The Commission on Capital Cases updates this
information regularly. This information;
however, is subject to change and may not reflect the latest status of an
inmates case and should not be relied upon for statistical or legal
purposes.
STEINHORST, Walter (W/M)
DOB: 08/29/31
Fourteenth Judicial
Circuit,
Sentencing Judge: The Honorable James Adkins
Attorney, Trial: Clifford Davis Private
Attorney, Direct Appeal: Clifford Davis Private
Attorney, Collateral Appeals: Stephen Alexander & Lisa Kiebel Private
Date of Offense: 01/23/77
Date of Sentence: 08/08/78
Circumstances of Offense:
Walter Steinhorst was a participant in a marijuana importation conspiracy. On the night of 01/23/77, he was guarding a dirt road that led to a beach landing site, where a shipment of marijuana was to be brought ashore and loaded onto trucks. Harold Sims, Douglas Hood, Sheila McAdams, and Sandra McAdams stumbled upon Steinhorst and a gunfight ensued between Sims and Steinhorst. Sims was killed in the gunfight and the other three were taken and placed in a passenger van.
Steinhorst talked with the leaders of the operation about
what to do with Hood, Sheila McAdams, and Sandra McAdams. Steinhorst, assisted by Charlie Hughes and
David Goodwin, took the three to a sinkhole in rural
Codefendant Information:
David Goodwin was
convicted and sentenced to Life Imprisonment.
Charlie Hughes accepted a
plea bargain and was sentenced to 15 years.
Additional Information:
Steinhorst was also charged
in federal court for drug smuggling but was acquitted.
Steinhorst died of
natural causes on 09/23/99.
Trial Summary:
11/30/77 Indicted as follows Case # 77-708:
Count I: First-Degree Murder (Douglas Hood)
Count II: First-Degree Murder (Sheila McAdams)
Count III: First-Degree Murder (Sandra McAdams)
Indicted as follows Case # 77-709:
Count I: First-Degree Murder (Harold Sims)
03/08/78 Cases ordered consolidated for trial
05/04/78 Jury returned guilty verdicts on all
counts of the indictments
Jury recommended death by majority votes
08/08/78 Sentenced as follows Case # 77-708:
Count I: First-Degree Murder (Douglas Hood) Death
Count II: First-Degree Murder (Sheila McAdams) Death
Count III: First-Degree Murder (Sandra McAdams) Death
Sentenced as follows Case # 77-709:
Count I: First-Degree Murder (Harold Sims) Death
Appeal Summary:
FSC# 55,087
412 So.2d 332
09/15/78 Appeal filed
03/04/82 FSC affirmed convictions and sentences
04/27/82 Rehearing denied
06/02/82 Mandate issued
FSC# 64,755
477 So.2d 537
01/18/84 Petition filed
09/26/85 FSC denied Petition
11/19/85 Rehearing denied
Circuit Court
3.850 Motion
CC# 77-708 & 77-709
02/13/86 Motion filed
03/24/86 CC denied Motion
11/20/86 03/24/86 order denying Motion vacated
and Motion denied again
FSC# 69,659
498 So.2d 414
11/24/86 Appeal filed
11/26/86 FSC reversed denial and remanded for
evidentiary hearing
Circuit Court
3.850 Motion Evidentiary Hearing
CC# 77-708 & 77-709
09/18/87 Evidentiary hearing held
06/23/88 CC denied Motion
FSC# 72,695
574 So.2d 1075
07/12/88 Appeal filed
01/15/91 FSC affirmed the denial of the Motion
03/06/91 Rehearing denied and Mandate issued
Circuit Court
1.540 Motion for Relief from Judgment
CC# 77-708 & 77-709
10/04/91 Motion filed
04/12/93 CC denied Motion
07/08/93 Rehearing granted and Motion denied
FSC# 82,188
636 So.2d 498
08/09/93 Appeal filed
04/21/94 FSC reversed denial and remanded for a
factual determination
05/17/94 Mandate issued
FSC# 82,643
638 So.2d 33
10/29/93 Petition filed
05/26/94 FSC denied Petition
Circuit Court
1.540 Motion for Relief from Judgment
CC# 77-708 & 77-709
10/13/94 Evidentiary hearing held
06/16/95 CC denied Motion
FSC# 86,109
695 So.2d 1245
07/20/95 Appeal filed
06/05/97 FSC affirmed denial
USSC# 97-375
533
09/02/97 Petition filed
12/08/97 USSC denied Petition
Death Warrant:
11/06/86 Governor Bob Graham signed a death
warrant
11/26/86 FSC granted a stay of execution
Factors Contributing to the Delay in Imposition of
Sentence:
At several stages in the
appellate process, the case was remanded due to trial court errors.
Case Information:
Steinhorst
filed a Direct Appeal with the Florida Supreme Court on 09/15/78, citing the
following errors: permitting a State witness to testify despite witness' violation
of rule of sequestration; limiting cross-examination of a State witness to
prevent inquiry into witness' participation in a smuggling operation; admitting
evidence that the murders were committed during a kidnapping and were
especially heinous, atrocious, and cruel; and failing to find the mitigating
evidence that Steinhorst had no significant history of prior criminal
activity. On 03/04/82, the FSC affirmed
the convictions and sentences.
Steinhorst
filed a Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus with the Florida Supreme Court on
01/18/84, alleging ineffective assistance of counsel. On 09/26/85, the FSC denied the
Petition.
Steinhorst
filed a 3.850 Motion with the Circuit Court on 02/13/86 that was denied on
03/24/86 and again on 11/20/86.
Steinhorst
filed a 3.850 Motion Appeal with the Florida Supreme Court on 11/24/86. On 11/26/86, the FSC determined that an
evidentiary hearing was required, reversed the denial of the 3.850 Motion and
remanded to the Circuit Court.
An
evidentiary hearing was held on 09/18/87, and the 3.850 Motion was again denied
on 06/23/88.
Steinhorst
filed a 3.850 Motion Appeal with the Florida Supreme Court on 07/12/88, citing
the following errors: withholding of exculpatory evidence by the State and
failing to instruct
the jury on nonstatutory mitigating factors.
On 01/15/91, the FSC affirmed the denial of the 3.850 Motion.
Steinhorst
filed a 1.540 Motion for Relief from Judgment with the Circuit Court on
10/04/91 that was denied on 04/12/93.
Steinhorst
filed a 1.540 Motion Appeal with the Florida Supreme Court on 08/09/93, arguing
that the trial court erred in failing to conduct an inquiry as to whether relevant records
regarding alleged conflict of interest of the judge were available. On 04/21/94, the FSC remanded for an
evidentiary hearing on the conflict of interest.
Steinhorst filed a
Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus with the Florida Supreme Court on 10/29/93
disproportionate sentencing, compared to codefendants. On 05/26/94, the FSC denied the
Petition.
An
evidentiary hearing on the conflict of interest was held on 10/13/94 and the
1.540 Motion was again denied on 06/16/95.
Steinhorst
filed a 1.540 Motion Appeal with the Florida Supreme Court on 07/20/95. The FSC found no conflict of interest and
affirmed the denial of the 1.540 Motion on 06/05/97.
Steinhorst filed a Petition for Writ of Certiorari with the U.S. Supreme
Court on 09/02/87 that was denied on 12/08/97.
Steinhorst
died of natural causes on 09/23/99.
Report Date: 03/28/05 JFL