Victor Carl Puiatti

Name

Victor Carl Puiatti

Status and sentence

Victor Carl Puiatti was sentenced to death on May 4, 1984.

Background

At the time of the murder, Puiatti was on probation after being convicted of burglary and introducing contraband to a county facility.

The offence

Carl Puiatti and Robert Dewey Glock abducted the victim, Sharilyn Ritchie, then robbed and shot her to death.

On 08/16/83, Ritchie was confronted by Puiatti and Glock as she exited her car in the parking lot of a Bradenton shopping mall. The pair forced Ritchie back into her car, then drove away with her. They took $50 from her purse and coerced her into cashing a $100 check at her bank. They then took Ritchie to an orange grove outside Dade City where they took the victim’s wedding ring and abandoned her at the roadside. After traveling a short distance, the pair decided to kill the woman and they returned in the car to her. Puiatti shot her twice. They then drove away, but when they saw she was still standing, they drove back and Glock shot her. When the woman did not fall, the pair made a third pass with the car and Glock shot her again. The victim died shortly thereafter.

Four days later, a New Jersey state trooper stopped the victim’s vehicle and found two handguns inside. He arrested Puiatti and Glock on a weapons violation. Police later identified the handgun inside the car’s glovebox as the murder weapon.

Investigation

On 08/21/83, the day following their arrests, Glock and Puiatti made separate tape recorded statements to two Pasco County, Florida, detectives, in which each confessed to the Florida kidnapping, robbery and killing. In his statement, Glock recounted the events described above, differing from that account in just two respects: Glock claimed that Puiatti had suggested initially that the two men kill the victim and that Puiatti had fired the final shot. Puiatti's statement, given later that day, was virtually identical to Glock's statement; Puiatti claimed that the killing had been Glock's idea and that Glock had fired the last shot.

Three days later, on 08/24/83, Glock and Puiatti gave the detectives a joint statement before a court reporter. Puiatti spoke first. As Glock listened silently, Puiatti told the detectives:

"[Glock] said to me that he thought we should shoot her ... [a]nd after going back and forth a little bit, I agreed, and turned the car around." Puiatti then admitted to firing the first shot. Glock interrupted and continued the narration. Glock reported, and Puiatti agreed, that Puiatti initially fired three shots and that at least two of those shots struck the victim, one in the right shoulder and one in the chest. Glock continued, stating that he also shot the victim twice—once on the second pass in the car and once on the third. Glock also confessed that the victim collapsed after he shot her on the third pass. At the conclusion of the joint statement, both men stated that they were in "full agreement with each other as to the [joint] statement ... [and] that the incident came down exactly that way."

Arrest

Four days after the killing, Glock and Puiatti were still in possession of the victim's vehicle when they were stopped in New Jersey by a state trooper who noticed that the automobile's license plate was displayed improperly. Neither Puiatti nor Glock was able to present the trooper with a valid driver's license, so the trooper asked to see the car's registration. As Puiatti opened the glove box, the trooper noticed a handgun inside. The trooper then seized the firearm, and with permission from Puiatti and Glock, searched the vehicle, thereby finding a second handgun. The officer arrested both men for possession of two handguns without permits.

Trial

Indictment

The trial began with the following indictment on 10/13/83:

• Count I: First-degree murder
• Count II: Kidnapping
• Count III: Armed robbery

Verdict

03/23/84: Jury returned guilty verdicts on all counts of the indictment.

03/25/84: Jury recommended death by a vote of 11-1.

Sentencing hearing

05/04/84: Sentenced as follows:

• Count I: First-degree murder — Death
• Count II: Kidnapping — Life
• Count III: Armed robbery — Life

Sentencing Judge: The Honorable Wayne L. Cobb. Collateral Appeal: The Honorable Maynard F. Swanson, Jr.

Appeals

Florida Supreme Court — direct appeal

Puiatti filed a Direct Appeal to the Florida Supreme Court on 05/15/84. The Court affirmed the trial court’s conviction and sentence on 08/21/86. The rehearing was denied on 10/28/86.

On 12/24/86, Puiatti filed a Petition for Writ of Certiorari to the United States Supreme Court. The Court vacated the Florida Supreme Court’s decision and remanded the case on 04/27/87. On remand, on 04/27/87, the Florida Supreme Court held that the introduction of the individual interlocking confession of Glock and the joint confession was harmless error, even if it was an error. On 03/17/88, the Court affirmed the conviction and sentence. On 06/17/88, Puiatti filed a Petition for Writ of Certiorari to the United States Supreme Court a second time, which was denied on 10/03/88.

Puiatti asserted that the trial court’s failure to sever his trial from Glock’s denied his right to confront Glock as to those portions of Glock’s initial confession which implicated Puiatti.

Florida Supreme Court — state post-conviction

Puiatti filed a Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus to the Florida Supreme Court on 10/17/89. Most of his claims involved ineffective counsel.

On 02/27/90, he then filed a 3.850 Motion to the Circuit Court. After the Circuit Court denied the Motion on 04/27/90, Puiatti appealed the decision to the Florida Supreme Court. Most of his arguments involved trial court error.

On 10/03/91, the Court consolidated the opinion, denied the Habeas petition, and affirmed the Circuit Court’s denial of the 3.850 Motion.

On 04/21/92, Puiatti filed a Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus to the United States District Court, Middle District. On 06/05/95, the case was administratively closed. The petition was reopened on 03/16/98, however was administratively closed on 07/22/02 and has been ordered to remain so until Puiatti moves to open the case.

On 01/30/03, Puiatti filed a 3.850 Motion to the Circuit Court, which was denied on 06/03/03. Puiatti filed a 3.850 Appeal to the Florida Supreme Court on 07/11/03. On 06/08/05, the Court affirmed trial court’s order denying his successive 3.850 Motion.

On 07/19/05, Puiatti filed a successive 3.850 Motion to the Circuit Court. On 09/07/05, an order summarily denied the motion and was signed by Judge Diskey. On 09/30/05, Puiatti filed a 3.850 Appeal to the Florida Supreme Court, which is currently pending.

Case information

• Date of Offense: 08/16/83
• Date of Sentence: 05/04/84
• Sixth Judicial Circuit, Pasco County
• Case# 83-1383CFBES
• DC# 716927
• DOB: 10/03/62
• Circumstance of Offense: Carl Puiatti and Robert Dewey Glock abducted the victim, Sharilyn Ritchie, then robbed and shot her to death.

People and representation

Co-defendant

Robert Dewey Glock, II (DC# 093836) was tried with Puiatti for his role in the murder. He was represented by private counsel, Robert J. Trogolo.

For his role in the murder, Glock was jointly tried with Puiatti. On 05/04/84, Glock received the death sentence for the murder and two life sentences for the armed robbery and kidnapping convictions (CC# 83-1383). Glock was executed on January 2001.

Attorneys

• Trial: Howardene Garrett & William K. Eble — Assistant Public Defenders
• Direct Appeal: Robert F. Moeller — Assistant Public Defender
• Collateral Appeals: Steven A. Reiss, Miranda Schiller, Erin J. Law & Joanna R. Varon — Counsel Pro Hac Vice

Timeline

• 08/16/83 — Puiatti and Glock confronted Sharilyn Ritchie as she exited her car at a Bradenton shopping mall; they abducted her, robbed her, coerced her to cash a $100 check, took her wedding ring at an orange grove outside Dade City, abandoned her, then returned and shot her; she died shortly thereafter.
• 08/21/83 — Glock and Puiatti were arrested in New Jersey after a state trooper found two handguns in the vehicle; each made a separate tape recorded statement to Pasco County detectives confessing to kidnapping, robbery, and killing.
• 08/24/83 — Glock and Puiatti gave a joint statement before a court reporter.
• 10/13/83 — Puiatti was indicted: Count I first-degree murder, Count II kidnapping, Count III armed robbery.
• 03/23/84 — Jury returned guilty verdicts on all counts.
• 03/25/84 — Jury recommended death by a vote of 11-1.
• 05/04/84 — Puiatti was sentenced: Count I death, Count II life, Count III life.
• 05/15/84 — Puiatti filed a Direct Appeal to the Florida Supreme Court.
• 08/21/86 — Florida Supreme Court affirmed the conviction and sentence.
• 10/28/86 — Rehearing was denied.
• 12/24/86 — Puiatti filed a Petition for Writ of Certiorari to the United States Supreme Court.
• 04/27/87 — United States Supreme Court vacated the Florida Supreme Court’s decision and remanded the case; on remand, the Florida Supreme Court held the introduction of the individual interlocking confession and the joint confession was harmless error, even if it was an error.
• 03/17/88 — Florida Supreme Court affirmed the conviction and sentence.
• 06/17/88 — Puiatti filed a second Petition for Writ of Certiorari to the United States Supreme Court.
• 10/03/88 — The United States Supreme Court denied the second certiorari petition.
• 10/17/89 — Puiatti filed a Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus to the Florida Supreme Court.
• 02/27/90 — Puiatti filed a 3.850 Motion to the Circuit Court.
• 04/27/90 — Circuit Court denied the 3.850 Motion.
• 10/03/91 — Florida Supreme Court consolidated the opinion, denied the Habeas petition, and affirmed the denial of the 3.850 Motion.
• 04/21/92 — Puiatti filed a Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus to the United States District Court, Middle District.
• 06/05/95 — The federal case was administratively closed.
• 03/16/98 — The petition was reopened.
• 07/22/02 — The federal case was administratively closed again and was ordered to remain so until Puiatti moved to open the case.
• 01/30/03 — Puiatti filed a 3.850 Motion to the Circuit Court.
• 06/03/03 — The Circuit Court denied the 3.850 Motion.
• 07/11/03 — Puiatti filed a 3.850 Appeal to the Florida Supreme Court.
• 06/08/05 — Florida Supreme Court affirmed the denial of the successive 3.850 Motion.
• 07/19/05 — Puiatti filed a successive 3.850 Motion to the Circuit Court.
• 09/07/05 — Successive 3.850 Motion was summarily denied by Judge Diskey.
• 09/30/05 — Puiatti filed a 3.850 Appeal to the Florida Supreme Court, currently pending.

Outcome

Puiatti’s conviction and sentence were affirmed through Florida Supreme Court proceedings and United States Supreme Court certiorari proceedings, including after remand on 04/27/87 and a denial on 10/03/88. The Florida Supreme Court consolidated an opinion on 10/03/91, denied the Habeas petition, and affirmed denial of a 3.850 Motion; it later affirmed denial of trial-court orders denying successive 3.850 Motions on 06/08/05, and a 3.850 Appeal filed on 09/30/05 was pending.

Other details

Trial court decision summary

Puiatti’s direct appeal asserted that the trial court’s failure to sever his trial from Glock’s denied his right to confront Glock regarding portions of Glock’s initial confession that implicated Puiatti.

Cases and opinions referenced

Florida Supreme Court opinions and case identifiers were referenced as part of the case summary: 65321 & 65380, opinion 65321, opinion 74865 & 76211.