We cannot overstate the harmful effect of this testimony having come from not just anyone, but defendant Avsenews own mother, the court wrote. On March 24, 1987, Bernard James was found dead in front of his home on Northwest 29th Street, Wilton Manors, Florida. Reward Increased For Tips In Decades-Old Cold Case In Wilton Manors / CBS Miami. 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. Timothy knew Patti as Demi. Patti then cunningly introduced Timothy to T.J., a blonde woman who was recently divorced from her husband. FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. A self-proclaimed prostitute was sentenced to death Tuesday for the 2010 killing of a gay couple from Wilton Manors. The court said that the failure to ensure that Avsenew was kept in the presence of [his mother] during her testimony, in this case, her virtual presence, constituted a clear violation of the defendants rights. 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. Charges increased to attempted murder for man's alleged attack on Copyright 2023 Local10.com is published by WPLG INC., a Berkshire Hathaway company. Let us know! There were no significant symbols in Bernards married life that would hint towards such a devastating course of action. Wilton Manors police say they have located. Wilton Manors Police Chief Gary Blocker says the case is very much open and under investigation. Kubes says this is the closest her family has ever been to finding justice for her sister. Her testimony came under question by defense attorneys because she testified remotely due to her illness and could not physically see her son. January 11, 2018 / 2:59 PM She also testified that her son said he had not slept in three days, had a bruise from fighting, and that he got rid of the smell of bleach after taking a shower.. BidVertiser Mullins sister Fran Kubes turned to Local 10 crime specialist Bridgette Matter in November 2021 to push for answers in her sisters murder case. 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. Amanda Batchelor is the Digital Executive Producer for Local10.com. 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. This was one of the most horrific crimes in our city during my time as mayor. 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. Her case quickly turned cold. The defendant replied, Id rather just kill people. And in the letter he seemed to address his attorneys claims writing, nothing traumatic made me the way I am. Copyright 2023 Local10.com is published by WPLG INC., a Berkshire Hathaway company. We will stand up for Stephen, Kevin, their families, our community and the greater LGBTQ+ community and our allies working toward a second conviction. Prosecutor Shari Tate said in closing arguments,"He made a choice and the choice has consequences. 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. Her family traveled back to Florida to remember her and sit down with police for a case. 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.. Since then, her sister has wondered about who killed her. Sunday marks 40 years since Anna Marie Mullin was murdered in Wilton Manors. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. 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. Patti James was convicted of the murder of her husband. It took the 12 jurors less than five hours over two days to reach a verdict in the five-week trial. Patti then drove home with her husbands deceased body beside her in the car. After pronouncing him dead, the police further examined his body to find that the park ranger sustained blunt object injuries consistent with a baseball bat. A Broward jury has again convicted a man whose first double-murder conviction and death sentence were overturned on appeal. Forty years, no answers, said Kubes. In 1982, police officers found Anna Marie Mullin dead on the front steps of St. Clements Catholic Church. She called the police when no one answered their home phone, leading to the discovery of their bodies. Last November, Avsenew was found guilty in the murder Stephen Adams and Kevin Powell in their Wilton Manors home during Christmas 2010. As the man approached Bernard, Patti said that her husband told her to go inside the house and take care of the children. She was a wonderful sister, she was a great sister.. The couple shared the house with Bernards children from a previous relationship. Finally, they decided that Demi would bring T.J.s ex-husband to Otts apartment, where they would kill him off. Medical personnel tried in vain to bring him back to life. If you need help with the Public File, call (954) 364-2526. . Afterwards, they say Avsenew traveled to his mother'a home. Powell and Adams took him into their Wilton Manors home in 2010. Got a juicy lead or story idea? Michael Mitchell, 38 has been charged with premeditated murder and first-degree arson. Marci Craig, the sister of Adams, told SFGN back in 2013 that she was waiting for the couples arrival at the airport in Ohio during a visit when they never showed up. Avsenew, now 37 and an inmate at Union Correctional Institution in Raiford, allegedly met the couple through Craigs List and moved in with them weeks prior to the killing. After his arrest, Timothy claimed that he did not know about Pattis elaborate plan to kill her husband, and he even was unaware that Bernard was not an abusive father. 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. 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. She described the suspect as a black male who spoke with a French accent. City-data.com does not guarantee the accuracy or timeliness of any information on this site. Violent offenses tracked included rape, murder and non-negligent manslaughter, armed robbery, and aggravated assault, including assault with a deadly weapon. Mom dies before she can testify at retrial of, Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Mom dies before she can testify at retrial of son she helped put on death row, Serena Williams reveals second pregnancy at Met Gala, Palm Beach Atlantic University professor who was fired after parent alleged he was indoctrinating students files federal complaint, People are hurting: With so many flood-damaged homes, money is on the way to help, Photos: Best and worst looks from the 2023 Met Gala, testimony she gave in person at his sentencing hearing, Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. 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. Local 10 soon learned some of the evidence has been misplaced possibly lost. 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. WILTON MANORS, Fla. - Sunday marks 40 years since Anna Marie Mullin was murdered in Wilton Manors. Read More: How Did Dallen Bounds Die? Self-proclaimed prostitute sentenced to death for killing gay - WPLG Her lover, Timothy Ott, was also convicted for his involvement in the crime. Avsenew Found Guilty in Wilton Manors Double Murder Trial They were very good at communicating, Shannon Kicklighter, Powells brother, told SFGN in 2013. I met the families of Kevin Powell and Stephen Adams at their memorial service. Guilty verdict in 2010 Wilton Manors double murder The ratio of all residents to sex offenders in Wilton Manors is 1,796 to 1. Copyright 2018 by WPLG Local10.com - All rights reserved. HilltopAds. Ott fell for T.J. and began having feelings for her. The murderer even sent a hand-scribbled letter to Broward County Judge Ilona Holmes after his conviction, seeming to boast about the killings. In 2017, he told the court during his death row sentencing that he had no regrets and Im proud of every decision Ive ever made. He made waves when he hand-wrote a letter to Broward Circuit Judge Ilona Holmes, bragging 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. Powered by WordPress.com VIP. In 1982, the 22-year-old Mullin had gone out to a local Wilton Manors bar. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for Aug. 4. He showed no emotion when the jury's decision was announced.
