The Commission on Capital Cases updates thisinformation regularly. This information, however, is subject to change and maynot reflect the latest status of an inmate’s case and should not be relied uponfor statistical or legal purposes.
MUEHLEMAN, Jeffrey Allen (W/M)
DC# 094506
DOB: 10/31/64
Sixth Judicial Circuit, Pinellas County, Case# 83-4924
Sentencing Judge: The Honorable Crockett Farnell
Trial Attorneys: Robert McMillan and Stephen Everhart –Assistant Public Defenders
Attorney, Direct Appeal: Robert F. Moeller – AssistantPublic Defender
Attorney, Collateral Appeals: John E. Swisher – Private
Attorney, Direct Appeal, Resentencing: Charles E. Lykes –Private
Attorney, Collateral Appeals, Resentencing: Bill Jennings –CCRC-M
Date of Offense: 05/05/83
Date of Sentence: 06/08/84
Date of Resentence: 10/10/03
Circumstances of the Offense:
Earl Baughman, the 97-year-old victim, hired Muehleman as ahelper on 05/02/83. Muehleman posed himself as Jeff Williams. By the afternoonof 05/04/83, Muehleman had made a decision to rob and murder the victim. Heasked an acquaintance for help with the robbery and in disposing of the body.On the evening of 05/04/83, when this acquaintance did not show up, Muehlemandecided to go through with the crime himself. He set the kitchen table with twoalmost empty coffee cups and spread breadcrumbs on the table. These actionswere an attempt to create the illusion that the two had eaten breakfast andthen gone out for a ride in the victim’s car. Muehleman then proceeded to wipedown the residence to eliminate his fingerprints.
Muehleman used a cast iron frying pan to repeatedly hit thevictim, who was asleep in his bed. These blows did not kill the victim, soMuehleman attempted to strangle the victim, but Muehleman was unable torestrict the blood flow to the brain. The victim lay in his bed helpless andlooking at Muehleman in the face and was conscious long enough to beg hisattacker for mercy. Muehleman then removed the plastic wrappers from twonewspapers and shoved them into the victim’s throat. The bags indicated thatthe victim was still breathing so Muehleman forced them deeper into thevictim’s throat. The victim eventually died.
Muehleman then stole $150 and other items from the victim.He wrapped his body in the bloody bedcovers and put it in the trunk of thevictim’s car. Muehleman returned to the garage where he was living and hid thecash and other items that he had stolen. He then returned to the victim’sresidence and burned, some of the bloody linens along with the victim’sidentification in a barrel in the back yard. He then wiped down the car to ridit of fingerprints and drove it to a nearby apartment complex where heabandoned it.
Suspicion surrounded the victim’s disappearance because hedid not drive. On 05/06/83, a witness told police that he had seen the car thathad been described in a broadcast in front of the garage where Muehleman lived.A police officer went to the garage to question Muehleman; he was told thatMuehleman was not home but would return shortly. Upon leaving the garage, thepolice officer spotted Muehleman who saw the police car and proceeded to coverhis face. The officer grabbed him by the arm and inquired about his name;Muehleman responded with “Ed Buchanan”. The witness’s identification ofMuehleman as Jeff, resulted in Muehleman being arrested on obstruction ofjustice charges due to providing false information to the officer.
Muehleman agreed to talk to the police and denied anyinvolvement in the victim’s disappearance. He did indicate that he had takensome items without the victim’s permission. On 05/09/83, Muehleman invoked hisright to remain silent. On 05/15/83, the body was found in the trunk of thecar. Muehleman still proclaimed his innocence to authorities, but hadapproached a fellow inmate, Ronald Rewis, and began discussing the murder.Rewis agreed to work with the authorities and taped conversations that he hadwith Muehleman. On 06/08/83, Muehleman requested an interview with theauthorities at which time he was informed of the evidence against him and heconfessed. He was booked on first-degree murder on the same day. On 06/10/83 hegave his final statement. Subsequently, Muehleman moved to suppress thesestatements and the physical evidence. The motion was denied, and Muehleman pledguilty.
Trial Summary:
06/28/83 Defendant was indicted as follows:
Count I: First-Degree Murder (Earl Baughman)
07/18/83 Entered a written plea of not guilty
08/16/83 Entered a plea of not guilty
05/01/84 Withdrew plea of not guilty and entered a plea of guilty
06/06/84 Jury recommended a sentence of death by a vote of 10-2
06/08/84 Defendant was sentenced as follows:
Count I: FirstDegree Murder (Earl Baughman) – Death
06/23/03 Jury recommended a sentence of death by a vote of 10-2
10/10/03 Resentenced to death
Appeal Summary:
Florida State Supreme Court – Direct Appeal
FSC# 65,546
503 So. 2d 310
07/09/84 Appeal filed
01/08/87 FSC affirmed conviction and death sentence
03/27/87 Rehearing denied
05/21/87 Mandate issued
United States Supreme Court – Petition for Writ ofCertiorari
USSC# 86,706
484 U.S. 882
05/21/87 Petition filed
10/05/87 USSC denied petition
State Circuit Court – 3.850 Motion
CC# 83-4924
05/31/89 Motion filed
01/28/92 Motion denied
Florida Supreme Court – Petition for Habeas Corpus
FSC# 74,270
623 So. 2d 480
06/06/89 Petition filed
08/05/93 FSC remanded to the Circuit Court for amended 3.850 Motion
Florida Supreme Court – 3.850 Appeal
FSC# 79,816
623 So. 2d 480
05/08/92 Appeal filed.
08/05/93 FSC remanded to the Circuit Court for amended 3.850 Motion.
State Circuit Court – 3.850 motion (Remanded fromFlorida Supreme Court)
CC# 83-4924
08/05/93 Remanded from FSC.
02/22/01 Order allowing Muehleman to file an Amended 3.850 motion 60 days from this datebased solely on newly discovered facts or information derived from releasedrecords.
05/02/01 Order returning jurisdiction to the Florida Supreme Court.
Florida Supreme Court – 3.850 Appeal
FSC# 79,816
623 So. 2d 480
05/02/01 Order returning jurisdiction to FSC.
09/17/02 FSC reversed trial court’s denial of 3.850 motion and remanded case back totrial court for a new penalty phase.
Florida Supreme Court – Petition for Habeas Corpus
FSC# 74,270
623 So. 2d 480
05/02/01 Order returning jurisdiction to FSC.
09/17/02 FSC dismissed as moot.
Florida Supreme Court – Appeal for Resentencing
FSC# 05-353
03/02/05 Appeal filed.
02/19/09 Sentence affirmed.
03/12/09 Mandate issued.
Death Warrants:
05/01/89 Death Warrant Signed by Governor Bob Martinez
06/30/89 Sixth Judicial Circuit Court, Pinellas County, granted a Stay of Execution
Clemency Hearing:
02/10/88 Clemency hearing denied
Factors Contributing to the Delay in the Imposition of the Sentence:
The main delay in this case is the 3.850 appeal which hasbeen pending in the Florida Supreme Court since 1992. This delay is due toproblems with public records issues. In addition to this delay, the Petitionfor Writ of Habeas Corpus was pending for four years in the Florida SupremeCourt before it was remanded back to the trial court as well.
Case Information:
Muehleman filed his direct appeal on 07/09/84 to the FloridaSupreme Court. The main issues of this appeal were that Muehleman’s Fourth,Fifth, and Sixth amendment rights had been violated. The Court found noviolations of Muehleman’s rights and affirmed his conviction and sentence on01/08/87.
Muehleman then filed a Petition for Writ of Certiorari tothe United States Supreme Court on 05/21/87. The petition was denied on10/05/87.
Governor Bob Martinez signed a death warrant for Muehlemanon 05/01/89. During this time, Muehleman filed a 3.850 motion with the circuitcourt. The circuit court granted a stay of execution on 06/30/89 but denied the3.850 Motion on 01/28/92. Muehleman had previously filed a Petition for Writ ofHabeas Corpus on 06/06/89. Muehleman then filed a 3.850 appeal to the FloridaSupreme Court. These two cases were both remanded to the circuit court due tothe fact that the trial court denied Muehleman’s 3.850 Motion whilesimultaneously granting his public records request. Therefore, the Courtrelinquished jurisdiction of the case to the trial court and granted him thirtydays from the date that he received the requested records to file an amended3.850 motion. On 04/18/01, Muehleman filed a motion pro se to relinquishjurisdiction to the Court. An order was issued on 05/02/01 returningjurisdiction to the Court.
On 09/17/02, the Florida Supreme Court remanded the case tothe Circuit Court for a new penalty-phase.
On 03/02/05, Muehleman filed an appeal for resentencing tothe Florida Supreme Court. On 02/19/09, the Florida Supreme Court affirmed thesentence of death. On 03/12/09, the Florida Supreme Court issued amandate in accordance with the opinion rendered on 02/19/09.
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Report Date: 10/07/01 NMP
Approved: 10/15/01 WS
Updated: 03/13/09 AEH