Freddie Lee Williams

Case overview

Freddie Lee Williams was convicted and sentenced to death for the 11/07/80 murder of his long-time girlfriend, Mary Robinson. Williams and Robinson had been experiencing relationship problems long before Robinson’s murder on the night of 11/07/80.

The offence

On the night of 11/07/80, while visiting with her sister, Robinson began receiving upsetting phone calls from Williams. Following the upsetting conversations, Robinson and her sister went to a jai alai game. Later that night, Robinson’s sister dropped her off at the home she shared with Williams. Shortly after she had dropped Mary off, Robinson’s sister received a phone call from Williams telling her that her sister had been hurt. Robinson’s sister returned to the Williams-Robinson residence to find that the police and EMS personnel had already arrived.

At trial, Williams alleged that he had borrowed a friend’s handgun the night of the murder under the pretense of going out gambling. Williams alleged he left the gun on a dresser in the apartment and, when he returned home, the victim had already been shot and that she was “staggering towards him” when he entered their apartment. Williams did not want the police to discover the gun in his residence since he was on parole, so he discarded it under a bush outside.

Investigation revealed that on the night of the murder, the defendant and the victim had gotten into a fight centering on Williams’ belief that Mary Robinson had been cheating on him. Robinson had taken a shower when she got home that night, and Williams believed that to be an indication of cleaning up after being with another man.

Ballistics tests proved the gun used to shoot Mary Robinson was the same gun that Williams had borrowed from a neighbor. The medical examiner’s report stated that the cause of death was one bullet wound to the neck, which caused extreme and sudden blood loss.

Trial

Charges and verdict

Williams was indicted on the following:

• Count I: First-Degree Murder

The jury found the defendant guilty as charged.

Sentencing

Upon advisory sentencing, the jury, by an 8 to 4 majority, voted for the death penalty. On December 18, 1981, Williams was sentenced as follows:

• Count I: First-Degree Murder — Death

Indictment and trial timeline events

• 01/29/81 — The defendant was indicted on Count I: First-Degree Murder.
• 10/16/81 — Date given for the indictment period.
• 10/20/81 — Upon advisory sentencing, the jury voted for the death penalty.
• 12/18/81 — Williams was sentenced to death for Count I.

Investigation and evidence

Ballistics tests linked the gun used to shoot Mary Robinson to the gun Williams had borrowed from a neighbor. The medical examiner’s report stated the cause of death was one bullet wound to the neck causing extreme and sudden blood loss. Williams alleged he had borrowed a friend’s handgun under the pretense of going out gambling, left it on a dresser, and discarded it under a bush outside to prevent police discovery because he was on parole. He also alleged the victim was “staggering towards him” when he entered their apartment.

Appeals

Direct appeal

On 01/05/82, Freddie Lee Williams filed a Direct Appeal in the Florida Supreme Court. In that appeal, he argued that the evidence was insufficient to support a conviction for first-degree murder and that the element of premeditation was not satisfactorily established. Williams also contended that the trial court erred in refusing to give his instruction on circumstantial evidence.

The Florida Supreme Court noted:

“. . . the circumstantial evidence instruction is now unnecessary because the instructions on reasonable doubt and burden of proof are sufficient to properly instruct the jury and a separate instruction solely on circumstantial evidence would be duplicative.”

Williams also argued the proportionality of his death sentence. On 06/23/83, the Florida Supreme Court affirmed Williams’ conviction and sentence of death.

United States Supreme Court

On 02/01/84, Freddie Williams filed a Petition for Writ of Certiorari in the United States Supreme Court, which was denied on 03/26/84.

Coram Nobis

On 04/17/85, Williams sought permission to file a Petition for Writ of Error Coram Nobis in the Florida Supreme Court, which was denied on 09/09/85. The Florida Supreme Court denied Williams’ Motion for Rehearing on 11/04/85.

Habeas corpus

On 07/25/86, Freddie Lee Williams filed a Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus in the Florida Supreme Court. In that petition, Williams argued that he received ineffective assistance of counsel and attempted the relitigate the proportionality of his death sentence. The petition was denied on 01/29/87, and the Florida Supreme Court denied the appellant’s Motion for Rehearing on 04/03/87.

Williams again filed a Petition for Writ of Certiorari in the United States Supreme Court that was denied on 10/05/87.

Post-conviction proceedings and resentencing status

On 12/29/86, Williams filed a 3.850 Motion in the State Circuit Court. While this motion was pending, Governor Bob Martinez signed a death warrant on 05/01/89. On 05/25/89, the State Circuit Court granted a stay of execution pending the resolution of Williams’ 3.850 Motion.

On 01/29/99, the State Circuit Court granted Williams a new penalty phase based on his claim of ineffective assistance during the penalty phase. The State initially filed an appeal of the State Circuit Court’s ruling that granted Williams a new penalty phase proceeding, and the State later voluntarily withdrew this appeal. Williams cross-appealed the denial of the remaining claims raised in his 3.850 Motion.

On 08/23/01, the Florida Supreme Court affirmed the denial of the claims relating to ineffective assistance during the guilt phase of the trial. Williams’ case was described as currently pending resentencing.

Other details

• Name: Freddie Lee Williams
• Date of birth: 12/24/45
• Place and court: Ninth Judicial Circuit, Orange County
• Case number: 80-5117
• Direct appeal filed: 01/05/82
• Sentencing judge: The Honorable Thomas E. Kirkland
• Trial attorney (Assistant Public Defender): Gerald Jones
• Direct appeal attorney: Charles A. Tabscott, Esq.
• Collateral appeals attorney: Chandler R. Muller, Esq. - Private
• Date of offence: 11/07/80
• Date of sentence: 12/18/81
• Victim: Mary Robinson (long-time girlfriend)
• Circumstances of offence included relationship problems, upsetting phone calls, later interaction via phone call to sister, and a fight based on Williams’ belief that Robinson had been cheating.
• Trial-related evidence included Williams’ borrowing of a handgun, his alleged discarding of the gun under a bush outside, and ballistics tying the murder weapon to a borrowed neighbor’s gun.
• Medical examiner’s report: one bullet wound to the neck caused extreme and sudden blood loss.
• Governor involved in death warrant: Bob Martinez
• Death warrant date: 05/01/89
• Execution stay: granted 05/25/89 pending resolution of Williams’ 3.850 Motion
• 3.850 Motion: filed 12/29/86
• New penalty phase granted: 01/29/99
• Florida Supreme Court affirmation of denial of guilt-phase ineffective assistance claims: 08/23/01
• Case citations included: Florida Supreme Court opinion 69085 opinion 90143 opinion SC94989 DC# 033405