Margaret Ann Allen

Case record: Margaret Ann Allen

Background

Margaret Ann Allen was born 1/23/66 and was referred to as 45 years old and as 44 years old in different accounts. She lived at 415 S. Robbins Ave. in Titusville. She was the mother of Alvinia and Carlos, and she had another younger daughter who lived in Titusville. Alvinia and Carlos were in prison on gun and drug charges, respectively.

Allen’s maternal aunt, Myrtle Hudson, said Allen’s father, William Allen, spent time in jail and was mostly absent. Hudson said Allen always wanted “a dad.” Relatives said William Allen lived in DeLand. Hudson said the last time she saw him it seemed he weighed only 120 pounds or less.

Relatives described Allen growing up in Titusville amid crime and drugs, including violent boyfriends, and said her father spent time in jail. Two of Allen’s siblings were described as in prison: James Strozier and Dave Strozier. One brother was described as serving a 20-month sentence for cocaine possession and fleeing and eluding and was scheduled to be released “this year.” The other brother was described as scheduled for release in 2036, serving 35 years for grand theft, burglary and aggravated battery with deadly weapon.

Allen worked for a janitorial service, and Brevard Public Schools officials did not find a graduation record. A newspaper profile included a 1989 photograph of Allen holding her newborn girl, Alvinia, and stated the birth was the first in Brevard County that year. Allen said: "I had just what I wanted both times. I said I wanted a boy and a girl," referring to her baby and her 16-month-old son, Carlos.

The offence

Wenda Wright was a housekeeper and was described as Allen’s friend. Allen believed Wright had stolen money from her purse and suspected missing money worth $2,000. Wright reportedly was reported missing on Feb. 8, 2005, and Titusville police began an investigation.

Prosecutors described Wright being beaten, having household chemicals poured on her face, and being choked with a belt. Wright was reported to have been battered and strangled, and she was then buried in a shallow grave in the northern part of the county. The burial location was described as near State Road 46 in North Brevard. Authorities also described an unmarked grave off state Road 46.

A police quotation from a prior hearing was included: Quinton Allen said Allen tried to put adhesive on Wright’s mouth but "the tape would not stick due to the chemicals," and said Wright stopped moving. Another description attributed to court documents included: "Quinton Allen said he was directed to help hold the victim, while Margaret Allen used a cloth belt to bind the victim's legs, and then he was instructed to hold the victim's hands and keep her from getting up . . ." Authorities described Wright as gagging on the chemicals and crying and begging for her life. Local6.com said: "Chemicals were poured into her mouth, duct tape was placed over her mouth, so this was not a fast death. It was a torturous death unfortunately," quoting Titusville police spokesman Warren Van Buren.

A medical examiner’s report described the primary cause of death as homicidal violence and cocaine intoxication. During testimony, a medical examiner was described as stating nearly a dozen blows to Wright’s face and body and that the belt tightened around her neck so severely she lost consciousness.

Wright died at age 39 in 2005.

Investigation

On Feb. 8, 2005, Wenda Wright was reported missing, and Titusville police began their investigation. Two days later, two people not involved with the crime told officers Wright had been murdered.

The investigation included a search warrant served at Allen’s house at 415 S. Robbins Ave., where the murder allegedly occurred. Allen and James Martin were arrested. Investigators questioned people after receiving information that a body was buried in an unmarked grave somewhere off state Road 46.

Quinton Allen came forward and told police Wright was killed in his presence.

Authorities said Allen killed Wright in the house and transported her body to nearby woods. Police said Quinton Allen feared for his safety because his aunt was carrying a semi-automatic handgun. Police reported that Allen started hitting Wright during the confrontation and that Allen poured bleach and other chemicals on Wright’s face, with Wright gagging and begging for her life.

Authorities said Allen’s son, Quintin, 19, helped hold the woman down as Allen allegedly poured chemicals down her throat. The accounts used both “Quinton Allen” and “Quintin Allen” when referring to Allen’s nephew/son; the record describes him as Allen’s nephew in multiple places and also references him as her son in the Local6.com account.

The record also included a detail that Allen and Quinton Allen had trouble getting rid of Wright’s body, which weighed more than 300 pounds, and that they buried it in a shallow grave near State Road 46 in North Brevard.

Arrest

Police served a search warrant at 415 S. Robbins Ave.

Allen and Quinton Allen were charged with first-degree murder and false imprisonment, and James Martin was charged with accessory after the fact.

Authorities said Allen and her nephew and Martin were arrested and transported to the Brevard County Jail.

Trial

Allen’s trial and related proceedings were described across several dates and stages.

A newspaper account dated September 12, 2010 said prosecutors would pursue conviction for first-degree premeditated murder and kidnapping, and described a state attempt to pursue a death sentence. It stated Allen’s trial was scheduled to begin as early as Monday, with jury selection. It said a guilty verdict could send Allen to death row and that she would be one of only two women facing execution at that time.

In September 2010, a jury found Allen guilty of murder and kidnapping. In the account of December 17, 2010, it said Allen was found guilty of first-degree felony murder in September, and that a 12-member jury unanimously recommended the death penalty for the 44-year-old woman.

Quinton Allen testified against Allen. The record stated that Quintin/Quinton Allen accepted a plea offer of second-degree murder and was scheduled to be released in 2019. Another statement in the record said that Quinton testified against his aunt and through a plea deal will serve 15 years behind bars.

Quinton Allen described holding Wright down as Allen choked her with a belt and said Allen threatened to shoot him to get him to comply. He described: "She began to shake and after about three minutes, she did not move anymore," describing what likely were the last few minutes of Wright’s life.

James Martin pleaded guilty and was described as an acquaintance of Allen. He was sentenced to five years in prison after pleading guilty to accessory to first-degree murder. Another account said Martin served about five years and was released in October 2009, but was back in jail on a violation of probation.

The defense attorney was identified as Frank Bankowitz. The record said Bankowitz concentrated on discrepancies between what Quinton Allen originally told detectives and what he said later in court. It also said Bankowitz argued Allen acted as she did because she suffered from brain damage and was not able to control her emotions. Bankowitz said: "My client has brain damage, there is no question about it,".

The trial included a Spencer hearing described as a last chance for a defendant’s life as the judge decided whether to impose the death penalty.

Sentencing

Allen was sentenced to death on May 19, 2011 in Brevard County. The jury unanimously recommended the death penalty.

The record also stated Allen received a life sentence for kidnapping.

A Spencer hearing occurred at which Circuit Court Judge George Maxwell presided. At a hearing on December 17, 2010, it said Judge Maxwell decided whether Allen should be sentenced to death. Allen took the stand dressed in a gray prison jumpsuit and said: "I just feel like I shouldn't have to get the death penalty for something I didn't do," and she sobbed loudly. The judge ordered a short recess because she appeared distraught. During the December hearing, Allen also said: "I always felt sorry," when questioned by prosecutor Russ Bausch. When asked if she felt sorry when she buried Wright in the dirt by State Road 46 in north Brevard, Allen replied: "No I didn't because I didn't do that".

Defense attorney Frank Bankowitz introduced testimony from a neurologist claiming Allen suffered from brain damage due to previous assaults and that because of her condition she could not plan a murder scheme. The record also included that cocaine intoxication was listed as a cause of death and that defense suggested Allen might have been able to survive the traumatic attack if there were no drugs in her system.

The record included statements by Wright’s common-law husband, Johnny Dublin. At a hearing in December, Dublin was asked by a prosecutor if Allen should be given the death penalty and responded: "I'm not recommending anything because it is not my decision to make,". At the same hearing, Dublin spoke about his loss and difficulty raising their two sons after Wright’s death and said: "It is very hard raising the boys by myself,". When asked if Allen should be given the death penalty, he said again: "I'm not recommending anything because it is not my decision to make,".

The record included Dublin’s statement to Allen: "I am angry . . . but I forgive you for what happened." Diane Baxter, Wright’s sister-in-law, said: "Look at him,". Another statement from the same account said Dublin never recovered from the trauma of the murder.

The record said all 12 jurors unanimously recommended the death penalty for Allen at the trial stage.

Appeals

No appeal-specific information was provided in the source material.

Outcome

Margaret Ann Allen was sentenced to death on May 19, 2011.

Quinton Allen was convicted for his part and accepted a plea deal, described as second-degree murder, with a scheduled release in 2019. James Martin pleaded guilty and was sentenced to five years in prison for accessory to first-degree murder, and was released in October 2009 with later probation violation.

Aftermath

A newspaper account stated that if Allen got death, she would become the third woman on Florida’s death row, and referenced Tiffany Cole and Emilia Carr in comparison to other death-penalty cases in Florida. It also stated that only two women had been executed in the state in the past 100 years.

John Lau, Titusville’s assistant police chief, said Allen’s neighborhood on Robbins Avenue and some surrounding streets was a high crime area and described Allen as making poor choices and a family problem. The Rev. Glenn Dames, who headed the North Brevard NAACP, said crime in the area was a reality but not the only reality and that there were people who lived there and made their children accountable.

Tara Posley, Allen’s first cousin, said: "They shoot guns, they smoke drugs. It is pretty depressing," and: "It is considered the ghetto." Posley said she moved across town to what she described as a quiet neighborhood and stated: "I was trying to save my children from the streets," adding: "I kept looking at my kids. And I said no. I want to give them a chance to live,".

After the December hearing, the record said the spectator gallery was packed, that Wenda Wright’s family and reporters sat in the courtroom, and that Allen’s friends and relatives sat behind her, sometimes telling her to "stay strong" as she left the courtroom each day.

Assistant State Attorney Russ Bausch made a quoted statement during Allen’s trial describing the belt tightening and the terror experienced by Wright. The record included these quotations:

"With 10 or so blows to the face, arm, chest, knees and a belt tightened around Wenda Wright's neck so tight that the blood flow to her brain stops, that is terror," Assistant State Attorney Russ Bausch said during Allen's trial in September.
"This is the terror that Wenda Wright experienced during the last few minutes of her life. No one should die like that."

Other details

A newspaper account dated May 15, 2011 said Circuit Judge George Maxwell would decide whether to impose the death penalty after memoranda were due from the prosecution and the defense after Feb. 15. It also said Allen pleaded for a life sentence at a hearing in December 2010. It described that a jury found Allen guilty of murder and kidnapping in September and that all 12 jurors recommended the death penalty.

The record described that Johnny Dublin sobbed during the December hearing while watching from the spectator gallery and that some people stopped to hug and console Dublin as he sat in his wheelchair.

The record also described earlier allegations and the range of criminal charges Allen had faced over time, including accusations of shootings, possession and use of firearms including a short-barreled gun, an attack on a pregnant woman, missiles thrown into houses, sale of cocaine, and tampering with evidence. It stated Allen was charged with attempted first-degree murder in 1991 but was found guilty of aggravated battery and battery in that instance.