The Commission on Capital Cases updates thisinformation regularly. This information; however, is subject to changeand may not reflect the latest status of an inmate’s case and should not berelied upon for statistical or legal purposes.
BOYD, Lucious (B/M)
DC# 699893
DOB: 03/22/59
Seventeenth Judicial Circuit, Broward County Case #99-5809
Sentencing Judge: The Honorable Ronald Rothschild
Attorney, Trial: Bill Laswell & James Ongley –Assistant Public Defenders
Attorney, Direct Appeal: Gary Lee Caldwell – AssistantPublic Defender
Attorney, Collateral Appeals: Suzanne Keffer – CCRC-S
Date of Offense: 12/05/98
Date of Sentence: 06/21/02
Circumstances of Offense:
In the early morning hours of 12/05/98, Dawnia Dacosta’s carran out of gas while she was returning from a midnight church service. She walked to a nearby Texaco gas station and filled a gas can with a gallon ofgas. People at the gas station saw Dacosta speaking with a black male inthe parking lot. Dacosta was last seen getting into a teal church vanwith the man to whom she had been speaking, later identified as LuciousBoyd.
On 12/07/98, Dacosta’s body was discovered in an alleybehind a warehouse. The body was wrapped in a shower curtain liner, abrown bed sheet, and a yellow bed sheet. A laundry bag and twolarge black trash bags covered her head. Forensic evidence showedthat Dacosta died due to a penetrating head wound. Bruising on Dacosta’shead was consistent with the face plate of a reciprocating saw, and wounds tothe chest, arms, and head were consistent with a torque screwdriver. Dacosta’s body also had vaginal bruising.
Lucious Boyd did routine maintenance for the Hope OutreachMinistry Church, which owned a teal van. Boyd was driving the van on theweekend of the Dacosta murder. Witnesses at the gas station where Dacostawas last seen alive recalled seeing the word “Hope” on the teal van thatDacosta was seen leaving the gas station in. The van contained varioustools owned by the church, including a set of torque screwdrivers and areciprocating saw.
DNA and hair evidence from Dacosta’s body matched Boyd’s DNAprofile. Bite marks on Dacosta’s arm were consistent with Boyd’steeth. Tire tracks on one of the sheets used to cover Dacosta wereconsistent with the tires on the church van.
Prior Community Supervision History in the State ofFlorida:
Offense Date | Offense | Sentence Date | County | Case No. | Community Supervision Length |
07/08/1990 | CONSTRUCTIVE POSSESSION | 04/08/1991 | BREVARD | 9011890 | 1Y 6M 0D |
07/08/1990 | CONSTRUCTIVE POSSESSION | 04/08/1991 | BREVARD | 9011890 | 1Y 0M 0D |
Trial Summary:
05/14/99 Indicted as follows:
Count I: First-Degree Murder
Count II: SexualBattery
Count III: Armed Kidnapping
01/30/02 Jury returned guilty verdicts on all counts of the indictment
03/12/02 Jury recommended death by a vote of 12-0
06/21/02 Sentenced as follows:
CountI: First-Degree Murder – Death
Count II: SexualBattery – 15 Years
Count III: Armed Kidnapping –Life Imprisonment
Appeal Summary:
Florida Supreme Court – Direct Appeal
FSC# 02-1590
910 So. 2d 167
07/19/02 Appeal filed
02/10/05 FSC affirmed convictions and sentences
06/16/05 Revised opinion issued
08/24/05 Rehearing denied
09/09/05 Mandate issued
U.S. Supreme Court – Petition for Writ of Certiorari
USSC# 05-7787
126 S. Ct. 1350
11/18/05 Petition filed
02/21/06 Petition denied
Circuit Court – 3.851 Motion
CC# 99-5809
02/14/07 Motion filed
05/29/09 Motion amended
Case Information:
Boyd filed a Direct Appeal with the Florida Supreme Court on07/19/02, citing the following errors: refusing to declare a mistrial due tojuror discussing outside information, overruling a defense request formaterial, relying on insufficient evidence for conviction, overruling anobjection to admitting evidence of other crimes, overruling an objection to theState’s cross-examination of Boyd, failing to consider the testimony ofcompetency experts, failing to order a competency hearing, allowing Boyd towaive mitigation, giving great weight to the jury’s recommendation, allowinginvalid presentation of mitigation by not allowing Boyd’s counsel to callwitnesses, finding aggravating circumstances not supported by the evidence,allowing photographs of the victim to be presented, failing to properly assessmitigation, and failing to proportionately sentence. On 02/10/05, the FSCaffirmed the convictions and sentences.
Boyd filed a Petition for Writ of Certiorari with the U.S.Supreme Court on 11/18/05 that was denied on 02/21/06.
Boyd filed a 3.851 Motion with the Circuit Court on 02/14/07which was amended on 05/29/09. The motion is pending.
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Report Date: 11/03/05 JFL
Updated: 09/08/09 KKR