TheCommission on Capital Cases updates this information regularly. Thisinformation, however, is subject to change and may not reflect the lateststatus of an inmate’s case and should not be relied on for statistical or legalpurposes.
CHANDLER, Jim Eric (W/M)
DC# 078361
DOB: 08/21/54
NineteenthJudicial Circuit, Indian River County, Case #80-233
Judge,Trial: The Honorable Royce R. Lewis
Judge,Resentencing: The Honorable William G. Tye
Attorney,Trial: Paul Kanarek, Esq.
Attorney,Direct Appeal: Richard Saliba, Esq.
Attorney,Resentencing: Robert G. Udell, Esq.
Attorneys,Direct Appeal (RS): Jeffrey H. Garland Esq. & Michael J. Kessler, Esq.
Attorneys,Collateral Appeals: Martin McClain – CCRC-S
Date ofOffense: 07/22/80
Date ofSentence: 05/19/81
Date ofResentence: 09/18/86
Circumstancesof Offense:
Thevictims, Harold and Rachel Steinberger, were found lying face down in a woodedarea behind their residence. Each had also been stabbed numerous times inthe back.
Chandlerreported to the authorities that he found the bodies. He said he had beenin the couple’s neighborhood checking on his ex-girlfriend’s house when Mr.Steinberger invited Chandler into his home and asked him to mow his lawn. The day after the crime, Chandler called an investigator and asked whether thepolice were going to arrest him. The investigator said no, but askedChandler to accompany him to the victims’ house and point out any missingitems. Chandler agreed.
At thehouse, officers asked Chandler why anyone would go into the woods to bekilled. He replied that the victims were ordered out of the house. Chandler mentioned that the victims had been stabbed, although the authoritieshad not yet released that information. When officers asked whether thevictims might have resisted, Chandler speculated that the victims would notresist if the murderer placed a knife to the wife’s throat. He furtherstated that the victims probably were killed for the $150,000 they made on thesale of their former home, information he would have known from an examinationof the victims’ bank account record. Finally, Chandler stated that if hewere the officers, he would arrest him.
Additionalinformation:
At thetime of the murder Chandler was on parole after serving five years of a 20-yearsentence for a 1973 kidnapping conviction in Texas.
TrialSummary:
05/18/81 As charged in the indictment, the defendant was convicted as follows:
CountI: First-DegreeMurder – guilty
CountII: First-Degree Murder– guilty
CountIII: Robbery with a Deadly Weapon –guilty
CountIV: Robbery with a Deadly Weapon –guilty
CountV: Trafficking in StolenProperty – guilty
CountVI: Trafficking in Stolen Property –guilty
CountVII: Trafficking in Stolen Property –guilty
CountVIII: Aggravated Assault – guilty
05/19/81 Upon advisory sentencing, the jury, by two vote counts of 10 to 2,
recommended a death sentence foreach of the murders.
05/19/81 The defendant was sentenced as followed:
CountI: First-DegreeMurder – Death
CountII: First-Degree Murder– Death
CountIII: Robbery with a Deadly Weapon
– Adjudication Withheld
CountIV: Robbery with a Deadly Weapon
– Adjudication Withheld
Count V: Trafficking in Stolen Property – 10years
CountVI: Trafficking in Stolen Property –10 years
CountVII: Trafficking in Stolen Property – 10years
CountVIII: Aggravated Assault – 5 years
09/17/86 Upon advisory sentencing, the jury, by two counts of 12 to 0,
recommended a death sentence foreach of the murders.
09/18/86 Defendant was sentenced to death for each of the murders.
AppealSummary:
FloridaSupreme Court – Direct Appeal
FSC #60,790
442 So.2d 171
06/22/81 Appeal filed.
07/28/83 FSC affirmed the convictions, vacated the sentences and remanded.
01/16/84 Rehearing denied.
02/20/84 Mandate issued
FloridaSupreme Court – Direct Appeal (Resentencing)
FSC#69,708
534 So.2d 701
12/08/86 Appealed filed.
12/08/88 FSC affirmed the sentence.
01/13/89 Mandate issued
U.S.Supreme Court – Petition for Writ of Certiorari
USSC#88-6666
490 U.S.1075
02/21/89 Petition filed.
05/15/89 USSC denied petition for writ of certiorari.
FloridaSupreme Court – Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus
FSC#76,039
634 So.2d 1066
05/02/90 Petition filed.
02/24/94 FSC denied petition for writ of habeas corpus.
04/20/94 Rehearing denied.
04/20/94 Mandate issued.
StateCircuit Court – 3.850 Motion
CC#80-233
09/23/90 Motion filed.
07/24/91 Trial court denied 3.850 Motion.
08/09/91 Rehearing denied.
FloridaSupreme Court – 3.850 Appeal
FSC#78,712
634 So.2d 1066
10/04/91 Appeal filed.
02/24/94 FSC affirmed denial of 3.850 Motion.
04/20/94 Rehearing denied.
04/20/94 Mandate issued.
U.S.District Court, Southern District – Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus
USDC#94-14125
06/21/94 Petition filed.
09/30/98 USDC denied petition for writ of habeas corpus.
02/10/99 Rehearing denied.
U.S.Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit – Habeas Corpus Appeal
USCA#99-4342
240 F.3d 907
03/19/99 Appeal filed.
01/30/01 USCA affirmed the denial of Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus.
FloridaSupreme Court – 3.850 Appeal
FSC#2001-2594
845 So.2d 888
11/02/01 Appeal filed.
04/19/02 Appeal dismissed.
05/02/03 Rehearing denied.
FloridaSupreme Court – Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus
FSC#SC02-1901
858 So.2d 330
08/26/02 Petition filed.
07/07/03 Petition denied.
09/30/03 Rehearing denied.
U.S.Supreme Court – Petition for Writ of Certiorari
USSC#03-8170
540 U.S.1223
12/29/03 Petition filed.
03/01/04 Petition denied.
FloridaSupreme Court – 3.850 Appeal (Re-filed)
FSC#SC01-2594
873 So.2d 1222
06/02/03 Appeal filed.
02/11/04 FSC affirmed the trial court’s order striking the 3.850 Motion.
04/22/04 Rehearing denied.
FloridaSupreme Court – Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus
FSC#SC04-518
916So.2d 728
03/26/04 Petition filed.
10/06/05 FSC denied the petition.
12/09/05 Rehearing denied.
U.S.Supreme Court – Petition for Writ of Certiorari
USSC#06-5059
127 S.Ct. 382
05/08/06 Petition filed.
10/10/06 USSC denied petition.
StateCircuit Court – 3.851 Motion
CC#80-233
11/07/06 Motion filed.
02/04/08 Amended motion filed.
09/10/08 Motion denied.
FloridaSupreme Court – 3.851 Appeal
FSC#08-1951
10/16/08 Appeal filed.
Warrants:
04/30/90 Governor Martinez signed death warrant.
07/10/90 Scheduled execution date.
06/08/90 Florida Supreme Court granted stay of execution.
Clemency:
06/28/89 Hearing held (denied).
FactorsContributing to the Delay in Imposition of the Sentence:
Thereare two sources of delay in this case: a state habeas petition that waswith the Florida Supreme Court for nearly four years and a federal habeas thatwas with the U.S. District Court for more than four years.
CaseInformation:
Chandlerfiled a direct appeal with the Florida Supreme Court in 1981. He arguedthat the trial court during voir dire had erroneously excluded prospectivejurors in violation of guidelines set forth by the U.S. Supreme Court inWitherspoon v. Illinois. The court agreed and in 1983 affirmed theconviction, but vacated the sentence and remanded.
Thetrial court resentenced Chandler to death in 1986. On direct appeal, theFlorida Supreme Court affirmed the sentence in 1988. The U.S. SupremeCourt denied certiorari in 1989.
GovernorMartinez signed a death warrant on Chandler in April 1990. The defendantresponded by petitioning the Florida Supreme Court for a writ of habeas corpusthe following month. The court stayed the execution in June 1990.
Chandleralso filed a 3.850 motion in the trial court, which was denied in 1991. He appealed the ruling to the Florida Supreme Court. In a consolidated1994 opinion, the court denied the habeas petition and affirmed the trialcourt’s denial of the 3.850 Motion.
Chandlernext petitioned U.S. District Court, Southern District, for a writ of habeascorpus in 1994. The court denied the request in 1998. The 11thCircuit U.S. Court of Appeals affirmed the lower court’s ruling in 2001.
Chandlerfiled a Collateral Motion in the State Circuit Court, which the Court treatedas a 3.850 Motion, on 05/07/01. The Circuit Court dismissed the motion on07/11/01.
Chandlerfiled a 3.850 Appeal in the Florida Supreme Court on 11/02/01. Thatappeal was dismissed on 04/19/02. Chandler re-filed the appeal on06/02/03 and the Florida Supreme Court affirmed the trial court’s orderstriking the motion on 02/11/04.
Chandlerfiled a Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus in the Florida Supreme Court on08/26/02, which was denied on 07/07/03.
Chandlerfiled another Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus in the Florida Supreme Court,which was denied on 10/06/05.
Chandlerfiled a Petition for Writ of Certiorari in the U.S. Supreme Court on 05/08/06that was denied on 10/10/06.
Chandlerfiled a 3.851 Motion in the Circuit Court on 11/07/06 that was denied on09/10/08.
Chandlerfiled a 3.851 Appeal in the Florida Supreme Court on 10/16/08 that is pending.
Chandlerdied of natural causes on 03/06/10.
InstitutionalAdjustment:
DATE DAYS VIOLATION LOCATION
07/06/88 45 POSS OF ESCAPEPARA. FSP
________________________________________________________________
06/12/01– tb
06/15/01– approved – whs
03/09/10– updated – jfl