Noel Doorbal

Case identification

Noel Doorbal (DOB: 12/21/71) was sentenced to death on 07/17/98.

Eleventh Judicial Circuit, Dade County. Case # 95-17381-B. Sentencing Judge: The Honorable Alex Ferrer. Trial Attorney: Penny Burke & Anthony Natale – Special Assistant Public Defender. Direct Appeal Attorney: Scott Sakin – Special Assistant Public Defender. Collateral Appeals: Melodee Smith – Registry.

Timeline

• 11/15/94 — Noel Doorbal was convicted for the kidnapping, extortion, and attempted murder of Marc Schiller.
• 05/25/95 — Griga’s death and Furton’s serious injury occurred during events at Doorbal’s apartment.
• 07/17/98 — Doorbal was sentenced to death.
• 02/08/99 — Doorbal filed a direct appeal with the Florida Supreme Court.
• 10/10/02 — The Florida Supreme Court affirmed the convictions and sentences.
• 01/30/03 — The Florida Supreme Court replaced the opinion of 10/10/02 with a new opinion dated 01/30/03.
• 04/30/03 — Doorbal filed a Petition for Writ of Certiorari with the U.S. Supreme Court.
• 06/27/03 — The U.S. Supreme Court denied certiorari.
• 06/15/04 — Doorbal filed a 3.851 Motion with the Circuit Court.
• 02/24/05 — Doorbal’s 3.851 Motion was denied.
• 03/07/05 — Doorbal filed a 3.851 Motion Appeal with the Florida Supreme Court; it was pending.
• 07/26/06 — Doorbal filed a Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus with the Florida Supreme Court; it was pending.
• 07/20/98 — John Mese was sentenced to 56 years imprisonment for the kidnapping and extortion of Schiller.

Background

Doorbal was convicted and sentenced for the kidnapping, extortion, and attempted murder of Marc Schiller, as well as the kidnapping and murders of Frank Griga and Krisztina Furton.

The offence

Kidnapping, extortion, and attempted murder of Marc Schiller

Marc Schiller was a successful businessman who owned an accounting firm and hired Jorge Delgado to help with his business. Delgado often visited Schiller’s house, and the two eventually became good friends. Delgado became friends with Daniel Lugo, who was employed at Sun Gym, where Delgado exercised. Lugo began joining Delgado in trips to Schiller’s house.

In 1994, Schiller questioned Delgado’s business practices, which caused an argument between the two. Schiller and Delgado severed their business ties, and on the advice of Lugo, Delgado hired John Mese to be an accountant.

Lugo convinced Delgado that Schiller had cheated the two of them in billing operations. Delgado testified that Lugo produced documents to back up his claims. When questioned by Delgado, Schiller denied any wrong doing. Lugo, Doorbal, and the others recruited by Lugo from Sun Gym made a plan to kidnap Schiller and force him to sign over assets Lugo believed Schiller owed him (Lugo) and Delgado.

Although Delgado originally told Lugo he wanted nothing to do with the plan, Delgado became very involved in the plot. Delgado provided specific information to Lugo about Schiller’s life, work schedule, home, and family life. Lugo, Doorbal, and the others secretly observed Schiller and, after a few attempts, kidnapped Schiller on 11/15/94. They took him to a warehouse Delgado had rented.

Lugo demanded that Schiller sign over his assets to him. After Schiller refused, the group began beating him and shocking him with a stun gun. Schiller agreed after Lugo threatened to harm Schiller’s wife and children. Schiller began unwillingly signing checks and documents, giving Lugo possession of his property and assets. During this time, Schiller was blindfolded so he could not see what he was signing.

Mese became involved by using his position as a notary public to verify the signing of the checks and documents. During Schiller’s captivity, the group entered Schiller’s house and stole items and charged items with Schiller’s credit cards.

Three weeks into the kidnapping, Doorbal and Delgado convinced Lugo that the group needed to kill Schiller because Schiller could possibly identify some, if not all, of those involved in the kidnapping and extortion. In the fourth week of the abduction, a plan was constructed to kill Schiller by staging the murder to appear to be a fatal drunk-driving accident. The group forced Schiller to consume a large amount of alcohol. Lugo took Schiller’s car and ran it into a utility pole to make it appear as though Schiller was involved in an accident.

The group took Schiller to the car, put him in the front seat, poured gasoline over the vehicle, and set it on fire. They were leaving the scene in another car when they saw Schiller in the road. Lugo and Doorbal told the driver to run him over, which the driver did. The group left the scene, convinced that Schiller was dead.

They later learned Schiller had survived and, at his request, he was transported to New York to recuperate. While Schiller was in New York, Lugo and his group emptied Schiller’s house and bank accounts. Schiller identified Lugo in testimony because he recognized Lugo’s voice during his abduction.

Abduction, extortion, and murders of Frank Griga and Krisztina Furton

Doorbal learned of the wealth of a local businessman, Frank Griga, and his girlfriend, Krisztina Furton, through his girlfriend at the time. Doorbal relayed this information to Lugo, and they planned to kidnap and extort the couple. Lugo and Doorbal planned to visit Griga under the guise of presenting a business proposition and planned to gain his confidence through this encounter; however, Griga was not interested.

During their second visit on 05/24/95, Lugo and Doorbal were to carry out the abduction, but Lugo aborted the plan. The next plan was to lure the couple to Doorbal’s apartment with an invitation to dinner. On 05/25/95, the couple followed Lugo and Doorbal to Doorbal’s apartment.

When Delgado visited Doorbal’s apartment that evening, he was informed that Griga was killed during a fight with Doorbal. Once Furton knew Griga was seriously hurt, she started screaming. Lugo restrained Furton and injected her with Rompun, a horse tranquilizer, to subdue her. They focused on Furton for information about the code to enter and burglarize Griga’s home.

Doorbal carried Furton to the bottom of the stair case where she began to scream again. She was injected a second time with the horse tranquilizer. After answering a few questions, Furton decided not to supply any more information. She was injected with a third dose of the tranquilizer.

John Raimondo, a corrections officer whom Lugo had hired to kill Furton and dispose of both the bodies, arrived. Raimondo neither killed Furton nor disposed of the bodies. Lugo went to Griga’s house with what he thought was the code to get in the house. Once Lugo realized he did not have the correct code, he called Doorbal, who informed Lugo that Furton was dead.

When Lugo returned to Doorbal’s apartment, Lugo told Delgado to go home and to return to Doorbal’s apartment the next morning with a truck. The next morning both bodies were loaded onto the truck and taken to a warehouse in Hialeah. After Lugo and Doorbal purchased the necessary equipment, they proceeded to dismember the bodies with a hatchet and chainsaw.

They attempted to burn the heads, hands, and feet in a metal drum. Lugo and Doorbal removed everything from Doorbal’s apartment that had blood on it, including carpet and computer equipment, and stored the items in the storage area of Lugo’s apartment.

On 05/27/95, Lugo made a trip to the Bahamas to gain access to Griga’s bank account but was unsuccessful and returned to Miami. On 05/28/95, Lugo, Doorbal, and another man disposed of the torsos, arms, and legs of the bodies in metal drums left at a site in southern Dade County. The heads, hands, and feet were disposed of separately in the Everglades.

Investigation and related proceedings

Doorbal was linked to the crimes by information obtained through police investigation and questioning of associates linked to the disappearance of Griga and Furton and the kidnapping and extortion of Schiller.

Jorge Delgado testified as part of the events leading to Schiller’s kidnapping and extortion.

Arrest, trial, and verdicts

Indictment and jury verdicts

On 10/02/96, Doorbal was indicted. The indictment counts included:

• Count I — Conspiracy to Commit Racketeering
• Count II — Racketeering
• Count III — First-Degree Murder (Furton)
• Count IV — First-Degree Murder (Griga)
• Count V — Kidnapping
• Count VI — Kidnapping
• Count VIII — Attempted Extortion
• Count IX — Grand Theft Auto
• Count X — Attempted First-Degree Murder
• Count XI — Armed Kidnapping
• Count XII — Armed Robbery
• Count XIII — Burglary
• Count XIV — Grand Theft (Second-Degree)
• Count XVII — Arson
• Count XVIII — Extortion
• Count XLVI — Conspiracy to Commit a First-Degree Felony

On 05/05/98, a jury returned guilty verdicts on all counts of the indictment. On 06/11/98, the jury recommended death sentences by two votes of 8-4.

Sentencing

On 07/17/98, Doorbal was sentenced as follows:

• Count I — Conspiracy to Commit Racketeering — 30 years
• Count II — Racketeering — 30 years
• Count III — First-Degree Murder (Furton) — Death
• Count IV — First-Degree Murder (Griga) — Death
• Count V — Kidnapping — Life imprisonment
• Count VI — Kidnapping — Life imprisonment
• Count VIII — Attempted Extortion — 5 years
• Count IX — Grand Theft Auto — 5 years
• Count X — Attempted First-Degree Murder — Life imprisonment
• Count XI — Armed Kidnapping — Life imprisonment
• Count XII — Armed Robbery — Life imprisonment
• Count XIII — Burglary — 15 years
• Count XIV — Grand Theft (Second-Degree) — 15 years
• Count XVII — Arson — 30 years
• Count XVIII — Extortion — 30 years
• Count XLVI — Conspiracy to Commit a First-Degree Felony — 15 years

Appeals

Florida Supreme Court direct appeal and opinion replacement

Doorbal filed a Direct Appeal with the Florida Supreme Court on 02/08/99, citing:

• lack of probable cause in issuing initial search warrants
• failure to suppress the seized evidence at trial
• improper character evidence testimony presented at trial
• improper remarks by the State during closing arguments at the conclusion of the guilt and penalty phases
• refusal to admit letters written by Lugo to Doorbal that purported to show Lugo’s domination over Doorbal’s actions
• improper finding of aggravating circumstances

On 10/10/02, the Florida Supreme Court affirmed the convictions and sentences. On 01/30/03, after denying Doorbal’s Rehearing Motion, the Florida Supreme Court replaced the opinion of 10/10/02 with a new opinion, dated 01/30/03.

U.S. Supreme Court certiorari

Doorbal filed a Petition for Writ of Certiorari with the U.S. Supreme Court on 04/30/03. The petition was denied on 06/27/03.

3.851 motions and habeas corpus

Doorbal filed a 3.851 Motion with the Circuit Court on 06/15/04. It was denied on 02/24/05.

Doorbal filed a 3.851 Motion Appeal with the Florida Supreme Court on 03/07/05; it was pending. Doorbal filed a Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus with the Florida Supreme Court on 07/26/06; it was pending.

Other details

Co-defendants and related outcomes

Daniel Lugo

• Indicted on 10/02/96 and sentenced on 07/17/98 (Case # 95-17381-C).
• Count V — Kidnapping — Life
• Count VI — Kidnapping — Life
• Count X — Attempted First-Degree Murder — Life
• Count XI — Armed Kidnapping — Life
• Count XII — Armed Robbery — 15 years
• Count XV — Grand Theft Auto — 5 years
• Count XVI — Possession of an Identification Plate — 5 years
• Count XVII — Arson — 30 years
• Count XIX — Money Laundering (Counts XIX – XXVII) — 15 years each
• Count XXVIII — Forgery (Counts XXVIII, XXXI, XXXIV, XXVII, XL, XLIII) — 5 years each
• Count XXX — Uttering a Forged Instrument (Counts XXX, XXIII, XXXVI, IXL, XLII, XLV) — 5 years each

John Mese

• Indicted on 10/02/96 (Case # 95-17381-F) for the kidnapping, extortion, and murders of Griga and Furton and the kidnapping and extortion of Marc Schiller.
• A jury returned guilty verdicts on all counts of the indictment; however, the judge set aside the convictions pertaining to the Griga/Furton crimes.
• On 07/20/98, Mese was sentenced to 56 years imprisonment for the kidnapping and extortion of Schiller.
• Mese appealed; the State cross-appealed the sentence to the Florida District Court of Appeal, Third District.
• On 06/19/02, the DCA ruled that the trial judge improperly set aside the two RICO convictions and ordered a new sentencing hearing to be conducted on those counts.
• On 01/15/03, Mese was sentenced to 30 years imprisonment for one count of Conspiracy to Commit Racketeering.

John Raimondo

• Indicted on 10/02/96 (Case # 95-17381-I) on one count each of Conspiracy to Commit Racketeering, First-Degree Murder (Furton), Kidnapping (Furton), and Attempted Extortion.
• The State nolle prossed all but the kidnapping charge.
• Raimondo was convicted and sentenced to eight years imprisonment for the crime.

Jorge Delgado

• In return for testifying for the State, Delgado was sentenced to two prison terms of 15 and 5 years for his role in the murders of Griga and Furton and the attempted murder of Schiller.