Randall Scott Jones

Case information

Randall Scott Jones was indicted in the Seventh Judicial Circuit, Putnam County. The case was designated as Case # 87-1695. Jones was born on 05/07/68.

Timeline

• 07/26/87 — During the evening of 07/26/87, Randall Jones and Chris Reesh went target shooting with a 30-30 caliber rifle near Rodman Dam in Putnam County.
• 07/27/87 — Jones’ car became stuck in the sand pits; after midnight they tried to flag down a fisherman to pull them out; the fisherman refused and directed them to a Chevrolet pickup truck parked in the parking lot.
• Between 12:30 a.m. and 1:30 a.m. (07/27/87) — A 12-year-old camper heard three gunshots between 12:30 a.m. and 1:30 a.m.
• That morning (07/27/87) — A Rodman Dam concession worker found cigarette packs, broken glass, and blood in the parking lot and followed a trail of blood to a wooded area where Brock’s body was discovered.
• 07/27/87 (7 a.m.) — Richard Brock and sister-in-law saw Brock’s truck in the possession of Jones at a convenience store in Green Cove Springs, Florida; bullet holes were noticed in the windshield and a 30-30 caliber rifle was inside.
• 08/16/87 — Jones was arrested in Mississippi for possession of a stolen vehicle.
• 08/28/87 — Jones was indicted on multiple counts including First-Degree Murder (Brock and Perry), Armed Robbery, Armed Burglary of a Conveyance, Shooting a Deadly Missile into Occupied Vehicle, Second-Degree Grand Theft, and Sexual Battery.
• 03/15/88 — The State nolle prossed Count VI of the indictment.
• 03/24/88 — The jury returned guilty verdicts on all counts of the indictment.
• 05/03/88 — Jones was sentenced as follows: Count I (First-Degree Murder (Brock)) — Death; Count II (First-Degree Murder (Perry)) — Death; Count III (Armed Robbery) — 9 years; Count IV (Armed Burglary of a Conveyance) — 7 years; Count V (Shooting a Deadly Missile into Occupied Vehicle) — 3.5 years; Count VII (Sexual Battery) — 17 years.
• 05/19/88 — Jones filed a Direct Appeal with the Florida Supreme Court.
• 09/13/90 — The Florida Supreme Court vacated the death sentences, reversed the Sexual Battery conviction, and remanded for resentencing.
• 03/13/91 — A jury recommended death by a vote of 10-2.
• 05/28/91 — Jones was resentenced: Count I (First-Degree Murder (Brock)) — Death; Count II (First-Degree Murder (Perry)) — Death.
• 06/24/91 — Jones filed a Direct Appeal with the Florida Supreme Court.
• 12/17/92 — The sentences of death were affirmed.
• 05/17/93 — Jones filed a Petition for Writ of Certiorari with the U.S. Supreme Court.
• 10/04/93 — The U.S. Supreme Court denied the Petition for Writ of Certiorari.
• 10/28/94 — Jones filed a 3.850 Motion with the Circuit Court.
• 10/03/95 — Jones amended the 3.850 Motion.
• 11/17/97 — Jones amended the 3.850 Motion.
• 06/08/00 — The 3.850 Motion was denied.
• 07/13/00 — Jones filed a 3.850 Motion Appeal with the Florida Supreme Court.
• 11/02/01 — Jones filed a Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus with the Florida Supreme Court.
• 02/13/03 — The denial of the 3.850 Motion was affirmed; the Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus with the Florida Supreme Court was denied.
• 06/01/04 — Jones filed a Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus with the U.S. District Court, Middle District.
• 12/21/04 — Jones amended the Petition in the U.S.

Background

Randall Jones and Chris Reesh went target shooting near Rodman Dam in Putnam County with a 30-30 caliber rifle during the evening of 07/26/87.

The offence

After Jones’ car became stuck in sand pits, Jones and Reesh tried to flag down a fisherman to pull them out. The fisherman refused but told them to ask for help from the driver of a Chevrolet pickup truck parked in the parking lot. Inside the cab of that truck slept Matthew Brock and Kelly Perry. A 12-year-old camper heard three gunshots between 12:30 a.m. and 1:30 a.m. A Rodman Dam concession worker found cigarette packs, broken glass, and blood in the parking lot that morning and followed a trail of blood across the parking lot to a wooded area, where the concession worker discovered Brock’s body. Police searches led to the discovery of the partially clothed body of Perry. Both Brock and Perry died from gunshots to the head.

Richard Brock and sister-in-law saw Brock’s truck in the possession of Jones at a convenience store in Green Cove Springs, Florida at 7 a.m. on 07/27/87. They noticed bullet holes in the windshield and a 30-30 caliber rifle inside. When Richard Brock confronted Jones about the truck, Jones claimed that Matthew Brock sold him the truck for $4,000.

Investigation and arrests

On 08/16/87, Jones was arrested in Mississippi for possession of a stolen vehicle. In interviews with Putnam County Sheriff’s Deputies, Jones implicated himself in the murders but blamed Reesh for the shootings.

Codefendant information

Pursuant to a plea bargain, Chris Reesh pled guilty to:

• one count of Armed Robbery,
• one count of Armed Burglary,
• two counts of Accepting Money to Conceal a Crime, and
• one count of Shooting a Deadly Missile into Occupied Vehicle.

Reesh was sentenced to two terms of 20 years, two terms of 5 years, and one term of 15 years of Community Supervision.

Trial

Charges

On 08/28/87, Jones was indicted as follows:

• Count I: First-Degree Murder (Brock)
• Count II: First-Degree Murder (Perry)
• Count III: Armed Robbery
• Count IV: Armed Burglary of a Conveyance
• Count V: Shooting a Deadly Missile into Occupied Vehicle
• Count VI: Second-Degree Grand Theft
• Count VII: Sexual Battery

Procedural event

On 03/15/88, the State nolle prossed Count VI of the indictment.

Verdicts

On 03/24/88, the jury returned guilty verdicts on all counts of the indictment.

Death recommendation

On 03/28/88, the jury recommended death by a vote of 11-1.

Sentencing

On 05/03/88, Jones was sentenced as follows:

• Count I: First-Degree Murder (Brock) — Death
• Count II: First-Degree Murder (Perry) — Death
• Count III: Armed Robbery — 9 years
• Count IV: Armed Burglary of a Conveyance — 7 years
• Count V: Shooting a Deadly Missile into Occupied Vehicle — 3.5 years
• Count VII: Sexual Battery — 17 years

Appeals and collateral proceedings

Direct appeal 1 (Florida Supreme Court)

Jones filed a Direct Appeal with the Florida Supreme Court on 05/19/88, citing the following errors:

• failing to suppress statements made to the police;
• absence during voir dire;
• improper finding of guilt for sexual battery conviction;
• lacking of adequate predicate for DNA identification testimony;
• failing to affix Jones’ fingerprints to a judgment of guilt;
• failing to use a special verdict form and unanimity on aggravating circumstances;
• unconstitutionality of the death penalty statute;
• improper finding of aggravating circumstances;
• allowing family members to give victim-impact statements;
• failing to allow arguments that Jones could be sentenced to two consecutive minimum 25-year prison terms should the jury recommend life imprisonment;
• allowing the State to comment on the lack of remorse of Jones.

On 09/13/90, the Florida Supreme Court affirmed the First-Degree Murder, Armed Robbery, Armed Burglary, and Shooting a Missile convictions, but reversed the Sexual Battery conviction and vacated the death sentences. The court found that the trial court erred by:

• instructing the jury that the murder was heinous, atrocious, or cruel;
• admitting victim-impact testimony;
• preventing the jury from considering the potential sentence of imprisonment; and
• permitting the State to introduce evidence of a lack of remorse.

The court determined that the cumulative effect of these errors required a new sentencing phase. Jones was resentenced to death on 05/28/91.

Direct appeal 2 (Florida Supreme Court)

Jones filed a Direct Appeal with the Florida Supreme Court on 06/24/91, citing the following errors:

• failing to conduct an adequate inquiry into conflict of interest claims between Jones and his trial counsel;
• failing to suppress statements to police;
• improper comments to a witness by the judge;
• improper references to the victims and codefendant during the State’s closing arguments; and
• finding the cold, calculated, and premeditated and pecuniary gain aggravators.

On 12/17/92, the sentences of death were affirmed.

U.S. Supreme Court certiorari

Jones filed a Petition for Writ of Certiorari with the U.S. Supreme Court on 05/17/93. The petition was denied on 10/04/93.

3.850 motions (post-conviction)

Jones filed a 3.850 Motion with the Circuit Court on 10/28/94, raising thirty claims. Jones amended the motion on 10/03/95 and 11/17/97. The 3.850 Motion was denied on 06/08/00.

Jones filed a 3.850 Motion Appeal with the Florida Supreme Court on 07/13/00, citing the following errors:

• engaging in ex parte contact with the State,
• failing to engage in the required independent weighing of aggravating and mitigating circumstances, and
• claiming ineffective assistance of counsel.

On 02/13/03, the denial of the 3.850 Motion was affirmed.

State habeas corpus

Jones filed a Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus with the Florida Supreme Court on 11/02/01, citing claims of ineffective assistance of counsel, violating Jones’ 8 th Amendment rights because he may be incompetent at the time of execution, and the unconstitutionality of the death penalty because it violates the rulings of the U.S. Supreme Court’s rulings in Apprendi and Ring. On 02/13/03, the Petition was denied.

Federal habeas corpus

Jones filed a Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus with the U.S. District Court, Middle District, on 06/01/04 and amended it on 12/21/04. The Petition was pending.

Sentencing (resentencing)

After remand, a jury recommended death by a vote of 10-2 on 03/13/91. On 05/28/91, Jones was resentenced as follows:

Outcome

The Florida Supreme Court vacated the death sentences on 09/13/90 and reversed the Sexual Battery conviction, remanding for resentencing. The sentences of death were affirmed on 12/17/92. A U.S. Supreme Court petition for certiorari was denied on 10/04/93. The denial of Jones’ 3.850 motion was affirmed on 02/13/03. Jones’ Florida habeas corpus petition was denied on 02/13/03. Jones’ federal habeas corpus petition was pending after filing on 06/01/04 and amendment on 12/21/04.

Other details

The names Matthew Brock and Kelly Perry appeared as the sleeping occupants of the Chevrolet pickup truck. The case record included Randall Jones’ trial counsel as Howard Pearl (APD attorney) and listed sentencing and resentencing before The Honorable Robert Perry. It listed Direct Appeal counsel as Larry Henderson (APD attorney) for 1990 and Gilbert Schaffnit (Private attorney) for 1992. It listed Collateral Appeals counsel as Robert Strain and Carol Rodriguez (CCRC-M). The record referenced Florida Supreme Court opinion numbers 72461 and 78160 and SC00-149