Jim Eric Chandler

Case information

Jim Eric Chandler was convicted in the Nineteenth Judicial Circuit, Indian River County, Florida, under Case #80-233-CF. The trial judge was the Honorable Royce R. Lewis. The resentencing judge was the Honorable William G. Tye. Chandler’s direct appeal attorneys included Richard Saliba, Esq.; Resentencing attorneys included Robert G. Udell, Esq.; and Trial attorney Paul Kanarek, Esq. Direct appeal (RS) attorneys included Jeffrey H. Garland, Esq. & Michael J. Kessler, Esq. Collateral appeals were handled by Martin McClain – CCRC-S. Chandler’s date of birth was 08/21/54.

Timeline

• 07/22/80 — Date of offense
• 05/19/81 — Date of sentence
• 09/18/86 — Date of resentencing (sentenced to death for each of the murders)

Background

At the time of the murder, Chandler was on parole after serving five years of a 20-year sentence for a 1973 kidnapping conviction in Texas.

The offence

The victims, Harold and Rachel Steinberger, were found lying face down in a wooded area behind their residence. Each had been stabbed numerous times in the back.

Chandler reported to the authorities that he found the bodies. He said he had been in the couple’s neighborhood checking on his ex-girlfriend’s house when Mr. Steinberger invited Chandler into his home and asked him to mow his lawn.

The day after the crime, Chandler called an investigator and asked whether the police were going to arrest him. The investigator said no, but asked Chandler to accompany him to the victims’ house and point out any missing items. Chandler agreed.

At the house, officers asked Chandler why anyone would go into the woods to be killed. He replied that the victims were ordered out of the house. Chandler mentioned that the victims had been stabbed, although the authorities had not yet released that information. When officers asked whether the victims might have resisted, Chandler speculated that the victims would not resist if the murderer placed a knife to the wife’s throat. He further stated that the victims probably were killed for the $150,000 they made on the sale of their former home, information he would have known from an examination of the victims’ bank account record. Finally, Chandler stated that if he were the officers, he would arrest him.

Investigation

Chandler called an investigator the day after the crime and asked whether the police were going to arrest him. Chandler agreed.

Arrest

No separate arrest event was stated.

Trial

Convictions

As charged in the indictment, the defendant was convicted as follows:

• Count I: First-Degree Murder — guilty
• Count II: First-Degree Murder — guilty
• Count III: Robbery with a Deadly Weapon — guilty
• Count IV: Robbery with a Deadly Weapon — guilty
• Count V: Trafficking in Stolen Property — guilty
• Count VI: Trafficking in Stolen Property — guilty
• Count VII: Trafficking in Stolen Property — guilty
• Count VIII: Aggravated Assault — guilty

Advisory sentencing (May 1981)

Upon advisory sentencing, the jury, by two vote counts of 10 to 2, recommended a death sentence for each of the murders.

Sentencing (May 19, 1981)

The defendant was sentenced as followed:

• Count I: First-Degree Murder — Death
• Count II: First-Degree Murder — Death
• Count III: Robbery with a Deadly Weapon — Adjudication Withheld
• Count IV: Robbery with a Deadly Weapon — Adjudication Withheld
• Count V: Trafficking in Stolen Property — 10 years
• Count VI: Trafficking in Stolen Property — 10 years
• Count VII: Trafficking in Stolen Property — 10 years
• Count VIII: Aggravated Assault — 5 years

Resentencing and further proceedings

Advisory sentencing (September 17, 1986)

Upon advisory sentencing, the jury, by two counts of 12 to 0, recommended a death sentence for each of the murders.

Sentencing (September 18, 1986)

Defendant was sentenced to death for each of the murders.

Appeals

Chandler filed a direct appeal with the Florida Supreme Court in 1981. He argued that the trial court during voir dire had erroneously excluded prospective jurors in violation of guidelines set forth by the U.S. Supreme Court in Witherspoon v. Illinois. The court agreed and in 1983 affirmed the conviction, but vacated the sentence and remanded.

The trial court resentenced Chandler to death in 1986. On direct appeal, the Florida Supreme Court affirmed the sentence in 1988. The U.S. Supreme Court denied certiorari in 1989.

Governor Martinez signed a death warrant on Chandler in April 1990. The defendant responded by petitioning the Florida Supreme Court for a writ of habeas corpus the following month. The court stayed the execution in June 1990.

Chandler also filed a 3.850 motion in the trial court, which was denied in 1991. He appealed the ruling to the Florida Supreme Court. In a consolidated 1994 opinion, the court denied the habeas petition and affirmed the trial court’s denial of the 3.850 Motion.

Chandler next petitioned U.S. District Court, Southern District, for a writ of habeas corpus in 1994. The court denied the request in 1998. The 11 th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals affirmed the lower court’s ruling in 2001.

Chandler filed a Collateral Motion in the State Circuit Court, which the Court treated as a 3.850 Motion, on 05/07/01. The Circuit Court dismissed the motion on 07/11/01. Chandler filed a 3.850 Appeal in the Florida Supreme Court on 11/02/01. That appeal was dismissed on 04/19/02.

Chandler re-filed the appeal on 06/02/03 and the Florida Supreme Court affirmed the trial court’s order striking the motion on 02/11/04.

Chandler filed a Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus in the Florida Supreme Court on 08/26/02, which was denied on 07/07/03. Chandler filed another Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus in the Florida Supreme Court, which was denied on 10/06/05.

Chandler filed a Petition for Writ of Certiorari in the U.S. Supreme Court on 05/08/06 that is pending.

Other details

Florida Supreme Court opinion numbers listed included 69708, opinion 76039, and SC04-518. The DC number listed was # 078361. The defendant’s age was not stated.