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 inmate’s case and should not be relied upon for statistical or legal purposes. 

 

DENNIS, Labrant (B/M)

DC#    124607

DOB:   10/21/72

   

Eleventh Judicial Circuit, Dade County Case # 96-13558

Sentencing Judge: The Honorable Manuel Crespo

Attorney, Trial: Ronald Guralnick – Private

Attorney, Direct Appeal: Louis Campbell & Christina Spaulding – Asst. Public Defender

Attorney, Collateral Appeals:  Suzanne Keffer – CCRC-S

 

Date of Offense:           04/13/96

Date of Sentence:         02/26/99

 

Circumstances of Offense:

 

On the morning of 04/13/96, Earl Little arrived at his University of Miami on-campus apartment to pick up his keys to his black Ford Explorer that he had loaned to his roommate, Marlin Barnes.  Little found that his vehicle had a puncture mark in the right rear tire, causing the vehicle to tilt toward the right side.  Little opened his apartment door to find Barnes slumped against the front door, badly beaten and barely conscious.  Little called the police, who entered the apartment and found the body of Timwanika Lumpkins, who had severe trauma to the back of the head, but was still alive.  Barnes died at the scene, while Lumpkins, after being airlifted to the hospital, later died.  Both suffered trauma wounds and lacerations that were later determined to be the result of multiple blows from a shotgun. 

 

Barnes and Little both played football for the University of Miami, and during a meeting of the football team after the murders, some of the football players indicated that Lumpkins had an ex-boyfriend named Labrant Dennis.  In an interview with police, Dennis admitted to being romantically involved with Lumpkins and fathering a child with her.  Dennis told police that he and Lumpkins had had an argument the week prior to the murders when she came home late after an evening out with Barnes.  At the time of the argument, Dennis and Lumpkins were living together with Dennis’ cousin and her boyfriend.  After the argument, Lumpkins moved out. 

 

In the early morning hours on the day of the murders, Dennis was seen at Club Salvation, which was the same club that Lumpkins, Barnes and a mutual friend had also visited that morning.  Dennis, however, denied seeing Lumpkins and Barnes that morning. 

 

While canvassing the area for information about the murders, police approached a gas station attendant, who worked at a gas station that was located a few blocks from Club Salvation.  The attendant told police that a man matching Dennis’ description and wearing a black, hooded sweatshirt that covered his face was parked in a car at the gas station.  The attendant also told police that the vehicle was in a position to allow the observation of a black Ford Explorer, with a flat tire, being loaded onto a flatbed tow truck across the street.  

 

Police learned that an acquaintance of Dennis, Joseph Stewart, might have information about the case, so he was questioned.  Stewart told police that Dennis borrowed a shotgun and duffel bag from him.  On the morning of April 13th, Dennis hid the duffel bag, which contained a black, hooded sweatshirt, black boots, the significantly damaged shotgun, and a knife, in some bushes at Stewart’s mother’s house.  Upon finding the items, Stewart became nervous and threw the clothes in a grocery store dumpster and discarded the shotgun and knife into a sewer drain. 

 

Police later recovered the shotgun and knife, as well as the duffel bag, but were unable to recover the discarded clothing.  Additional forensic investigation determined that fragments of the shotgun found in the apartment matched Stewart’s damaged shotgun. The State further linked Dennis to the murders and established Dennis’ motive by introducing evidence that Dennis had stalked Lumpkins on several occasions and had once threatened to kill her with a gun. 

 

Trial Summary:

 

05/08/96          Indicted as follows:

                                    Count I:           First-Degree Murder

                                    Count II:         First-Degree Murder

                                    Count III:        Armed Burglary with Assault or Battery

                                    Count IV:        Criminal Mischief

10/28/98          Jury returned guilty verdicts on all counts of the indictment

12/02/98          Jury recommended death sentences by two votes of 11-1

02/26/99          Sentenced as follows:   

                                    Count I:           First-Degree Murder – Death

                                    Count II:         First-Degree Murder – Death

                                    Count III:        Armed Burglary with Assault or Battery – Life

                                    Count IV:        Criminal Mischief – 1 year

 

Appeal Summary:

 

Florida Supreme Court – Direct Appeal

FSC# 95,211

817 So.2d 741

 

03/29/99          Appeal filed

01/31/02          FSC affirmed convictions and sentences

05/23/02          Rehearing denied and Mandate issued

 

U.S. Supreme Court – Petition for Writ of Certiorari

USSC# 02-6547

537 U.S. 1051

 

09/25/02          Petition filed

12/02/02          USSC denied Petition

 

Circuit Court – 3.850 Motion

CC# 96-13558

 

11/25/03          Motion filed

10/05/04          CC denied Motion

 

Florida Supreme Court – 3.850 Motion Appeal

FSC# 04-2176

 

11/09/04          Appeal filed

12/17/08          Remanded to circuit court for evidentiary hearing

 

Florida Supreme Court – Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus

FSC# SC07-2208

 

11/27/07          Petition filed

12/17/08          Dismissed

 

Circuit Court – 3.850 Motion

CC# 96-13558

 

12/15/08          Motion filed

04/17/09          Motion denied

 

Florida Supreme Court – 3.850 Motion Appeal

FSC# 09-1089

(Pending)

 

06/25/09          Appeal filed 

06/16/10          Relinquished to Circuit Court

 

Florida Supreme Court – Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus

09-2289

(Pending)

 

12/15/09          Petition filed

 

Circuit Court – 3.850 Motion

CC# 96-13558

 

10/07/10          Evidentiary hearing

11/09/10          Motion denied

 

Factors Contributing to the Delay in Imposition of Sentence:

 

The delay in imposition of sentence appears to arise from the nearly three years taken to decide the Direct Appeal (03/29/99 – 01/31/02). 

 

Case Information:

 

Dennis filed a Direct Appeal with the Florida Supreme Court on 03/29/99, citing thirteen trial court errors: failure to adequately instruct the jury about accomplices; improper bolstering of witness testimony by the State; erroneous admission of evidence; denying a motion to suppress evidence; allowing the State to impeach its own witness; admission of collateral evidence; admission of autopsy photos; inadequate sentencing order; failure to prove aggravating circumstances (cold, calculated, premeditated murder and heinous, atrocious, or cruel murder); failure to consider mitigating circumstances (extreme mental or emotional disturbance); and disproportionate sentence due to the murder being a crime of passion.  On 01/31/02, the FSC affirmed the convictions and sentences.

 

On 09/25/02, Dennis filed a Petition for Writ of Certiorari with the U.S. Supreme Court, which was denied on 12/02/02.

 

On 11/25/03, Dennis filed a 3.850 Motion with the Circuit Court, which was denied on 10/05/04.    

 

On 11/09/04, Dennis filed a 3.850 Motion Appeal with the Florida Supreme Court. On 12/17/08, the case was remanded to the circuit court for an evidentiary hearing.

 

On 11/27/07, Dennis filed a Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus in the Florida Supreme Court, which was dismissed on 12/17/08.

 

On 12/15/08, Dennis filed a 3.850 Motion with the Circuit Court, which was denied on 04/17/09.

 

On 06/25/09, Dennis filed a 3.850 Motion Appeal with the Florida Supreme Court. On 06/16/10, the case was remanded to the circuit court for an evidentiary hearing.

 

On 12/15/09, Dennis filed a Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus in the Florida Supreme Court, which is pending.

 

On 10/07/10, an evidentiary hearing was held in the Circuit Court. On 11/09/10, Dennis’ 3.850 motion was again denied.

 

 

______________________________________________________________________

 

Report Date:   03/27/03          JFL

Approved:       04/01/03          WS

Updated:         12/08/10          JJK