Jeanne testified that days after the murder, her son came to her house driving the couples car and admitted he stole it. Schaefer, a former Wilton Manors police officer, was convicted in 1973 of the mutilation murders of two young women from Oakland Park. Initially thought of as a robbery gone wrong, the police investigation soon revealed an underlying twisted plot that brought out a dark secret to light. WILTON MANORS, Fla. - Sunday marks 40 years since Anna Marie Mullin was murdered in Wilton Manors. He also allegedly told her he got rid of his gun and that he had done something violent, something that was the worst thing he had ever done, and that he could not get out of it if he was caught, according to court records. FT LAUDERDALE (CBSMiami) - It took two hours for a Broward jury to sentence convicted killer Peter Avsenew to death Thursday afternoon. to push for answers in her sisters murder case. If there is missing evidence, our agency will be 100% transparent with the family of Anna Marie Mullin, Blocker said. Jump to a detailed profile, search site with google or try advanced search. She became suspicious and turned him into authorities. Public defender Gabe Ermine said there were at least two other people who could have committed the murders. A judge in Broward County increased the charges against Phillip Siegel to attempted murder on . Eventually police did relocate key evidence, including fingerprints and physical evidence that was sent to a lab for testing earlier this year. She was a wonderful sister, she was a great sister.. The only reasonable scenario is that Peter Avsenew killed those men in their home just before Christmas Eve," she said. The Florida Supreme Court overturned the 2017 conviction partly because Avsenew's since-deceased mother testified against him via a video monitor and the judges found he was not able to face his accuser in person. Last November, Avsenew was found guilty in the murder Stephen Adams and Kevin Powell in their Wilton Manors home during Christmas 2010. Having caught Ott in her net of deception, Patti set about planning her husbands murder with Timothy. Avsenew, now 37, met the two men through personal advertising on Craigslist seeking an older established male partner who could take care of him.. BidVertiser Sign up for NBC South Florida newsletters. Kubes said for 40 years shes asked for documents related to Annas case but has never seen a police report. Jeanne Avsenew, whose testimony helped put her son on Floridas death row four years ago, died last week in Polk County, throwing a wrench into plans to retry Peter Avsenew for the 2010 murders of Stephen Adams and Kevin Powell of Wilton Manors. The police were led to Ott by Patti herself as she kept changing her story and ended up implicating Ott as her husbands murderer. For Wilton Manors, we found that the violent crime rate is one of the highest in the nation, across communities of all sizes (both large and small). Kubes traveled from out of state to Wilton Manors to remember her sister and meet with police. According to the Sun Sentinel, prosecutors will seek the death penalty and sentencing will be carried out in January. There were no significant symbols in Bernards married life that would hint towards such a devastating course of action. Wilton Manors remains a very safe community, stated Resnick in a press release issued after the verdict. All rights reserved. Peter Avsenew was originally found guilty in 2017 for the 2010 murders of Kevin Powell, 52, and Stephen Adams, 47, in Wilton Manors. Prosecutors then cut a deal with him where in return for pleading guilty to lesser charges of second-degree murder, Timothy would have to testify against Patti in her trial. It was higher than in 84.9% U.S. cities. Avsenew, 32, placed an advertisement on Craigslist and moved in with the couple weeks before their deaths. SFGN covered the murders in 2011and 2013. Please enter valid email address to continue. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Patti James was convicted of the murder of her husband. Avsenew had been taken in by the couple and was later turned in by his mother and captured in Polk County. ", Avsenew expressed similar sentiments at a Spencer hearing in June, saying "I wholeheartedly have nothing to lose and I'm going to take it out on everybody I can.". Kubes says this is the closest her family has ever been to finding justice for her sister. The new jury may hear little of that, if any, and it wont be coming from her. . The defendant was granted a new trial earlier this year by the Florida Supreme Court, which found that the jury should never have heard his mothers recorded testimony because she was not in the same room with him and could not see him when she testified. On March 24, 1987, Bernard James was found dead in front of his home on Northwest 29th Street, Wilton Manors, Florida. Timothy had never met T.J. in real life but knew her only through phone calls. The City-Data.com crime index weighs serious crimes and violent crimes more heavily. Police said the couple was found shot to death and wrapped in blankets in their Wilton Manors home on the day after Christmas in 2010. Wilton Manors double murder trial opens By Rafael Olmeda South Florida Sun-Sentinel Nov 17, 2017 at 4:30 pm Peter Avsenew faces the death penalty if convicted of first degree murder in. This was one of the most horrific crimes in our city during my time as mayor. Peter currently sits on death row for the murder of Adams and Powell, who had been together for 29 years before being shot and bludgeoned to death in December 2010. In March, Wilton Manors Police Chief Gary Blocker asked the public for their thoughts and prayers for the families who would have to relive their loved ones murders. She shared that her son drove to her home in Polk County in the victims vehicle and acted strangely. For decades her sister, Fran Kubes, fought for answers in the case. Even though the reason behind the murder is still unclear, prosecutors alleged that Patti James killed her husband because she wanted to claim his life insurance payout for herself. The couple shared the house with Bernards children from a previous relationship. Avsenew has shown no remorse in court for the killings. Avsenew claimed that he came home and found the couple dead and fled in a panic. Our hearts go out to the family and friends of Kevin and Stephen, but maybe now, they can get some closure. Timothy Ott told police that on March 24, Patti (who he believed to be Demi) brought her husband, Bernard, to Otts apartment. Crystal Kicklighter, sister of Kevin Powell, who along with longtime partner. Where Is Casandra Laster Now? I want to thank our Wilton Manors Police Department, as well as the Broward Sheriffs Office, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Polk County Sheriffs Office and State Attorney Mike Satz office for their efforts to bring this guy to justice. The sister of one of the two men murdered in Wilton Manors on Christmas weekend says the killings were a hate crime. Thursday morning he read a statement to the jury which read in part, "I have no regrets in my life and I am proud of every decision I ever made. But that generosity was forever ended 36 years ago when Mullin's body was found on the front steps of St. Clement's Catholic Church in Wilton Manors. A Broward jury has again convicted a man whose first double-murder conviction and death. Subsequently, she changed her story again and told the police that she drove back from Otts apartment alone and did not tell the police about this at first because Ott had apparently threatened her and her children with death. Nobody knows what happened that day, everyone can speculate, you would need an Ouija board for that.". Since then, Timothy has been released from jail but prefers to stay under the radar. Copyright 2023 Local10.com is published by WPLG INC., a Berkshire Hathaway company. From her description, the police gathered that they were looking for someone who is well built and over 6 feet tall, sporting an afro haircut. Discuss Wilton Manors, Florida (FL) on our hugely popular Florida forum. Mullin was seen leaving a bar called The Caboose with a man less than a mile from the Wilton Manors Police Department on Nov. 6, 1982. WILTON MANORS, Fla. Sunday marks 40 years since Anna Marie Mullin was murdered in Wilton Manors. In the subsequent trial, the jury listened to Otts testimony and, after deliberating for a while, found Patti Donahue James guilty of first-degree murder in 1988. But Peter Avsenew was already a suspect by the time his mother turned him in. Wilton Manors is in the 43rd percentile for safety, meaning 57% of cities are safer and 43% of cities are more dangerous. Anything less would be unacceptable., 2520 N. Dixie Highway, Wilton Manors, FL 33305. Jury selection is scheduled to start in early May. 2018 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Suspicious of his behavior and worried that her son might harm her, Jeanne Avsenew testified that she had him turned in. Medical personnel tried in vain to bring him back to life. Initially, Luc Havan was charged with second-degree murder for his role in Jaco Pastorius' death, but in November 1988, more than one year after the tragic incident outside the Midnight Bottle Club, he pleaded guilty to the considerably less serious charge of manslaughter, as reported by the Sun-Sentinel. Peter was a new roommate to the couple weeks before their murder and they reportedly met through Craigs List. Prosecutors argued that Peter Avsenew stayed with the victims at their Wilton Manors home after they placed a sexually suggestive ad on the website Craigslist in late 2010. The ruling came down from the Florida Supreme Court Thursday, after taking issue with the fact that a witness testified virtually. FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. A self-proclaimed prostitute was sentenced to death Tuesday for the 2010 killing of a gay couple from Wilton Manors. Rafael Olmeda is a reporter for the South Florida Sun Sentinel. They say Avsenew shot the couple to death and then stole their credit cards and car. Michael Mitchell, 38, faces murder and arson charges in the . The man who admitted to killing a Wilton Manors couple in 2010 and told a judge he was not sorry has been granted a new trial, the Sun Sentinel reports. Let us know! A $10,000 reward still stands for any helpful information in the case. When law enforcement questioned Patti James, she said that she and her husband had just returned home when she saw a man approach her husband outside their house. They were found in their home on the morning of Dec. 26, 2010. Their brutally beaten and bullet-riddled bodies were discovered just before Christmas. Kubes reached out to Local 10 News for help last year after an investigation uncovered some of the evidence in the case was misplaced. ClickADu She then returned to her home with Ott, who reassured her that he would bring her husband back. During closing arguments Thursday, Broward assistant state attorney Molly McGuire laid out the evidence and timeline of events linking Avsenew to the crime. Bernard James lived with his wife, Patricia (Patti) Donahue James, in the 800 block of Northwest 29th Street in Wilton Manors, Florida. WILTON MANORS, Fla. - After a Local 10 investigation into the handling of a 40-year-old cold case, detectives are one step closer to solving it. The murderer even sent a hand-scribbled letter to Broward County Judge Ilona Holmes after his conviction, seeming to boast about the killings. During closing arguments Thursday morning, assistant state attorney Molly . WILTON MANORS Jeanne Avsenew, whose testimony helped put her son on Florida's death row four years ago, died last week in Polk County, throwing a wrench into plans to retry Peter Avsenew for. Her testimony came under question by defense attorneys because she testified remotely due to her illness and could . Finally, they decided that Demi would bring T.J.s ex-husband to Otts apartment, where they would kill him off. After telling police her story about a robbery gone wrong, she changed her story and told police that Timothy Ott, whom she knew only through telephone conversations, was the one who killed her husband. Copyright 2022 by WPLG Local10.com - All rights reserved. HilltopAds. 37-year-old Bernie James had been found dead in the front seat of his car. Afterwards, they say Avsenew traveled to his mother'a home. Even though Timothy thought that Demi and T.J. were different people, both the roles were being played by Patti. The Florida Supreme Court issued a ruling Thursday granting Avsenew, 37, a new trial in the Christmas 2010 murders of Stephen Adams and Kevin Powell, a Wilton Manors couple who took him in after . Avsenew was found guilty of several charges including two first-degree murders, robbery with a firearm, credit card fraud, and grand theft auto. FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. - A self-proclaimed prostitute was sentenced to death Tuesday for the 2010 killing of a gay couple from Wilton Manors. Wilton Manors police say they have located critical evidence in the case of Anna Marie Mullin, including fingerprints and physical evidence that was swabbed for DNA and sent out for testing. Forty years, no answers, said Kubes. Homosexuals are a disgrace to mankind and must be put down. Let us know! Privacy Policy | Terms of Website Use, Man Who Boasted of Murdering Wilton Manors Couple in 2010 Granted New Trial. I cant put into words the feeling of ending a life; it's euphoric at the least.. Before moving to South Florida, she began her career in South Bend, Indiana and spent six years in Jacksonville as a reporter and weekend anchor. Schaffer had been a police officer in Wilton Manors, a Fort Lauderdale suburb, and was a deputy with the Martin County Sheriff's Office at the time Poole disappeared, Springer said. They also determined that he was strangled after the beating. Ott only realized that he had been duped by Patti, and that she was both Demi and T.J., after he had been implicated in the murder. Copyright 2023 Local10.com is published by WPLG INC., a Berkshire Hathaway company. Privacy Policy | Terms of Website Use, Controversial Witness in Murder of Wilton Manors Couple Dies Before Retrial. A 33-year-old South Florida man faces a possible death sentence after a jury found him guilty Thursday murdering Stephen Adams and Kevin Powell, a Wilton Manors couple who took him in after he. Avsenews mother was fighting cancer when she testified that Peter came to visit her in Polk County after the murders, driving the slain couples SUV and behaving strangely. The other $5,000 is coming from Crime Stoppers . Powered by WordPress.com VIP. On the night of March 24, 1987, an urgent call came into the Wilton Manors 911 dispatch center. They were just really kindhearted, always getting involved with helping people., Avsenews defense attorney claimed that he did not kill the couple, but found them dead and stole their credit cards and car, Local 10 reports. Wilton Manors police say they have located critical evidence in the case of Anna Marie Mullin, including fingerprints and physical evidence that was swabbed for DNA and sent out for testing. He is not guilty.. ", First published on January 11, 2018 / 2:59 PM. After a Local 10 investigation into the handling of a 40-year-old cold case, detectives are one step closer to solving it. Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. Initially thought of as a robbery gone wrong, the police investigation soon revealed an underlying twisted plot that brought out a dark secret to light. Detectives released the sketch of a murder suspect and they are asking the public for help with solving a cold case in Wilton Manors. Peter Avsenew, 33, the man accused of the 2010 murder of Wilton Manors couple Stephen Adams, 52, and Kevin Powell, 47, was found guilty Thursday, the Sun Sentinel reported. Patti then hid in the bathroom while Ott used an aluminum bat to hit Bernard over the head. We believe the killer murdered Stephen and Kevin because they were gay, Blocker said during a city commission meeting. Our community can be assured that our good work continues now and into the future., Manors Double Gay Murder Case Goes to Jury, Gay Couple Are Murder Victims in Manors Double Homicide, Families of Wilton Manors Murdered Couple Still Waiting for Answers, Guilty Verdict in 2010 Wilton Manors Double Murder, 2520 N. Dixie Highway, Wilton Manors, FL 33305. Sunday marks 40 years since Anna Marie Mullin was murdered in Wilton Manors. Zemetis also issued an order Friday releasing to the public the transcript. Use at your own risk. F ormer death row inmate Peter Avsenew was found guilty, again, for the murders of Kevin Powell, 52, and Stephen Adams, 47, a Wilton Manors couple who took him into their home during the 2010 . Suspect Held in Manors Slaying a Petty Criminal with Long Record. The judge also ordered that she had to serve a minimum of 25 years to be eligible for parole. Amanda Batchelor is the Digital Executive Producer for Local10.com. The ex-husband, who was supposedly sexually abusive and cruel, was bad news, and T.J. told Ott that they had to find a way to stop him from visiting. A follow-up email laid out the crucial evidence was found in a Wilton Manors Police evidence vault. But he is the prime suspect in dozens of other murders. In a motion filed on April 22, the attorneys asked that her testimony be precluded from the pending trial, citing that the Florida Supreme Court deemed that it constituted harmful error.. The Wilton Manors Police Department is now offering up to $5,000 for a total of up to $10,000 in reward money for information leading to an arrest. Ive been like this for as long as I can remember., Families of Wilton Manors Murdered Couple Still Waiting for Answers, Avsenew Found Guilty in Wilton Manors Double Murder Trial, Accused Killer Avsenew's Friends Shocked by Arrest, Jury Recommends Death Sentence for Convicted Killer Who Said He Has 'No Regrets', Manors Double Gay Murder Case Goes to Jury, Suspect Held in Manors Slaying a Petty Criminal with Long Record, Execution Ordered for Killer of Wilton Manors Couple, 2520 N. Dixie Highway, Wilton Manors, FL 33305. However, Avsenew drew attention when hand-wrote a letter to Broward Circuit Judge Ilona Holmes, gloating that, it is my duty as a white man to cull the weak and timid from existence homosexuals are a disease to mankind and must be put down. Peter Avsenew, 33, the man accused of the 2010 murder of Wilton Manors couple Stephen Adams, 52, and Kevin Powell, 47, was found guilty Thursday, the Sun Sentinel reported. Avsenew could get life in prison or he could be returned to death row. Wilton Manors police say they have located. Since sitting down with police, they began looking for missing evidence. In 1982, police officers found Anna Marie Mullin dead on the front steps of St. Clements Catholic Church. Execution Ordered for Killer of Wilton Manors Couple. Peter Avsenewis on death row for the murders of Steve Adams and Kevin Powell. Her recorded testimony already has been ruled inadmissible, and the testimony she gave in person at his sentencing hearing did not cover the same ground as her trial testimony. The evidence included his living with the victims, going on a shopping spree with their credit cards, and ditching their car at a Walmart in Haines City where his mother lives. Timothy Ott pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and, in 1989, got a 20-year prison sentence based on his plea. In 2018, Patti Donahue James passed away in prison while still serving her jail sentence. Prev; Jeanne Avsenew died of cancer earlier this month and was a key witness against her son, Peter, in his first trial in the murders of Steve Adams and Kevin Powell.. [Prosecutors] want you to convict and kill Peter Avsenew, he shouted in court. Her family traveled back to Florida to remember her and sit down with police for a case update. Follow him on Twitter @rolmeda. / CBS Miami. In 1982, the 22-year-old Mullin had gone out to a local Wilton Manors bar. WILTON MANORS, Fla. After a Local 10 investigation into the handling of a 40-year-old cold case, detectives are one step closer to solving it. Bridgette Matter joined the Local 10 News team as a reporter in July 2021. However, Peter tells a different story. In 1982, police officers found Anna Marie Mullin dead on the front steps of St. Clements Catholic Church. We cannot overstate the harmful effect of this testimony having come from not just anyone, but defendant Avsenews own mother, the court wrote. HilltopAds. Detectives continue to look for evidence. Schaefer. He also said Peter was traumatized by the murder of his sister in the 90s and that he was the victim of sexual abuse. FORT LAUDERDALE -- A man who has been convicted and sentenced to die twice in the 2010 slayings of a Wilton Manors couple has been granted a new penalty phase trial. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. If you need help with the Public File, call (954) 364-2526. "It is my duty as a white man to cull the weak and timid from existence," Avsenew wrote. The first time Patti was produced in court, the jury was hung, and thus the judge was forced to declare it a mistrial. It took the 12 jurors less than five hours over two days to reach a verdict in the five-week trial. We will stand up for Stephen, Kevin, their families, our community and the greater LGBTQ+ community and our allies working toward a second conviction. The 22-year-old had been beaten, raped and murdered. At the time of the murder, Bernard was 37 years old and was a well-respected community member. Peter Avsenew was convicted last year of first-degree murder in the deaths of Kevin Adams and Steven Powell. On May 9, they say Mitchell showed up to Young's apartment at 201 N.W. Avsenew's defense attorney claimed that his client found them dead and then stole the items instead of calling police. The 2020 crime rate in Wilton Manors, FL is 271 (City-Data.com crime index), which is comparable to the U.S. average. Copyright 2018 by WPLG Local10.com - All rights reserved. Read More: How Did Dallen Bounds Die? Manors Double Gay Murder Case Goes to Jury. Timothy knew Patti as Demi. Patti then cunningly introduced Timothy to T.J., a blonde woman who was recently divorced from her husband.