Willie Sullivan

Case record: Willie Sullivan

Background

Willie G. Sullivan was put to death for the 1991 murder of Maurice Dodd. Sullivan was 28 at execution. His attorneys sought commutation to life without parole from the Delaware Board of Pardons on the grounds of his mental retardation. Sullivan had an IQ of 70 and suffered from fetal alcohol syndrome caused by his mother’s drinking during pregnancy. Through almost 7 years of appeals, Sullivan’s attorneys argued that the condemned murderer had inefficient legal counsel that failed to bring out important aspects of the client’s background prior to his guilty plea and during the penalty phase. Specifically, attorneys Joseph A. Gabay and Anthony J. Figliola argued that Sullivan’s problems began before birth as a fetal alcohol syndrome baby, resulting in a low IQ, which the lawyers said qualified him to be considered mentally retarded. The attorneys noted that those mitigating factors were never brought out during Sullivan’s penalty hearing. Those arguments failed to carry enough weight with appeal judges in the state Superior Court or Supreme Court, the U.S. District Court, the 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals, or the U.S. Supreme Court.

Sullivan’s lawyers also presented emotional testimony from his mother, Barbara A. Sullivan, who confirmed that she drank alcohol constantly while pregnant, continued her alcoholism through his childhood, and mentally abused him as a child. Even that testimony did not sway the state Board of Pardons into showing mercy.

The offence

Sullivan pleaded guilty on December 2, 1992 to first degree murder in the stabbing and blunt force death of his ex-employer Maurice W. Dodd, 78. Dodd was the owner of Dodd’s Nursery & Flower Garden in Frederica.

On December 27, 1991, Sullivan lured Mr. Dodd into a greenhouse and bludgeoned him with a metal ice scoop before stabbing him 10 times. While the victim lay wounded on the ground, Sullivan threw a concrete block on his chest. Sullivan then took money from Mr. Dodd’s pockets, and entered the victim’s home, where he found more money. In addition to stealing $300, Sullivan also found the victim’s car key and fled in his vehicle.

While state detectives investigated the murder, Sullivan used the car to joy ride with friends and spend money on them, while buying sneakers, a Walkman, and some music cassettes for himself. A few days after the murder, Sullivan abandoned Mr. Dodd’s vehicle, which police soon found.

Sullivan, 27, pleaded guilty as an accomplice to 1st-degree murder in the 1991 slaying of 78-year-old Maurice Dodd of Frederica, who was stabbed and crushed by a concrete block during a robbery.

Lenny Harrison pleaded guilty to conspiracy in an earlier, unsuccessful attempt by the two to rob Ms. Dodd, and was not implicated in the murder.

Investigation and arrest

The investigation led detectives to Sullivan, who was arrested January 3, 1992, near the Maryland and Delaware border.

Originally, Sullivan confessed to police that he had carried out the murder alone. Despite later trying to change his story and implicate another person in the murder, Sullivan pleaded guilty on December 2, 1992, and his case never went to trial.

Trial

Sullivan did not go to trial. He pleaded guilty on December 2, 1992.

A Kent County jury voted 9-3 in favor of putting Sullivan to death. Superior Court Judge Henry duPont Ridgely followed that recommendation and ordered the convicted murderer to be put to death by lethal injection, calling the murder a "vicious, brutal, and premeditated senseless killing."

Sentencing

On December 30, 1992, Superior Court President Judge Henry DuPont Ridgely sentenced Sullivan to death.

Judge Henry duPont Ridgely ordered Sullivan to be put to death by lethal injection, calling the murder a "vicious, brutal, and premeditated senseless killing."

Appeals

Sullivan had been unsuccessful in numerous appeals on state and federal levels. Attorneys Joseph A. Gabay and Anthony J. Figliola argued that Sullivan was born with fetal alcohol syndrome, leading to low IQ and qualifying him to be considered mentally retarded, and that those mitigating factors were never brought out during Sullivan’s penalty hearing. District Court, the 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals, and the U.S. Supreme Court.

On Tuesday, Sullivan and his attorneys failed to persuade a 6-member state Board of Pardons to commute his sentence to life imprisonment.

Sullivan’s attorneys did not ask Gov. Thomas R. Carper to consider the case because of the governor’s record of not interfering with the capital punishment process.

Said by Anthony J. Figliola: "If anyone deserves a commutation, then it's Willie."

Said by Joseph A. Gabay: "I'm disappointed professionally, but most of all, I am disappointed for Willie," he said.

Outcome

Sullivan was executed early this morning. Sullivan was pronounced dead by lethal injection at 12:24 a.m. at Delaware Correctional Center.

Sullivan became the 2nd condemned prisoner to be put to death this year in Delaware, and the 10th overall since the state resumed capital punishment in 1992. Before Sullivan, Delaware had executed 9 since 1992—8 by chemical injection and 1, Billy Bailey in January 1996, by hanging.

David J. Lawrie, who was put to death on April 23, was the last to be executed by the state.

Timeline

• 1991 — Maurice Dodd, 78, was killed in Frederica by stabbing and blunt force during a robbery; Sullivan lured Dodd into a greenhouse, bludgeoned him with a metal ice scoop, stabbed him 10 times, and threw a concrete block on his chest, then took money including $300 and fled with Dodd’s car after finding the car key.
• December 27, 1991 — Sullivan lured Mr. Dodd into a greenhouse and bludgeoned him with a metal ice scoop before stabbing him 10 times; Sullivan threw a concrete block on his chest; Sullivan took money including $300, found the car key, and fled in the victim’s vehicle.
• January 3, 1992 — Sullivan was arrested near the Maryland and Delaware border.
• December 2, 1992 — Sullivan pleaded guilty to first degree murder.
• December 30, 1992 — Superior Court President Judge Henry DuPont Ridgely sentenced Sullivan to death.
• September 24, 1999 — Sullivan was executed by lethal injection in Delaware.
• 12:24 a.m. — Sullivan was pronounced dead by lethal injection at Delaware Correctional Center.

Other details

Willie Sullivan was 28 at execution and was described as "99-09-24" in the execution notice.

Sullivan was described as the tenth person executed since Delaware resumed capital punishment in 1992.

The case involved the robbery motive and included theft of $300, sneakers, a Walkman, and music cassettes bought during a joy ride with friends using Dodd’s car.

Sullivan’s lawyers were Joseph A. Gabay and Anthony J. Figliola.

The Board of Pardons was a 6-member state Board of Pardons.

The governor mentioned was Thomas R. Carper.