Daniel Lee Doyle

Case details

Daniel Lee Doyle was sentenced to death on May 13, 1982. He was convicted of first-degree murder and sexual battery.

Timeline

• 09/05/81 — Doyle was performing yard work in the yard of Pamela Kipp, his neighbor and third cousin.
• 04/02/82 — The jury returned guilty verdicts on all counts of the indictment.
• 04/05/82 — Upon advisory sentencing, the jury recommended the death sentence for the murder conviction by a vote of 8 to 4.
• 05/03/82 — Doyle was sentenced: Count I first-degree murder — death; Count II sexual battery — life imprisonment.
• 06/18/82 — Doyle filed a direct appeal with the Florida Supreme Court.
• 10/18/84 — The Florida Supreme Court affirmed the conviction and sentence.
• 02/06/87 — Doyle filed a 3.850 motion with the trial court.
• 05/16/88 — The trial court denied the 3.850 motion.
• 05/06/88 — Governor Martinez signed a death warrant.
• 05/23/88 — Doyle appealed the trial court’s denial of the 3.850 motion to the Florida Supreme Court.
• 06/06/88 — Doyle petitioned the Florida Supreme Court for a writ of habeas corpus.
• 06/23/88 — The Florida Supreme Court issued a consolidated opinion affirming the 3.850 denial and denying the habeas petition.
• 06/27/88 — Doyle petitioned the U.S. District Court, Southern District, for a stay of execution and writ of habeas corpus.
• 06/29/88 — The district court stayed the execution.
• 02/08/89 — The district court granted habeas, vacated the sentence, and remanded for ineffective trial counsel during the penalty phase.
• 05/25/89 — The State appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit.
• 01/14/91 — The appeals court reversed the district court’s ruling and reinstated the death sentence, concluding Doyle failed to establish trial counsel was ineffective at the sentencing phase.
• 10/21/91 — The U.S. Supreme Court denied certiorari.
• 09/06/94 — Doyle petitioned the Florida Supreme Court for a second habeas writ.
• 12/12/94 — A clemency board hearing was held.
• 06/01/95 — The Florida Supreme Court rejected Doyle’s claims and denied the petition.
• 05/13/82 — Doyle was sentenced to death.

Other details

Identifiers and court information

• Name: Daniel Lee Doyle
• AKA: “Playboy Doyle”
• Date of birth: 10/19/59
• DC#: 086006
• Seventeenth Judicial Circuit, Broward County
• Case number: 81-9310CF
• Trial judge: The Honorable Leroy H. Moe

Attorneys

• Trial attorney: T. Don Tenbrook — Private Attorney
• Direct appeal attorney: Michael D. Gelety — Private Attorney
• Collateral appeals attorney: Talbot D’Alemberte — Private Attorney

The offence

Victims and circumstances

On September 5, 1981, Doyle was performing yard work in the yard of Pamela Kipp, Doyle’s neighbor and third cousin. He later drove his truck, full of branches and leaves, to a nearby area to unload the debris. Witnesses reported seeing Kipp jogging in the same area at the same time. The victim never returned to her home.

During a search, a skeleton later identified as that of Monica Ruddick was discovered in the area where Doyle had been dumping leaves. Shortly thereafter, Kipp’s body was found about 200 yards from the area where Doyle had been dumping leaves. Near the body, a carpet and fresh tree clippings were discovered, as well as ruts in the mud where a vehicle had been stuck.

Doyle’s truck had been stuck in the mud in the area the day of the murder before another person helped him pull the vehicle out. An examination revealed that strangulation was the cause of death and that the victim was sexually battered while still alive.

Statements, hypnosis, and recantation

In a number of statements, some of them recorded, Doyle admitted to having sex with Kipp and killing her. He said he was intoxicated at the time of the murder and could not remember the details.

At a suppression hearing, it was reported that Doyle had undergone hypnosis in an attempt to recall additional details of the murder. The session lasted a hour and was recorded. Doyle allegedly admitted the Kipp killing, as well as the Ruddick killing, but later recanted and denied killing Ruddick. Both the tape of the session and all notes of the session were lost and never recovered.

Charges, trial, and verdict

Charges

On 09/23/81, Doyle was indicted on the following charges:

• Count I: First-degree murder
• Count II: Sexual battery

Verdicts

On 04/02/82, the jury returned guilty verdicts on all counts of the indictment.

Sentencing

Upon advisory sentencing, the jury recommended the death sentence for the murder conviction by a vote of 8 to 4 on 04/05/82.

On 05/03/82, Doyle was sentenced as follows:

• Count I: First-degree murder — death
• Count II: Sexual battery — life imprisonment

Appeals

Direct appeal

Doyle filed a direct appeal with the Florida Supreme Court on 06/18/82, citing the following trial court errors:

• denial of due process due to loss of evidence
• failure to suppress confession
• improper comments from the trial judge that prejudiced the proceedings
• failure to find mitigating circumstances
• improper finding of aggravating circumstances

The Florida Supreme Court affirmed the conviction and sentence on 10/18/84.

3.850 motion and subsequent habeas proceedings

On 02/06/87, Doyle filed a 3.850 motion with the trial court, which the court denied on 05/16/88.

Governor Martinez’s signing of a death warrant on 05/06/88 prompted Doyle to file three appeals. First, Doyle appealed the trial court’s denial of the 3.850 motion to the Florida Supreme Court on 05/23/88. He then petitioned the court for a writ of habeas corpus on 06/06/88. In a consolidated opinion on 06/23/88, the Florida Supreme Court affirmed the 3.850 denial and denied the habeas petition.

On 06/27/88, Doyle petitioned the U.S. The district court stayed the execution on 06/29/88. In granting habeas on 02/08/89, the district court vacated the sentence and remanded, claiming that Doyle’s trial counsel was ineffective during the penalty phase.

The State appealed the district court’s ruling to the U.S. Court of Appeals, 11 th Circuit, on 05/25/89. On 01/14/91, the appeals court reversed the district court’s ruling and reinstated the death sentence, stating that Doyle failed to establish that his trial counsel was ineffective at the sentencing phase.

The U.S. Supreme Court denied certiorari on 10/21/91.

Second habeas petition

Doyle petitioned the Florida Supreme Court for a second habeas writ on 09/06/94. He raised four claims:

• the jury instruction on the heinous, atrocious or cruel aggravating (HAC) factor was unconstitutionally vague
• appellate counsel was ineffective for failing to raise the HAC issue on direct appeal
• the trial judge and prosecutor diminished the role of the jury in sentencing
• the Florida Supreme Court erred on direct appeal when it failed to engage in a harmless error analysis after striking an aggravator

The Florida Supreme Court rejected the claims and denied the petition on 06/01/95.

Aftermath

Clemency hearing scheduling and mental retardation argument

At a December 12, 1994 clemency board hearing, the governor and cabinet scheduled this case to be placed on the clemency board agenda in 2020. Attorneys for Doyle argued he was mentally retarded.

Pending appeals

There were no appeals pending.