Labrant Dennis

Case overview

Labrant Dennis was sentenced to death on February 26, 1999.

Timeline

• 04/13/96 — Earl Little arrived at his University of Miami on-campus apartment to pick up his keys to his black Ford Explorer that he had loaned to his roommate, Marlin Barnes.
• 04/13/96 — Earl Little found Marlin Barnes slumped against the front door, badly beaten and barely conscious; Little called the police.
• 04/13/96 — Police entered the apartment and found the body of Timwanika Lumpkins with severe trauma to the back of the head; Lumpkins was still alive; Barnes died at the scene, while Lumpkins was airlifted to the hospital and later died.
• 04/13/96 — Dennis was seen at Club Salvation in the early morning hours.
• 04/13/96 — A gas station attendant told police a man matching Dennis’ description and wearing a black, hooded sweatshirt was parked in a car at the gas station.
• 04/13/96 — The attendant told police the black Ford Explorer with a flat tire was being loaded onto a flatbed tow truck across the street.
• 04/13/96 — Joseph Stewart told police Dennis borrowed a shotgun and duffel bag from him.
• 04/13/96 — In the early morning hours on the day of the murders, Dennis hid the duffel bag in bushes at Stewart’s mother’s house.
• 05/08/96 — Dennis was indicted on Counts I to IV.
• 10/28/98 — The jury returned guilty verdicts on all counts of the indictment.
• 12/02/98 — The jury recommended death sentences by two votes of 11-1.
• 01/31/02 — The Florida Supreme Court affirmed the convictions and sentences.
• 09/25/02 — Dennis filed a Petition for Writ of Certiorari with the U.S. Supreme Court.
• 12/02/02 — The U.S. Supreme Court denied the petition.
• 11/25/03 — Dennis filed a 3.850 Motion with the Circuit Court.
• 10/05/04 — The 3.850 Motion was denied by the Circuit Court.
• 11/09/04 — Dennis filed a 3.850 Motion Appeal with the Florida Supreme Court; it was pending.
• 02/26/99 — Dennis was sentenced on Counts I to IV.

The offence

On the morning of April 13, 1996, Earl Little arrived at his University of Miami on-campus apartment to pick up his keys to a black Ford Explorer he had loaned to his roommate, Marlin Barnes. Little found that Barnes had been badly beaten and was slumped against the front door. Little called the police, who entered the apartment and found Timwanika Lumpkins’ body with severe trauma to the back of the head; Lumpkins was still alive. Barnes died at the scene, while Lumpkins, after being airlifted to the hospital, later died.

Both Barnes and Lumpkins suffered trauma wounds and lacerations determined to be the result of multiple blows from a shotgun.

Background

Barnes and Little both played football for the University of Miami. During a meeting of the football team after the murders, some football players indicated that Lumpkins had an ex-boyfriend named Labrant Dennis.

In an interview with police, Dennis admitted he was romantically involved with Lumpkins and fathered a child with her. Dennis stated that he and Lumpkins had had an argument the week prior to the murders when she came home late after an evening out with Barnes. Dennis and Lumpkins were living together with Dennis’ cousin and her boyfriend at the time. After the argument, Lumpkins moved out.

Investigation

In the early morning hours on the day of the murders, Dennis was seen at Club Salvation, which was the same club that Lumpkins, Barnes, and a mutual friend had visited that morning.

Dennis denied seeing Lumpkins and Barnes that morning.

Police canvassed the area for information about the murders. While approaching a gas station attendant, police learned the attendant worked at a gas station located a few blocks from Club Salvation. The attendant told police a man matching Dennis’ description and wearing a black, hooded sweatshirt that covered his face was parked in a car at the gas station. The attendant also told police that the vehicle was in a position to allow the observation of a black Ford Explorer with a flat tire being loaded onto a flatbed tow truck across the street.

Police learned that Joseph Stewart might have information and questioned him. Stewart told police that Dennis borrowed a shotgun and a duffel bag from him. Stewart said that on the morning of April 13, Dennis hid the duffel bag, which contained a black hooded sweatshirt, black boots, a significantly damaged shotgun, and a knife, in bushes at Stewart’s mother’s house.

After finding the items, Stewart became nervous and threw the clothes in a grocery store dumpster and discarded the shotgun and knife into a sewer drain. Police later recovered the shotgun and knife and the duffel bag, but were unable to recover the discarded clothing.

Additional forensic investigation determined that fragments of the shotgun found in the apartment matched Stewart’s damaged shotgun.

The State linked Dennis to the murders and established Dennis’ motive by introducing evidence that Dennis had stalked Lumpkins on several occasions and had once threatened to kill her with a gun.

Trial

Dennis was indicted as follows:

• Count I — First-Degree Murder
• Count II — First-Degree Murder
• Count III — Armed Burglary With Assault or Battery
• Count IV — Criminal Mischief

A jury returned guilty verdicts on all counts of the indictment on October 28, 1998. On December 2, 1998, the jury recommended death sentences by two votes of 11-1.

Sentencing

On February 26, 1999, Dennis was sentenced as follows:

• Count I — First-Degree Murder: Death
• Count II — First-Degree Murder: Death
• Count III — Armed Burglary With Assault or Battery: Life Imprisonment
• Count IV — Criminal Mischief: 1 year

Appeals

Dennis filed a direct appeal with the Florida Supreme Court on March 29, 1999. He cited thirteen trial court errors, including:

• failure to adequately instruct the jury about accomplices
• improper bolstering of witness testimony by the State
• erroneous admission of evidence
• denying a motion to suppress evidence
• allowing the State to impeach its own witness
• admission of collateral evidence
• admission of autopsy photos
• inadequate sentencing order
• failure to prove aggravating circumstances (cold, calculated, premeditated murder and heinous, atrocious, or cruel murder)
• failure to consider mitigating circumstances (extreme mental or emotional disturbance)
• disproportionate sentence due to the murder being a crime of passion

On January 31, 2002, the Florida Supreme Court affirmed the convictions and sentences.

Dennis filed a Petition for Writ of Certiorari with the U.S. Supreme Court on September 25, 2002. The petition was denied on December 2, 2002.

Dennis filed a 3.850 Motion with the Circuit Court on November 25, 2003. That motion was denied on October 5, 2004.

Dennis filed a 3.850 Motion Appeal with the Florida Supreme Court on November 9, 2004; it was pending.

Other details

Dennis’ court and counsel information included:

• Supreme Court of Florida opinion SC95211
• Direct case number DC# 124607
• Date of birth 10/21/7
• Eleventh Judicial Circuit, Dade County
• Case number 96-13558
• Sentencing judge: The Honorable Manuel Crespo
• Trial attorney: Ronald Guralnick – Private Attorney
• Direct appeal attorneys: Louis Campbell & Christina Spaulding – Asst. Public Defender Attorney
• Collateral appeal attorney: Suzanne Keffer – CCRC-S