William Bryan Cruse

Case name

William Bryan Cruse

Background

William Bryan Cruse was a retired librarian and lived in Palm Bay, Florida. He described delusions about people in his neighborhood, including a belief that his Palm Bay neighbors thought he was gay. He also believed that supermarket clerks gossiped about him whenever he shopped and that neighborhood children taunted him and trespassed into his property.

Cruse was described as someone who screamed obscenities and fired a rifle in the air to warn of trespassers.

At some point, neighbors learned that Cruse’s wife, Millie, was seriously ill. Neighbors disagreed on whether she had Parkinson’s disease or Alzheimer’s disease.

The offence

On April 23, 1987, Cruse felt the taunting of two kids outside his door was too much. He grabbed three guns and went after them.

Cruse shot a 14-year-old boy, who was playing basketball in his driveway across the street. Cruse then drove away in his white Toyota toward the nearest Publix supermarket.

In the Publix parking lot, Cruse killed three people: two Kuwaiti students and a woman. He was unable to get into the store to kill more. He returned to his car and drove to the nearby Winn-Dixie supermarket.

As he started firing at the Winn-Dixie store, a police officer arrived. Cruse sprayed the patrol car with seven rounds, mortally wounding the officer. A second officer unloaded his weapon on Cruse without hitting him. Cruse first hit the second officer on the leg before finishing him off while the officer tried to reload.

Cruse proceeded into the supermarket shooting at anyone he saw. By the time he was done, Cruse had killed six people and wounded ten others.

Cruse took a 21-year-old woman hostage who he found hiding in the women’s restroom. After a six-hour siege, he let her go. Police later swarmed into the store and arrested him.

Investigation

Cruse told police that a man had stuck his tongue at him in the store and said that “was his way of saying I was queer.”

Cruse told police he had no memory of shooting to death six people and wounding 14 during the rampage. “I don't remember hurting anybody," William Cruse told detectives.

An indecency report was filed, and Cruse told investigators that Publix employees thought he was gay. He was described as hating homosexuals.

Arrest

Cruse was arrested when he was forced to leave the store.

Trial

Cruse was charged with six counts of murder and was later indicted on multiple counts, including first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, and kidnapping.

Cruse pled not guilty by reason of insanity and claimed to suffer from delusions that people were talking about him, trying to test his sexuality, and attempting to turn him into a homosexual.

Timeline

• April 23, 1987 — Cruse ignited a shooting rampage at two shopping centers, killing six people and wounding others during a siege and hostage situation.
• April 24, 1987 — Articles described a rampage at two shopping centers with police firing tear gas into the store where Cruse held three hostages early, and the hostages were freed unharmed.
• April 24, 1987 — Defendant arrested.
• May 3, 1987 — The defendant was indicted as followed:
  • Count I: First-Degree Murder – Al-Hameli
  • Count II: First-Degree Murder – Al-Tawakuly
  • Count III: First-Degree Murder – Green
  • Count IV: First-Degree Murder – Grogan
  • Count V: First-Degree Murder – Johnson
  • Count VI: First-Degree Murder – Watson
  • Count VII: Attempted First-Degree Murder
  • Count VIII: Attempted First-Degree Murder
  • Count IX: Attempted First-Degree Murder
  • Count X: Attempted First-Degree Murder
  • Count XI: Attempted First-Degree Murder
  • Count XII: Attempted First-Degree Murder
  • Count XIII: Attempted First-Degree Murder
  • Count XIV: Attempted First-Degree Murder
  • Count XV: Attempted First-Degree Murder
  • Count XVI: Attempted First-Degree Murder
  • Count XVII: Attempted First-Degree Murder
  • Count XVIII: Attempted First-Degree Murder
  • Count XIX: Attempted First-Degree Murder
  • Count XX: Attempted First-Degree Murder
  • Count XXI: Attempted First-Degree Murder
  • Count XXII: Attempted First-Degree Murder
  • Count XXIII: Attempted First-Degree Murder
  • Count XXIV: Attempted First-Degree Murder
  • Count XXV: Attempted First-Degree Murder
  • Count XXVI: Attempted First-Degree Murder
  • Count XXVII: Attempted First-Degree Murder
  • Count XXVIII: Attempted First-Degree Murder
  • Count XXIX: Attempted First-Degree Murder
  • Count XXX: Attempted First-Degree Murder
  • Count XXXI: Attempted First-Degree Murder
  • Count XXXII: Attempted First-Degree Murder
  • Count XXXIII: Attempted First-Degree Murder
  • Count XXXIV: Attempted First-Degree Murder
  • Count XXXV: Kidnapping
  • Count XXXVI: Kidnapping
• January 11, 1988 — Notice of intent to rely on the insanity defense.
• December 19, 1988 — Motion for change of venue granted and the case was transferred to Polk County.
• April 5, 1989 — The jury found the defendant guilty on the following counts:
  • Count XXX: Attempted Second-Degree Murde
  • Count XXXI: Attempted Second-Degree Murder
  • Count XXXV: False Imprisonment
  • Count XXXVI: Kidnapping
• April 25, 1989 — Upon advisory sentencing, the jury voted by the following counts:
  • Count I: Murder – Al-Hameli 11 to 1 - Death
  • Count II: Murder – Al-Tawakuly 11 to 1 - Death
  • Count III: Murder – Green 10 to 2 - Death
  • Count IV: Murder – Grogan 11 to 1 - Death
  • Count V: Murder – Johnson 12 to 0 - Death
  • Count VI: Murder – Watson 11 to 1 – Death
• July 28, 1989 — The defendant was sentenced as followed:
  • Count I: First-Degree Murder – Al-Hameli - Life
  • Count II: First-Degree Murder – Al-Tawakuly - Life
  • Count III: First-Degree Murder – Green - Life
  • Count IV: First-Degree Murder – Grogan - Death
  • Count V: First-Degree Murder – Johnson - Death
  • Count VI: First-Degree Murder – Watson - Life
  • Count VII: Attempted First-Degree Murder - Life
  • Count VIII: Attempted First-Degree Murder - Life
  • Count IX: Attempted First-Degree Murder - Life
  • Count X: Attempted First-Degree Murder - Life
  • Count XI: Attempted First-Degree Murder - Life
  • Count XII: Attempted First-Degree Murder - Life
  • Count XIII: Attempted First-Degree Murder - Life
  • Count XIV: Attempted First-Degree Murder - Life
  • Count XV: Attempted First-Degree Murder - Life
  • Count XVI: Attempted First-Degree Murder - Life
  • Count XVII: Attempted First-Degree Murder - Life
  • Count XVIII: Attempted First-Degree Murder - Life
  • Count XIX: Attempted First-Degree Murder - Life
  • Count XX: Attempted First-Degree Murder - Life
  • Count XXI: Attempted First-Degree Murder - Life
  • Count XXII: Attempted First-Degree Murder - Life
  • Count XXIII: Attempted First-Degree Murder - Life
  • Count XXV: Attempted First-Degree Murder - Life
  • Count XXVII: Attempted First-Degree Murder - Life
  • Count XXIX: Attempted First-Degree Murder - Life
  • Count XXX: Attempted Second-Degree Murder – 30 year
  • Count XXXI: Attempted Second-Degree Murder – 30 years
  • Count XXXIII: Attempted First-Degree Murder - Life
  • Count XXXIV: Attempted First-Degree Murder - Life
  • Count XXXV: False Imprisonment – 15 years
  • Count XXXVI: Kidnapping - Life

Sentencing

Circuit Judge John Antoon sentenced the 61-year-old Cruse to the electric chair in the shooting deaths of two Palm Bay police officers. On July 28, 1989, Cruse received two death sentences for the shooting rampage.

Appeals

Cruse filed a direct appeal in the Florida Supreme Court on September 1, 1989. He argued that the State committed a Brady violation when it withheld psychiatric information and that the trial court erred in failing to allow the cross-examination of a State’s expert. He also claimed the trial judge gave an improper insanity instruction and that the trial court erred in failing to allow him to present surrebuttal evidence. Regarding the penalty phase, he argued the application of certain aggravating factors.

The Florida Supreme Court rejected Cruse’s arguments and affirmed the convictions and death sentences on October 24, 1991.

Cruse filed a Petition for Writ of Certiorari in the United States Supreme Court, which was denied on June 8, 1992.

He filed a 3.850 Motion on August 25, 1993, which was pending in the State Circuit Court. On March 20, 2002, Cruse was found mentally incompetent to proceed in his postconviction relief efforts, and no disposition was reached on his 3.850 Motion.

Outcome

Cruse remained on death row.

Aftermath

Civil suits

The widows of two police officers killed in the Palm Bay shooting spree filed the first civil suits against William Cruse. Ella Story Johnson, 23, and Laura Lorenzo Grogan, 25, sought awards of more than $10,000 in the suits. Officers Gerald Johnson, 28, and Ronald Grogan, 27, and four other people were killed in the April 23 shoot-out.

Competency and execution status

Officials later stated that it was unlikely he would be executed before his natural life ended. State Attorney Norman Wolfinger said: “You can see he's a madman.” and “Whether or not he will ever be competent to be executed is questionable. Certainly I have my doubts that we will ever get to that point.”

Satellite Beach resident Ronald Grogan Sr. said: “Don't have a death penalty if you're not going to use it,” and “The system is not doing what it's supposed to do,” and “When he was sent to prison, he wasn't like he is now. But if you leave somebody in there for 20 years, anyone is going to go bats.”

Robin Mucha said: “If he's not going to be executed, then it's a crying shame that he wasn't found insane and hospitalized for the last 20 years,”

The Florida Department of Corrections spokeswoman Gretl Plessinger said Cruse spent 23 hours a day in his cell and was allowed a shower every other day. She also said he had had no visitors in years. It was stated that his parents were listed as dead and that his wife returned to her native Turkey after the killings. It was stated that his sister in Kentucky, where he grew up and spent most of his adult life, had not visited. Cruse moved to Brevard in 1985.

Carolyn Snurkowski said execution was still a possibility and stated: “We have had individuals before who need help and get hospitalized and then go back to being on death row,” and “she said execution is still a possibility.”

Palm Bay Deputy Chief Doug Muldoon, an officer at the crime scene, said: “It's a sad state for our society that you have a person seen by over 100 people commit this crime,” and “Here we are 20 years later, you have family members that have been deceased that never saw justice done.”

Capt. Doug Dechenne, the lead negotiator for Palm Bay's SWAT Team that night, said: “I think we'd all agree that there are persons who have committed such heinous crimes that they no longer deserve to live amongst us,” “Cruse is one of those that justice will be served if and when he is put to death. I would put my name up to be the one that pushes the button.”

Victims

The murders were identified as follows in the case information:

• Al-Hameli
• Al-Tawakuly
• Green
• Grogan
• Johnson
• Watson

In other parts of the record, the shooting was described as killing six people, including two police officers, and wounding others.

Other details

Hostage account

Robin Brown, a survivor of the shooting spree, described her actions during the hostage situation and said:

• “I tried to get him to surrender. I stopped him from killing himself and from killing me,”
• and she said she wiped blood from the gunman’s hands, helped him smash store lights, and fed him potato chips in an effort to stay alive.

Additional described claims and statements by witnesses

Trish Hebert said: “I make sure my kid doesn’t go on his lawn,” and “Nobody is friends with him. We are acquaintances by virtue of location.”

Eucal Grant said: “The kids were all afraid of him,” and “I considered him off his head -- crazy. He just acted crazy. No one talked to him, not even his next-door neighbors.”

Derek Suarez said: “Me and a couple of friends were just walking home from another guy’s house when he shot,” and “We used to just sit on our porch and he would run over and yell at us.”

Ray Carter said: “He pointed it right at us,” and “You made me lose my job. I’ll get you for this.”

Ray Carter also said: “I figured somebody else would,” and “I was going to go back down there, but when I told my girlfriend, she said to just leave him alone, and I did.”

Ron Stearn, who filed a complaint with police on April 17, said: “It was always him saying something and them responding,” and said: “It was always him saying something and them responding,” and said Cruse made lewd remarks to his 6-year-old son Michael and that the officer who investigated his complaint warned him to keep his son away.

Ron Stearn said: “It was always him saying something and them responding,” and he complained that no officer followed up.

Incidents described as preceding the rampage

It was stated that Cruse chased his 6-year-old son Michael up the street on April 17 and made lewd remarks to the boy.

Weapon and ammunition details

Cruse obtained a semiautomatic assault rifle and approximately 200 rounds of ammunition. On April 23, 1987, he loaded the assault rifle, a shotgun, and a pistol into his car and headed in the direction of Palm Bay Shopping Center.

Specific sequence at the shopping centers (case information)

Cruse obtained firearms and ammunition and opened fire on a 14-year-old, John Rich, IV, who was playing basketball outside his home at the Rich residence and fired at John’s family as they rushed outside.

At the Publix grocery store, Cruse shot and killed Nabil Al-Hameli and Emad Al-Tawakuly as they exited the Publix and wounded their friend Faisel Al-Mutairi. He wounded Eric Messerbauer and Douglas Pollack and killed Ruth Green as she pulled her car into the parking lot. Cruse walked over to the bodies of Al-Hameli and Al-Tawakuly and shot them again.

At the Sabal Palm Shopping Center, Cruse opened fire on customers of the Winn-Dixie grocery store. Cruse reloaded and fired numerous shots into Officer Ronald Grogan’s police car, killing him. Cruse targeted Officer Gerald Johnson, wounding him in the leg, and then stalked him and shot him several more times, killing him.

Cruse fired at a rescue team attempting to help the fallen officers. Cruse then went into the Winn Dixie and hunted down people attempting to escape through the back door. He wounded many and killed Lester Watson with a shot to the back.

Cruse found Judy Larson and Robin Brown hiding in the women’s restroom. He released Larson with orders to tell the police to turn off the lights while holding Brown hostage. Cruse tried to negotiate with police to bring his car around and let him to leave Brevard County, and if they agreed, he would allow police to kill him.

Cruse released Brown several hours later, and at that time police fired tear gas and stun grenades into the store.

Legal and procedural identifiers

Cruse’s listed details included: “CRUSE, William Jr. (W/M) DC# 117051 DOB: 11/21/27 Eighteenth Judicial Circuit, Brevard County, Case #87-1763.” Sentencing judge was “The Honorable John Antoon II.” Trial attorneys were “Marlene Alva & Paul Arlt - Assistant Public Defenders Attorney.” Direct appeal was “James Wulchak - Assistant Public Defender Attorney.” Collateral appeals were “Linda McDermott.” The registry date of offense was “04/23/87.” The date of sentence was “07/28/89.”

Competency determination

On March 20, 2002, Cruse was found mentally incompetent to proceed in his postconviction relief.

Prison and family

It was stated that Cruse spent 18 years on death row, and his wife returned to her native Turkey after the killings. His parents were listed as dead, and his sister in Kentucky had not visited.