Dana Williamson

Case record: Dana Williamson

Background

Dana Williamson (born 09/18/59) was convicted and sentenced to death for the 11/04/88 murder of Donna Becker.

In 1975, Williamson was convicted of manslaughter for killing a small child.

The offence

On the evening of 11/04/88, Robert Decker went out for dinner with his father Clyde and his two-year-old son Carl. They arrived home a few minutes before 9:00 p.m. and found Charles Panoyan, a long-time acquaintance and co-worker, waiting for them in their driveway. Panoyan accompanied the family inside to watch Dallas on television.

Shortly after 9:00 p.m., Panoyan went to his truck to retrieve some venison that he had brought as a gift for the Deckers. Moments after Panoyan returned, a masked gunman (later identified as Dana Williamson) entered the house and put a gun to Clyde’s head. Williamson ordered Clyde and Robert to lie on the floor and demanded their wallets. Robert told Williamson that he did not have his wallet because it was locked away in the safe.

Robert asked Panoyan if he knew the identity of the gunman, but Panoyan said nothing. Williamson restrained all three men with handcuffs and ordered Robert to show him where the safe was located in the master bedroom. After inspecting the safe and deciding that it may be connected to an alarm system, Williamson instructed Robert and his son Carl, who had followed his father into the bedroom, to lie on the floor.

Williamson tied Robert’s feet together to prevent him from escaping. Robert managed to free himself and peered into the living room where Williamson was whispering something to Panoyan. Williamson noticed Robert in the doorway and returned to the bedroom to again restrain him. Williamson then began rummaging through the house in an apparent search for valuables.

Meanwhile, Robert freed himself again. Upon noticing, Williamson hog-tied Robert and demanded to know where he kept the drugs and money. Even though there was an estimated $2,000 in cash in the house, Robert responded that he had none. After the ordeal, police reports indicated that the cash was gone, along with several others items of value.

While Williamson continued to search the house, Donna Becker arrived home. As she walked to the bedroom, Williamson grabbed her and pulled her into the hallway. Williamson stabbed Donna several times.

After being stabbed, Donna managed to call 911 from a closet in the house. She alerted police to the robbery and expressed concern for her husband’s and son’s safety.

Williamson continued to search the home and then returned to the bedroom with a piece of paper asking Robert for a copy of his signature. Robert noticed that his wife Donna had already signed the paper. Williamson then shot Robert, his father Clyde and his son Carl all in the head.

The men and the boy survived; however, Donna Becker was found dead in the closet when police arrived at the scene.

Investigation and identification

Months later, Charles Panoyan identified Dana Williamson as the perpetrator of the robbery and murder.

Panoyan testified that he knew Williamson through Williamson’s father, Charlie, who was a good friend of Panoyan’s. Panoyan testified that Williamson approached him on several occasions and inquired whether Robert Decker dealt drugs. Panoyan insisted that Robert Decker was not involved in drugs. Williamson again asked about Robert Decker’s drug involvement the night before the murder.

Panoyan testified that on the night of the murder, as he went to his truck to retrieve the venison for the Decker’s, he was held at gunpoint by Dana Williamson and his brother, Rodney Williamson. They told him they were going to rob the Decker’s. The Williamson brothers threatened to kill Panoyan and his family if he said anything to Robert or Clyde Decker when he went back inside the house.

Panoyan informed police that he recognized the gun that Dana Williamson was carrying as his own and that Williamson must have stolen it from his truck. Panoyan testified that during the robbery and murder, Williamson told him to go outside, where he was held at gunpoint by Rodney Williamson. Rodney Williamson instructed him to get in his truck and drive a short distance down the road. Panoyan claimed that Rodney Williamson repeatedly threatened his life and the lives of his family members.

While the two men were stopped in the truck, Dana Williamson approached the truck without his mask. Williamson ordered Panoyan to leave and not to tell the authorities anything about what had happened that night, and Williamson reiterated his original threats against Panoyan and his family.

Panoyan testified that after he was released by the Williamson brothers, he went to a nearby shopping mall and asked a security guard for some money to call his wife. The security guard called a police officer, who escorted Panoyan to the Decker household and then to the police station where he was questioned concerning the crimes.

At the station, Panoyan acknowledged the crime that was committed at the Decker’s household but stated that he was unaware of the assailant’s identity. At trial, Panoyan acknowledged that he did not come forward with the Williamsons’ identity right away because of the threats made against him and because of Dana Williamson’s reputation of having previously killed a child.

Dana Williamson and Charles Panoyan were both indicted for the crimes on 08/13/92. Due to Panoyan’s testimony against Williamson, the charges against Panoyan were dismissed and he was released.

People involved

• Dana Williamson — defendant
• Donna Becker (Donna Decker) — victim; found dead in the closet
• Robert Decker — victim; survived
• Clyde Decker — victim; survived
• Carl — two-year-old child; survived
• Charles Panoyan — long-time acquaintance and co-worker; key identification witness
• Rodney Williamson — co-defendant; convicted of first-degree murder and multiple additional convictions
• Charlie — Williamson’s father; described as a good friend of Panoyan’s
• Dallas — television program watched during the early part of the evening
• Security guard — called by Panoyan at a nearby shopping mall
• Police officer — escorted Panoyan after the mall incident
• 911 — called by Donna from a closet in the house

Codefendant information

Rodney Williamson was convicted of First-Degree Murder and multiple counts of Armed Burglary, Armed Robbery, Kidnapping and Extortion. Williamson was sentenced to 30 years for extortion and to life imprisonment on all other convictions.

Trial

Indictment and charges

The defendant was indicted on the following charges:

• Count I: First-Degree Murder
• Count II: Attempted First-Degree Murder
• Count III: Attempted First-Degree Murder
• Count IV: Attempted First-Degree Murder
• Count V: Armed Burglary (Dwelling)
• Count VI: Armed Burglary (Conveyance) — charges dropped
• Count VII: Armed Burglary (Conveyance) — charges dropped
• Count VIII: Armed Robbery
• Count IX: Armed Robbery
• Count X: Armed Robbery
• Count XI: Armed Robbery
• Count XII: Armed Kidnapping
• Count XIII: Armed Kidnapping
• Count XIV: Armed Kidnapping
• Count XV: Armed Kidnapping
• Count XVI: Armed Kidnapping
• Count XVII: Extortion

Court personnel and counsel

• Sentencing Judge: The Honorable Richard D. Eade
• Trial Attorneys: Charles Johnson & Steve Hammer – Special Public Defenders
• Direct Appeal Attorneys: Scott A. Mager, Robert E. Hodapp & Carl Schoeppl – Private Attorney
• Collateral Appeals: Kevin Kulik – Registry

Trial dates and jury verdict

• 02/19/94 — The jury found the defendant guilty as charged.
• 06/03/94 — Upon advisory sentencing, the jury, by an 11 to 1 majority, voted for the death penalty.

Sentencing

• 07/15/94 — The defendant was sentenced as follows:
  • Count I: First-Degree Murder — Death
  • Count II: Attempted First-Degree Murder — Life
  • Count III: Attempted First-Degree Murder — Life
  • Count IV: Attempted First-Degree Murder — Life
  • Count V: Armed Burglary (Dwelling) — Life
  • Count VIII: Armed Robbery — Life
  • Count IX: Armed Robbery — Life
  • Count X: Armed Robbery — Life
  • Count XI: Armed Robbery — Life
  • Count XII: Armed Kidnapping — Life
  • Count XIII: Armed Kidnapping — Life
  • Count XIV: Armed Kidnapping — Life
  • Count XV: Armed Kidnapping — Life
  • Count XVI: Armed Kidnapping — Life
  • Count XVII: Extortion — 30 years

Appeals and post-conviction

• 08/18/94 — Dana Williams filed a Direct Appeal in the Florida Supreme Court.
• In that appeal, he argued that the trial court erred by admitting testimony regarding his 1975 conviction for manslaughter.
• Williamson also argued that the trial court erred in failing to sever his extortion charge from the trial and for allowing erroneously admitted evidence.
• Williamson further contended that the trial court erred in its consideration and application of aggravating and mitigating circumstances.
• 09/19/96 — The Florida Supreme Court affirmed Dana Williamson’s convictions and sentence of death.
• 02/28/97 — Williamson filed a Petition for Writ of Certiorari in the United States Supreme Court.
• 04/28/97 — The Petition for Writ of Certiorari was denied.
• 03/24/98 — Williamson filed a 3.850 Motion in the State Circuit Court that is currently pending.

Outcome

Dana Williamson was convicted and sentenced to death for the 11/04/88 murder of Donna Becker, and the Florida Supreme Court affirmed his convictions and sentence of death.

Timeline

• 11/04/88 — Offence committed: murder of Donna Becker during the robbery of Robert Decker, Clyde Decker, and Carl.
• 07/15/94 — Sentencing: death for Count I; life sentences for multiple counts; 30 years for extortion.
• 08/18/94 — Direct appeal filed in Florida Supreme Court.
• 09/19/96 — Florida Supreme Court affirmed convictions and sentence of death.
• 02/28/97 — Petition for Writ of Certiorari filed in U.S. Supreme Court.
• 04/28/97 — U.S. Supreme Court denied the petition.
• 03/24/98 — 3.850 Motion filed in State Circuit Court and remained pending.

Other details

• Case identifiers included: Florida Supreme Court opinion 84198 (SC07-564), DC# 048606, Seventeenth Judicial Circuit, Broward County, Case #90-9560CF10B & 92-15642CFA.
• Date of offence: 11/04/88.
• Date of sentence: 07/15/94.
• The record described that Williamson and Panoyan were indicted for the crimes on 08/13/92, with charges against Panoyan dismissed after he testified against Williamson.
• The record stated the men and the boy survived and that Donna Becker was found dead in the closet when police arrived.