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.
WRIGHT, Tavares (B/M)
DC# H10118
DOB: 02/07/81
Tenth Judicial Circuit, Polk County Case # 0002727
Sentencing Judge: The Honorable Dick Prince
Attorney, Trial: Byron Hileman and David Carmichael – Private
Attorney, Direct Appeal: Byron Hileman – Private
Attorney, Collateral Appeals: CCRC-Middle
Date of Offense: 04/21/00
Date of Sentence: 10/12/05
Circumstances of Offense:
On Friday, April 21, 2000, Tavares Wright and codefendant, Samuel Pitts, murdered David Green and James Felker in a remote orange grove on Barfield Road near Polk City, Florida. The bodies were discovered on Wednesday, April 26, 2000.
David Green and his cousin, James Felker, were approached by Wright in a local parking lot in Lakeland and were abducted and murdered some time after 8:00 p.m. on the night of the 21st. Several witness testified that Wright informed them that he approached Felkner and Green and asked for a cigarette. When they refused, Wright pulled out a pistol and forced his way into the back seat of Green’s vehicle. Wright then drove the victims and their car to an apartment complex to pick up Pitts.
Wright and Pitts then drove the victims approximately ten miles to a remote orange grove in Polk City. When the victims insisted they had nothing to give the assailants, they were shot. Each victim had been shot three times. Green’s body was found face-up, with bullet wounds in his chest and head. In his outstretched hand, was a wallet that contained Green’s license. Felker’s body was face-down, with three bullet wounds to his head. Green’s cause of death was determined to be gunshot wounds to the head. Felker’s cause of death was determined to be gunshot wounds to the head, one by a .380-caliber projective to the forehead and two by a shotgun blast to the back of the head.
Wright and Pitts took a black bag with computer tools, a Polaroid camera and a Nextel cell phone from the stolen vehicle. The bag with the computer tools and the Polaroid camera were pawned, while Wright gave the cell phone to a teenage acquaintance.
Codefendant Information:
Samuel Lee Pitts
Samuel Lee Pitts was tried separately for the murders of Green and Felker. Pitts was convicted of two counts of first-degree murder and other offenses related to this incident. He received sentences of life imprisonment for the murders.
Additional Information:
A Jury Trial was held before the Honorable Dick Prince, Circuit Court Judge, on 03/03/03 which resulted in a mistrial on 03/27/03. A second trial was held before the same judge on 09/09/03 until 10/10/03, which resulted in a mistrial due to a hung jury on 10/12/03. The third trial was held before the same judge from 10/18/03 until 11/12/04.
Wright’s mother abused alcohol and cocaine while pregnant. Wright was born with an abnormally small head and suffered two head injuries as a child. Wright has an IQ of 77, which is considered borderline mental retardation. He has damage to his frontal lobes.
Current Incarceration History in the State of Florida:
|
Offense Date |
Offense |
Sentence Date |
County |
Case No. |
Prison Sentence Length |
|
04/21/2000 |
2nd Deg. Murd. Dangerous Act (Attempted) |
03/22/2002 |
Polk |
0002653 |
30Y 0M 0D |
|
04/21/2000 |
At. Flny. Murd/NOT 782.04(3) |
03/22/2002 |
Polk |
0002653 |
Sentenced to Life |
|
04/21/2000 |
At. Flny Murd/NOT 782.04(3) |
03/22/2002 |
Polk |
0002653 |
Sentenced to Life |
|
09/29/2001 |
Agg Battery Intended Harm |
05/17/2002 |
Polk |
0106529 |
15Y 0M 0D |
|
06/28/2001 |
Battery by Detainee |
11/15/2002 |
Polk |
0106850 |
30Y 0M 0D |
|
01/28/2003 |
Batt. Leo/Firfgt/Ems/Etc. |
07/30/2004 |
Polk |
0301449 |
10Y 0M 0D |
|
04/21/2000 |
1st Dg Mur/Premed. or Att. |
10/12/2005 |
Polk |
0002727 |
Death Sentence |
|
04/21/2000 |
1st Dg Mur/Premed. Or Att. |
10/12/2005 |
Polk |
0002727 |
Death Sentence |
|
04/21/2000 |
Carjack W/Fa, Deadly Weapon |
10/12/2005 |
Polk |
0002727 |
Sentenced to Life |
|
04/21/2000 |
Kidnap, Assault or Terrorize |
10/12/2005 |
Polk |
0002727 |
Sentenced to Life |
|
04/21/2000 |
Kidnap, Assault or Terrorize |
10/12/2005 |
Polk |
0002727 |
Sentenced to Life |
|
04/21/2000 |
Robb. Gun/Deadly Wpn |
10/12/2005 |
Polk |
0002727 |
Sentenced to Life |
|
04/21/2000 |
Robb. Gun/Deadly Wpn |
10/12/2005 |
Polk |
0002727 |
Sentenced to Life |
Trial Summary:
05/11/00 Indicted as follows:
Count I: First-Degree Murder (David Green)
Count II: First-Degree Murder (James Felker)
Count III: Carjacking with a Firearm
Count IV: Armed Robbery
Count V: Armed Robbery
Count VI: Armed Kidnapping
Count VII: Armed Kidnapping
11/13/04 Jury returned guilty verdicts on all counts of the indictment
11/16/04 Jury vote waived in penalty phase
10/12/05 Sentenced as follows:
Count I: First-Degree Murder – Death
Count II: First-Degree Murder – Death
Count III: Carjacking with a Firearm – Life in Prison
Count IV: Armed Robbery – Life in Prison
Count V: Armed Robbery – Life in Prison
Count VI: Armed Kidnapping – Life in Prison
Count VII: Armed Kidnapping – Life in Prison
Appeal Summary:
Florida Supreme Court – Direct Appeal
FSC# 05-2212
19 So.3d 277
12/05/05 Appeal filed
09/03/09 FSC affirmed the conviction and sentence
09/24/09 Mandate issued
State Circuit Court – 3.851 Motion
CC# 00-02727
(Pending)
11/05/10 Motion filed.
Case Information:
On 11/15/07, Wright filed his initial brief in the Florida Supreme Court, raising the following issues on appeal: (1) the trial court erred and abused its discretion when it denied the defendant’s motion in limine to exclude collateral crimes evidence, which then became a feature of the trial and caused a prejudicial effect to outweigh its probative value; (2) the trial court erred in denying the defendant’s motions that the Florida death sentencing statutes are unconstitutional under the Fifth, Sixth, and Fourteenth Amendments of the United States Constitution as shown in Ring v. Arizona; (3) the trial court erred in finding it proven beyond a reasonable doubt that these murders were aggravated by the circumstance that they were committed in a cold, calculated, and premeditated manner; and (4) the trial court erred in finding it proven beyond a reasonable doubt that these murders were aggravated by the circumstance that they were committed for the purpose of avoiding or preventing lawful arrest. On 09/03/09, the Florida Supreme Court affirmed the conviction and sentence.
On 11/05/10, Wright filed a 3.851 Motion in Circuit Court. This motion is pending.
________________________________________________________________________
Report Date: 09/10/09 MJH
Approved: 09/10/09 RRM
Updated: 11/10/10 MJH