Jerry William Correll

Case overview

Jerry William Correll was convicted and sentenced to death for the murders of his ex-wife, Susan Correll; her sister, Marybeth Jones; their mother, Mary Lou Hines; and Correll’s five-year-old daughter, Tuesday.

Timeline

• 06/30/85 — Date of offense
• 07/01/85 — The bodies of the four victims were discovered at the Hines residence on the morning of 07/01/85
• 07/02/85 — Defendant arrested
• 09/10/85 — Defendant indicted on:
  • Count I: First-Degree Murder (Mary Lou Hines)
  • Count II: First-Degree Murder (Susan Correll)
  • Count III: First-Degree Murder (Marybeth Jones)
  • Count IV: First-Degree Murder (Tuesday Correll)
• 09/12/85 — The defendant entered a plea of “not guilty”
• 12/10/85 — The trial judge granted an oral motion for change of venue; the trial was transferred to Sarasota County in the Twelfth Judicial Circuit; upon sentencing, the case was transferred back to Orange County
• 02/06/86 — The jury found the defendant guilty on all counts
• 02/07/86 — Upon advisory sentencing, the jury voted for the death penalty for all four murders
• 02/07/86 — The defendant was sentenced as followed:
  • Count I: First-Degree Murder (Mary Lou Hines) — Death
  • Count II: First-Degree Murder (Susan Correll) — Death
  • Count III: First-Degree Murder (Marybeth Jones) — Death
  • Count IV: First-Degree Murder (Tuesday Correll) — Death
• 03/03/86 — Correll filed a Direct Appeal in the Florida Supreme Court
• 01/14/88 — The Florida Supreme Court affirmed the convictions and sentences of death
• 10/03/88 — Petition for Writ of Certiorari in the United States Supreme Court was denied
• 02/22/90 — Correll filed his first 3.850 Motion in the State Circuit Court
• 03/16/90 — The Florida Supreme Court affirmed the denial of Correll’s 3.850 Motion
• 03/09/90 — Correll filed a Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus in the Florida Supreme Court
• 03/16/90 — The Florida Supreme Court denied the petition in a consolidated opinion with Correll’s 3.850 appeal
• 02/13/95 — The United States District Court, Middle District granted a motion to hold federal proceedings in abeyance and administratively closed the Habeas Petition until completion of the Motion for Post-conviction Relief at the State level
• 02/12/98 — The Petition was reopened
• 08/23/02 — The Petition was again administratively closed pending a decision in the Bottoson and King cases
• 02/04/05 — The Petition was reopened and is currently pending
• 03/31/95 — Correll filed his second 3.850 Motion in the State Circuit Court
• 04/03/96 — The trial court judge denied the second 3.850 Motion
• 04/10/97 — The Florida Supreme Court affirmed the denial of the motions
• 07/19/02 — Correll filed a 3.850 Motion in the State Circuit Court that was denied on 09/17/03
• 11/10/03 — Correll filed an appeal of that decision in the Florida Supreme Court
• 07/23/04 — The denial was affirmed
• 06/17/05 — Correll filed a 3.853 Motion (DNA) with the Circuit Court
• 12/21/05 — The 3.853 Motion (DNA) was granted

Background and identifying information

• Name: Jerry William Correll
• DOB: 01/09/56
• Case: Ninth Judicial Circuit, Orange County, Case #85-3550
• DC#: 101151
• Sentencing Judge: The Honorable R. James Stroker
• Trial Attorneys: Peter Kinney & Patricia A. Cashmen – Assistant Public Defenders
• Attorney, Direct Appeal: James R. Valerino – Private Attorney
• Collateral Appeals: Mark Gruber & David Hendry – CCRC-M
• Florida Supreme Court opinion identifiers: 68393 opinion 75583 opinion 88474

The offence

Jerry Correll was convicted and sentenced to death for the murders of his ex-wife, Susan Correll; her sister, Marybeth Jones; their mother, Mary Lou Hines; and Correll’s five-year-old daughter, Tuesday.

The bodies of the four victims were discovered at the Hines residence on the morning of 07/01/85. All of the victims had been stabbed and died as a result of the hemorrhaging caused by the penetrating wounds.

One-and-a-half hours after authorities arrived on the scene, detectives encountered Jerry Correll there and asked him to make a statement. Correll subsequently went to the Sheriff’s Department and recorded an oral statement establishing an alibi for his whereabouts on the night of the murders.

Correll was interviewed again the next day and later arrested.

Forensic evidence linked Correll to bloody fingerprints and palm prints found at the murder scene. Additionally, Correll could not be omitted as the person whose bloodstains and semen were found at the scene.

Investigation and arrest

• Detectives encountered Jerry Correll at the scene about one-and-a-half hours after authorities arrived and asked him to make a statement.
• Correll recorded an oral statement establishing an alibi at the Sheriff’s Department.
• Defendant arrested on 07/02/85.

Trial

Indictment and plea

• 09/10/85 — Defendant indicted on:

Venue

• 12/10/85 — The trial judge granted an oral motion for change of venue. The trial transferred to Sarasota County in the Twelfth Judicial Circuit. Upon sentencing, the case was transferred back to Orange County.

Verdict

Sentencing

Advisory sentencing votes

• 02/07/86 — The jury, by a 10 to 2 majority, voted for the death penalty for the murder of Mary Lou Hines.
• The jury voted 9 to 3 for the death penalty for the murder of Susan Correll.
• The jury, by a 10 to 2 majority, voted for the death penalty for the murder of Marybeth Jones.
• The jury, by a 10 to 2 majority, voted for the death penalty for the murder of Tuesday Correll.

Final sentence

Upon sentencing, the defendant was sentenced as followed:

Appeals

Direct appeal

Correll filed a Direct Appeal in the Florida Supreme Court on 03/03/86.

In that appeal, he argued that the trial court erred in:

• the admission of statements he made to police prior to his arrest
• the admission of statements made by Susan Correll as relayed by a third party to the trial court
• redacting a portion of his statement made to police
• the admission of evidence that Correll had displayed hostile behavior towards Susan Correll in the past
• challenging the validity of using electrophoresis in blood tests

Regarding the penalty phase, Correll argued the application of aggravating factors and the consideration of mitigating evidence.

The Florida Supreme Court affirmed the convictions and sentences of death on 01/14/88.

United States Supreme Court

Correll next filed a Petition for Writ of Certiorari in the United States Supreme Court, which was denied on 10/03/88.

Collateral proceedings (state and federal)

First 3.850 Motion

On 02/22/90, Correll filed his first 3.850 Motion in the State Circuit Court. He argued:

• ineffective assistance of counsel during the penalty phase of his trial
• he did not receive a competent mental health evaluation

The State Circuit Court denied the motion. Correll appealed in the Florida Supreme Court, and on 3/16/90, the high court affirmed the denial of Correll’s 3.850 Motion.

Habeas corpus petition in Florida Supreme Court

Correll filed a Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus in the Florida Supreme Court on 03/09/90. He again asserted:

• ineffective assistance of counsel
• his constitutional rights were violated when the governor signed a death warrant prior to the expiration of the standard time limit in filing a 3.850 Motion

In a consolidated opinion with Correll’s 3.850 appeal, the Florida Supreme Court denied the petition on 03/16/90.

Federal habeas petition

Correll filed a Federal Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus in the United States District Court, Middle District.

During deliberations on the Habeas Petition, Correll filed a motion to hold the federal proceedings in abeyance to allow him to file another 3.850 Motion in the State Circuit Court. On 02/13/95, the District Court granted the motion and administratively closed the Habeas Petition until completion of the Motion for Post-conviction Relief at the State level.

On 02/12/98, the Petition was reopened. On 08/23/02, the Petition was again administratively closed pending a decision in the Bottoson and King cases. On 02/04/05, the Petition was reopened and remained pending.

Second 3.850 Motion and related motion to disqualify

Correll filed his second 3.850 Motion in the State Circuit Court on 03/31/95. He stated there was newly found evidence. He claimed a blood-splatter expert had misrepresented her education level and her experience.

The trial court judge denied the motion on 04/03/96.

Correll then filed a motion to disqualify the trial judge because he based his denial on personal knowledge and was biased against Correll’s counsel. Upon denial of that motion, Correll filed an appeal in the Florida Supreme Court. The high court affirmed the denial of the motions on 04/10/97.

Additional 3.850 Motion and Florida Supreme Court appeal

On 07/19/02, Correll filed a 3.850 Motion in the State Circuit Court, denied on 09/17/03.

Correll filed an appeal of that decision in the Florida Supreme Court on 11/10/03. On 07/23/04, the denial was affirmed.

3.853 Motion (DNA)

Correll filed a 3.853 Motion (DNA) with the Circuit Court on 06/17/05. The motion was granted on 12/21/05.

Other details

• The bodies were discovered at the Hines residence.
• The case involved four counts of First-Degree Murder, with each count resulting in a death sentence.