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.
DOORBAL, Noel (W/M)
DC# M16320
DOB: 12/21/71
Eleventh Judicial Circuit, Dade County Case # 95-17381-B
Sentencing Judge: The Honorable Alex Ferrer
Attorney, Trial: Penny Burke & Anthony Natale – Special Assistant Public Defender
Attorney, Direct Appeal: Scott Sakin – Special Assistant Public Defender
Attorney, Collateral Appeals: Melodee Smith – Registry
Date of Offenses: 11/15/94 & 05/25/95
Date of Sentence: 07/17/98
Circumstances of Offense:
Doorbal was convicted and sentenced for the kidnapping, extortion, and attempted murder of Marc Schiller, as well as the kidnapping and murders of Frank Griga and Krisztina Furton.
Kidnapping, Extortion, and Attempted Murder of Marc Schiller
Marc Schiller was a successful businessman who owned an accounting firm and hired Jorge Delgado to help with his business. Delgado often visited Schiller’s house, and the two eventually became good friends. Delgado also became friends with Daniel Lugo, who was employed at Sun Gym, where Delgado exercised. Eventually, Lugo began joining Delgado in trips to Schiller’s house.
In 1994, Schiller questioned Delgado’s business practices, which caused an argument between the two. Schiller and Delgado severed their business ties, and on the advice of Lugo, Delgado hired John Mese to be an accountant. Lugo convinced Delgado that Schiller had cheated the two of them in billing operations. Delgado testified that Lugo produced documents to back up his claims. When questioned by Delgado, Schiller denied any wrong doing. It was at this time that Lugo, along with several associates, including Noel Doorbal and two other individuals recruited by Lugo from Sun Gym, made a plan to kidnap Schiller and force him to sign over assets Lugo believed Schiller owed him (Lugo) and Delgado. Although Delgado had originally told Lugo he wanted nothing to do with the plan, he became very involved in the plot. Delgado gave specific information to Lugo about Schiller’s life, work schedule, home, and family life. Lugo, Doorbal, and the others then secretly observed Schiller.
After a few attempts, the group was successful in kidnapping Schiller on 11/15/94. They took him to a warehouse Delgado had rented. Lugo demanded that Schiller sign over his assets to him. After Schiller refused, the group began beating him and shocking him with a stun gun. Schiller finally agreed after Lugo had threatened to harm Schiller’s wife and children. Schiller began unwillingly signing checks and documents, giving Lugo possession of his property and assets. During this time, Schiller was blindfolded so he could not see what he was signing. Mese became involved in the crimes by using his position as a notary public to verify the signing of the checks and documents. During Schiller’s captivity, the group entered Schiller’s house and stole items and charged items with Schiller’s credit cards. Three weeks into the kidnapping, Doorbal and Delgado convinced Lugo that the group needed to kill Schiller because he could possibly identify some, if not all, of those involved in the kidnapping and extortion.
In the fourth week of the abduction, a plan was constructed to kill Schiller by staging the murder to appear to be a fatal drunk-driving accident. The group forced Schiller to consume a large amount of alcohol. Lugo took Schiller’s car and ran it into a utility pole to make it appear as though Schiller was involved in an accident. They took Schiller to the car and put him in the front seat, then poured gasoline over the vehicle and set it on fire. The group was leaving the scene in another car when they saw Schiller in the road. Lugo and Doorbal then told the driver to run him over, which the driver did. They left the scene, convinced that Schiller was dead. They found out later that Schiller had actually survived and, at his request, was transported to New York to recuperate. While Schiller was in New York, Lugo and his group emptied his house and bank accounts. Schiller was able to identify Lugo in his testimony because he recognized Lugo’s voice during his abduction.
Abduction, Attempted Extortion, and Murders of Frank Griga & Krisztina Furton
Doorbal, through his girlfriend at the time, learned of the wealth of a local businessman, Frank Griga, and his girlfriend, Krisztina Furton. Doorbal relayed this information to Lugo, and they planned to kidnap and extort the couple.
Lugo and Doorbal planned to visit Griga under the guise of presenting a business proposition, and they planned to gain his confidence through this encounter; however, Griga was not interested. During their second visit on 05/24/95, Lugo and Doorbal were to carry out the abduction, but Lugo aborted the plan.
The next plan was to lure the couple to Doorbal’s apartment, with an invitation to dinner. On 05/25/95, the couple followed Lugo and Doorbal to Doorbal’s apartment. When Delgado visited Doorbal’s apartment that evening, he was informed that Griga was killed during a fight with Doorbal. Once Furton knew Griga was seriously hurt, she started screaming. It was at that time that Lugo restrained her and injected her with Rompun, a horse tranquilizer, to subdue her. They then focused on Furton for information about the code to enter and burglarize Griga’s home. Doorbal had carried Furton to the bottom of the stair case where she began to scream again. She was then injected a second time with the horse tranquilizer. After answering a few questions, Furton decided not to supply them with any more information. They injected her with a third dose of the tranquilizer. At this point, John Raimondo, a corrections officer whom Lugo had hired to kill Furton and dispose of both the bodies, arrived. He neither killed Furton, nor disposed of the bodies.
Lugo went to Griga’s house with what he thought was the code to get in the house. Once he realized he did not have the correct code, he called Doorbal, who informed Lugo that Furton was dead. When Lugo returned to Doorbal’s apartment, he told Delgado to go home and to return to Doorbal’s apartment the next morning with a truck.
The next morning both bodies were loaded onto the truck and were taken to a warehouse in Hialeah. After Lugo and Doorbal had purchased the necessary equipment, they proceeded to dismember the bodies with a hatchet and chainsaw. They also attempted to burn the heads, hands and feet in a metal drum. Lugo and Doorbal removed everything from Doorbal’s apartment that had blood on it, including carpet and computer equipment, and stored the items in the storage area of Lugo’s apartment.
On 05/27/95, Lugo made a trip to the Bahamas to gain access to Griga’s bank account, but was unsuccessful and returned to Miami. On 05/28/95, Lugo, Doorbal and another man disposed of the torsos, arms, and legs of the bodies in metal drums that were left at a site in southern Dade County. The heads, hands, and feet were disposed of separately in the Everglades.
Lugo escaped to the Bahamas, where he was arrested in June 1995 based on information supplied to police by his girlfriend at the time. Doorbal was linked to the crimes by information obtained through police investigation and questioning of associates linked to the disappearance of Griga and Furton and the kidnapping and extortion of Schiller.
Codefendant Information:
Daniel Lugo - Indicted on 10/02/96 and sentenced on 07/17/98 (Case# 95-17381-C):
Count I Conspiracy to Commit Racketeering – 30 years
Count II Racketeering – 30 years
Count III First-Degree Murder (Furton) – Death
Count IV First-Degree Murder (Griga) – Death
Count V Kidnapping – Life
Count VI Kidnapping – Life
Count VIII Attempted Extortion – 5 years
Count IX Grand Theft Auto – 5 years
Count X Attempted First-Degree Murder – Life
Count XI Armed Kidnapping – Life
Count XII Armed Robbery – 15 years
Count XIII Burglary – 15 years
Count XIV Grand Theft (Second-Degree) – 15 years
Count XV Grand Theft Auto – 5 years
Count XVI Possession of an Identification Plate – 5 years
Count XVII Arson – 30 years
Count XVIII Extortion – 30 years
Count XIX Money Laundering (Counts XIX – XXVII) – 15
years each
Count XXVIII Forgery (Counts XXVIII, XXXI, XXXIV, XXVII,
XL, XLIII) – 5 years each
Count XXX Uttering a Forged Instrument (Counts XXX, XXIII,
XXXVI, IXL, XLII, XLV) – 5 years each
Count XLVI Conspiracy to Commit a First-Degree Felony – 15
years
John Mese - Mese was indicted on 10/02/96 (Case# 95-17381-F) for the kidnapping, extortion, and murders of Griga and Furton and the kidnapping and extortion of Marc Schiller. A jury returned guilty verdicts on all counts of the indictment; however, the judge set aside the convictions pertaining to the Griga/Furton crimes. On 07/20/98, Mese was sentenced to 56 years imprisonment for the kidnapping and extortion of Schiller.
Mese appealed and the State cross-appealed the sentence to the Florida District Court of Appeal, Third District. On 06/19/02, the DCA ruled that the trial judge improperly set aside the two RICO convictions and ordered a new sentencing hearing to be conducted on those counts.
On 01/15/03, Mese was sentenced to 30 years imprisonment for one count of Conspiracy to Commit Racketeering.
John Raimondo - Raimondo was indicted on 10/02/96 (Case# 95-17381-I) on one count each of Conspiracy to Commit Racketeering, First-Degree Murder (Furton), Kidnapping (Furton), and Attempted Extortion. The State nolle prossed all but the kidnapping charge, and Raimondo was convicted and sentenced to eight years imprisonment for the crime.
Jorge Delgado - In return for testifying for the State, Delgado was sentenced to two prison terms of 15 and 5 years for his role in the murders of Griga and Furton and the attempted murder of Schiller.
Trial Summary:
10/02/96 Indicted as follows:
Count I Conspiracy to Commit Racketeering
Count II Racketeering
Count III First-Degree Murder (Furton)
Count IV First-Degree Murder (Griga)
Count V Kidnapping
Count VI Kidnapping
Count VIII Attempted Extortion
Count IX Grand Theft Auto
Count X Attempted First-Degree Murder
Count XI Armed Kidnapping
Count XII Armed Robbery
Count XIII Burglary
Count XIV Grand Theft (Second-Degree)
Count XVII Arson
Count XVIII Extortion
Count XLVI Conspiracy to Commit a First-Degree Felony
05/05/98 Jury returned guilty verdicts on all counts of the indictment
06/11/98 Jury recommended death sentences by two votes of 8-4
07/17/98 Sentenced as follows:
Count I Conspiracy to Commit Racketeering – 30 years
Count II Racketeering – 30 years
Count III First-Degree Murder (Furton) – Death
Count IV First-Degree Murder (Griga) – Death
Count V Kidnapping – Life imprisonment
Count VI Kidnapping – Life imprisonment
Count VIII Attempted Extortion – 5 years
Count IX Grand Theft Auto – 5 years
Count X Attempted First-Degree Murder – Life
imprisonment
Count XI Armed Kidnapping – Life imprisonment
Count XII Armed Robbery – Life imprisonment
Count XIII Burglary – 15 years
Count XIV Grand Theft (Second-Degree) – 15 years
Count XVII Arson – 30 years
Count XVIII Extortion – 30 years
Count XLVI Conspiracy to Commit a First-Degree Felony – 15
years
Appeal Summary:
Florida Supreme Court – Direct Appeal
FSC# SC93988
837 So.2d 940
02/08/99 Appeal filed
10/10/02 FSC affirmed convictions and sentences
01/30/03 FSC withdrew the 10/10/02 opinion and substituted revised opinion
01/30/03 Rehearing denied and Mandate issued
U.S. Supreme Court – Petition for Writ of Certiorari
USSC# 02-10379
539 U.S. 962
04/30/03 Petition filed
06/27/03 USSC denied Petition
Circuit Court – 3.851 Motion
CC# 95-17381-B
06/15/04 Motion filed
02/24/05 CC denied Motion
Florida Supreme Court – 3.851 Motion Appeal
FSC# 05-383
03/07/05 Appeal filed
02/14/08 Appeal denied
Florida Supreme Court – Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus
FSC# 06-1490
07/26/06 Petition filed
02/14/08 Petition denied
United States District Court, Southern District – Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus
USDC# 08-21566
06/02/08 Petition filed
09/10/08 Petition denied
United States Court of Appeals, 11th Circuit, − Habeas Appeal
USCA# 08-15869
572 F.3d 1222
02/20/09 Appeal filed
06/29/09 USCA affirmed denial of Habeas Petition
U.S. Supreme Court – Petition for Writ of Certiorari
USSC# 09-6559
09/15/09 Petition filed
11/16/09 Petition denied
Factors Contributing to the Delay in Imposition of Sentence:
The Direct Appeal was pending from 02/08/99 – 01/30/03.
Case Information:
Doorbal filed a Direct Appeal with the Florida Supreme Court on 02/08/99, citing the following errors: lack of probable cause in issuing initial search warrants, failure to suppress the seized evidence at trial, improper character evidence testimony presented at trial, improper remarks by the State during closing arguments at the conclusion of the guilt and penalty phases, refusal to admit letters written by Lugo to Doorbal that purported to show Lugo’s domination over Doorbal’s actions, and improper finding of aggravating circumstances. On 10/10/02, the FSC affirmed the convictions and sentences. On 01/30/03, after denying Doorbal’s Rehearing Motion, the FSC replaced the opinion of 10/10/02 with a new opinion, dated 01/30/03.
Doorbal filed a Petition for Writ of Certiorari with the U.S. Supreme Court on 04/30/03 that was denied on 06/27/03.
Doorbal filed a 3.851 Motion with the Circuit Court on 06/15/04 that was denied on 02/24/05.
Doorbal filed a 3.851 Motion Appeal with the Florida Supreme Court on 03/07/05 that was denied 2/14/08.
Doorbal filed a Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus with the Florida Supreme Court on 07/26/06 that was denied 2/14/08.
Doorbal filed a Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus with the United States District Court on 06/02/08 that was denied on 09/10/08.
Doorbal filed a Habeas Appeal with the United States Court of Appeals on 02/20/09, and on 06/29/09, the USCA affirmed the denial of the Habeas Petition.
Doorbal filed a Petition for Writ of Certiorari with the United States Supreme Court on 09/15/09 that was denied on 11/16/09.
Institutional Adjustment:
THE FOLLOWING ENTRIES REFLECT DISCIPLINARY ACTIONS AGAINST THE INMATE FOR VIOLATION OF THE RULE CITED AND INDICATE THE GAIN TIME DAYS LOST.
DATE DAYS VIOLATION LOCATION
12/01/05 30 MAIL VIOLATIONS UNION C.I.
________________________________________________________________________
Report Date: 09/10/03 JFL
Approved: 10/08/03 WS
Updated: 12/09/09 KKR