the theft. After hearing
this, the four men instructed McCormick to undress, and he was bound
along with the others. McCormick was then stabbed several times.
Bruce and Darrell Frazier took
Darlene Crenshaw to her apartment, where the safe, money and drugs were
hidden. The Frazier brothers recovered the stolen goods and returned to
Hill’s apartment, leaving Crenshaw alive.
Meanwhile at Hill’s apartment,
Robinson and Coleman repeatedly raped Mildred Baker and Amanda Merrill.
They also stabbed and slashed McCormick, Hill, and Douglas.
When the
Frazier brothers returned, Robinson and Coleman began to kill the
prisoners. Amanda Merrill survived after having her throat slit several
times and being shot in the head. Douglas, Baker, Hill, and McCormick,
were all pronounced dead at the scene.
Ronnie Lee Williams remained in
Miami while the murders were carried out. It was undisputed that he
never stabbed or shot any of the victims himself.
Codefendant Information:
Michael Coleman was sentenced to
death for his part in the murders. Coleman was convicted of
First-Degree Murder, Attempted Murder, Armed Kidnapping, Armed Sexual
Battery, Armed Robbery, Armed Burglary and Conspiracy to Traffic.
Bruce Frazier was convicted of
Second-Degree Murder, Attempted Murder, Armed Kidnapping, Armed Robbery,
Armed Burglary, and Conspiracy to Traffic. Frazier was sentenced to 30
years for Trafficking and 50 years for each of the other convictions.
Darrell Frazier was convicted
and sentenced to life for First-Degree Murder, Second-Degree Murder,
Armed Kidnapping, Armed Robbery, and Armed Burglary. He was sentenced
to 30 years for Second-Degree Murder and Conspiracy to Traffic.
Timothy Robinson was sentenced
to death for his part in the murders on 09/20/89.
Robinson was convicted of
First-Degree Murder, Attempted Murder, Armed Kidnapping, Armed Sexual
Battery, Armed Robbery, Armed Burglary and Conspiracy to Traffic.
*****
Trial Summary:
07/24/90 The defendant was indicted on the following charges:
05/10/91 The
jury found the defendant guilty of all counts charged in the indictment.
05/11/91 Upon advisory sentencing, the jury voted for life
imprisonment.
06/21/91 The defendant was sentenced as follows:
Count I: First-Degree
Murder (Derek Hill) - Death
Count II: First-Degree
Murder (Morris Douglas) - Death
Count III: First-Degree
Murder (Michael McCormick) - Death
Count IV: First-Degree Murder
(Mildred Baker) - Death
Count V: Attempted Murder
(Amanda Merrell) - Life
Count VI: Kidnapping (Derek
Hill) - Life
Count VII: Kidnapping (Morris
Douglas) - Life
Count VIII: Kidnapping (Michael
McCormick) - Life
Count IX: Kidnapping (Mildred
Baker) - Life
Count X: Kidnapping (Amanda
Merrell) - Life
Count XI: Kidnapping (Darlene
Crenshaw) – Life
* Williams was later
resentenced to 30 years on Counts VI-XI, each count to run concurrent.
*****
Case Information:
On
07/10/91, Ronald Lee Williams filed a Direct Appeal in the Florida
Supreme Court. In that appeal, he argued that the trial judge erred by
rebuking defense counsel’s attempt to impeach witness Darrell Frazier
and by admitting evidence regarding two attempted murders in
Jacksonville, which Williams allegedly ordered. Williams also claimed
that the trial court erred by allowing the State to peremptorily
challenge a potential black juror solely on the basis of race. The
Florida Supreme Court found no merit to the claims Williams raised
regarding the guilt phase. Pertaining to the penalty phase, Williams
claimed that the trial court erred in its application of several
aggravating circumstances. The Florida Supreme Court agreed that the
avoid-arrest factor and the heinous, atrocious and cruel factor were
unsupported by the record. Lastly, Williams argued that the trial judge
erred in overriding the jury recommendation of a life imprisonment.
The
Florida Supreme Court affirmed Williams’ convictions and sentence of
death on 04/22/93. Williams’ sentences for attempted murder and
kidnapping were vacated and remanded with instructions that he be resentenced to 30 years on each count.
On
09/29/93, Williams filed a Petition for Writ of Certiorari in the United
State Supreme Court that was denied on 11/29/93.
Williams filed a 3.850 Motion on 03/24/97, which was later denied on
01/10/05.
On
02/02/05, Williams filed a 3.850 Appeal in the Florida Supreme Court.
The appeal is currently pending.
On
08/31/05, Williams filed a Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus in the
Florida Supreme Court. The petition is currently pending.
