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.
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 & ChristinaSpaulding – 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 Littlearrived at his University of Miami on-campus apartment to pick up his keys tohis black Ford Explorer that he had loaned to his roommate, MarlinBarnes. Little found that his vehicle had a puncture mark in the rightrear tire, causing the vehicle to tilt toward the right side. Littleopened his apartment door to find Barnes slumped against the front door, badlybeaten and barely conscious. Little called the police,who entered the apartment and found the body of TimwanikaLumpkins, who had severe trauma to the back of thehead, but was still alive. Barnes died at the scene, while Lumpkins, after being airlifted to the hospital, laterdied. Both suffered trauma wounds and lacerations that were laterdetermined to be the result of multiple blows from a shotgun.
Barnes and Little both played football for the University ofMiami, and during a meeting of the football team after the murders, some of thefootball players indicated that Lumpkins had anex-boyfriend named Labrant Dennis. In aninterview with police, Dennis admitted to being romantically involved with Lumpkins and fathering a child with her. Dennis toldpolice that he and Lumpkins had had an argument theweek prior to the murders when she came home late after an evening out withBarnes. At the time of the argument, Dennis and Lumpkinswere living together with Dennis’ cousin and her boyfriend. After theargument, Lumpkins moved out.
In the early morning hours on the day of the murders, Denniswas 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 thatmorning.
While canvassing the area for information about the murders,police approached a gas station attendant, who worked at a gas station that waslocated a few blocks from Club Salvation. The attendant told police thata man matching Dennis’ description and wearing a black, hooded sweatshirt thatcovered his face was parked in a car at the gas station. The attendantalso told police that the vehicle was in a position to allow the observation ofa black Ford Explorer, with a flat tire, being loaded onto a flatbed tow truckacross the street.
Police learned that an acquaintance of Dennis, JosephStewart, might have information about the case, so he was questioned. Stewart told police that Dennis borrowed a shotgun and duffel bag fromhim. On the morning of April 13th, Dennis hid the duffel bag, whichcontained a black, hooded sweatshirt, black boots, the significantly damagedshotgun, and a knife, in some bushes at Stewart’s mother’s house. Uponfinding the items, Stewart became nervous and threw the clothes in a grocerystore dumpster and discarded the shotgun and knife into a sewer drain.
Police later recovered the shotgun and knife, as well as theduffel bag, but were unable to recover the discarded clothing. Additionalforensic investigation determined that fragments of the shotgun found in theapartment matched Stewart’s damaged shotgun. The State further linked Dennis tothe murders and established Dennis’ motive by introducing evidence that Dennishad stalked Lumpkins on several occasions and hadonce 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 withAssault 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 withAssault or Battery – Life
CountIV: 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 HabeasCorpus
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 Relinquishedto Circuit Court
Florida SupremeCourt – Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus
09-2289
(Pending)
12/15/09 Petitionfiled
Circuit Court – 3.850 Motion
CC# 96-13558
10/07/10 Evidentiaryhearing
11/09/10 Motiondenied
Factors Contributing to the Delay in Imposition ofSentence:
The delay in imposition of sentence appears to arise fromthe 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 Courton 03/29/99, citing thirteen trial court errors: failure to adequately instructthe jury about accomplices; improper bolstering of witness testimony by theState; erroneous admission of evidence; denying a motion to suppress evidence;allowing the State to impeach its own witness; admission of collateralevidence; admission of autopsy photos; inadequate sentencing order; failure toprove aggravating circumstances (cold, calculated, premeditated murder andheinous, atrocious, or cruel murder); failure to consider mitigatingcircumstances (extreme mental or emotional disturbance); and disproportionatesentence due to the murder being a crime of passion. On 01/31/02, the FSCaffirmed the convictions and sentences.
On 09/25/02, Dennis filed a Petition for Writ of Certiorariwith the U.S. Supreme Court, which was denied on 12/02/02.
On 11/25/03, Dennis filed a 3.850 Motion with the CircuitCourt, which was denied on 10/05/04.
On 11/09/04, Dennis filed a 3.850 Motion Appeal with theFlorida Supreme Court. On 12/17/08, the case was remanded to the circuit courtfor an evidentiary hearing.
On 11/27/07, Dennis filed a Petition for Writ of HabeasCorpus in the Florida Supreme Court, which was dismissed on 12/17/08.
On 12/15/08, Dennis filed a 3.850 Motion with the CircuitCourt, which was denied on 04/17/09.
On 06/25/09, Dennis filed a 3.850 Motion Appeal with theFlorida Supreme Court. On 06/16/10, the case was remanded to the circuit courtfor an evidentiary hearing.
On 12/15/09, Dennis filed a Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpusin the Florida Supreme Court, which is pending.
On 10/07/10, an evidentiary hearing was held in the CircuitCourt. On 11/09/10, Dennis’ 3.850 motion was againdenied.
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Report Date: 03/27/03 JFL
Approved: 04/01/03 WS
Updated: 12/08/10 JJK