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.
DOUGLAS, Luther (B/M)
DC# 125172
DOB: 07/04/74
Fourth Judicial Circuit, Duval County Case # 00-1549
Sentencing Judge: The Honorable Henry E. Davis
Attorney, Trial: Refik W. Eler – Private (Court-Appointed)
Attorney, Direct Appeal: Nada Carey – Assistant PublicDefender
Attorney, Collateral Appeals: Frank Tassone – Registry
Date of Offense: 12/26/99
Date of Sentence: 06/14/02
Circumstances of Offense:
On the evening of 12/25/99, Mary Ann Hobgoodleft her parents’ house with her friend, Misty Jones, in a car driven by Jones’boyfriend, Luther Douglas. Douglas was driving a red Ford Escort, whichbelonged to the mother of one of Douglas’ children, JimelaDozier. The three then stopped at a liquor store and bought a bottle ofrum and soda, which Douglas and Hobgood drank. They then went to several area bars and, when Douglas dropped Jones off at homearound midnight, he left with Hobgood in thecar.
Douglas called Jones in the early hours of 12/26/99, firsttelling her that he had dropped Hobgood off at a barand then stating that he had taken Hobgoodhome. When Jones saw Douglas later in the morning, she noticed scratchmarks on Douglas’ neck that had not been there the previous evening. InDouglas’ presence, Jones called Hobgood’s home andwas informed that she had not returned home. When Hobgood’ssister called Jones later in the day, Jones lied andtold her that they [Jones and Hobgood] had been outwith Jones’ ex-boyfriend, Timothy Hightower, the previous evening. Joneslater stated that she lied to Hobgood’s sisterbecause Douglas was listening to the conversation. Jones then confrontedDouglas regarding Hobgood’s whereabouts, while thetwo were driving in the red Ford Escort. During the drive, Jones noticedthat the car was clean, inside and out, whereas it had been dirty and clutteredwith trash on the previous evening. Douglas admitted beating Hobgood and throwing her out of the car. Douglas alsotold Jones that if she was questioned about the crime, she should implicateHightower, or else she would end up like Hobgood.
When police questioned Jones about Hobgood’swhereabouts, she told them the same story that she had told Hobgood’ssister – she and Hobgood had gone out withHightower. Jones recanted that statement when police again questioned herin January of 2000.
On the afternoon of 12/26/99, Hobgood’sbody was found along a set of railroad tracks. She was found on her backin a shrub line, with her legs stretched out in front of her. Hobgood’s body was nude from the waist down, and her knittop and black bra were torn and pushed up to her shoulders. Near thebody, police found a lug wrench, a rubber car part (later determined to be fromthe red Ford Escort), and a blood-soaked maroon jacket, that was laterdetermined to have belonged to Douglas. Forensic investigation determinedthat Hobgood died as the result of blunt head trauma,with ten blows to the face, seven blows to the back of the head, and seven toten blows to her hands and arms. Additionally, her jaw and nose werebroken, several of her teeth had been knocked out and her right shoulder wasdislocated. An autopsy showed that additional, extensive injury wasreceived post-mortem, most likely the result of being run over by a car. A rape kit indicated the presence of semen, later determined to be Douglas’, inthe vagina of Hobgood. Forensic testing in thered Ford Escort yielded traces of blood in, on, and under the car that matched Hobgood’s blood.
When questioned by police, Douglas initially claimed thatthe blood found in the car belonged to a friend, Eric Ransom, but police laterdetermined that Ransom was incarcerated at the time of the murder. Policethen arrested Douglas for the rape and murder of Hobgood. While in jail awaiting trial, Douglas implicated himself in the crimes to afellow inmate.
Trial Summary:
03/02/00 Indicted as follows:
Count I: First-Degree Murder
Count II: SexualBattery
Count III: Kidnapping
03/15/02 Jury returned guilty verdicts for Counts I and II of the indictment
State nolle prossed CountIII of the indictment
04/05/02 Jury recommended death by a vote of 11-1
06/14/00 Sentenced as follows:
Count I: First-Degree Murder – Death
Count II: SexualBattery – Life Imprisonment
Appeal Summary:
Florida Supreme Court – Direct Appeal
FSC# 02-1666
878 So.2d 1246
07/25/02 Appeal filed
05/06/04 FSC affirmed convictions and sentences
06/15/04 Rehearing denied
07/15/04 Mandate issued
U.S. Supreme Court – Petition for Writ of Certiorari
USSC# 04-6881
543 U.S. 1061
10/13/04 Petition filed
01/10/05 USSC denied Petition
Circuit Court – 3.851 Motion
CC# 00-1549
05/17/05 Motion filed
12/28/05 Amended motion filed
11/23/09 Motion denied
Florida SupremeCourt – 3.851 Motion Appeal
FSC# 10-318
(Pending)
02/22/10 Appealfiled
Florida Supreme Court– Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus
FSC# 10-1725
09/03/10 Petition filed
Factors Contributing to the Delay in Imposition ofSentence:
The case progression appears to be within acceptable timeparameters.
Case Information:
Douglas filed a Direct Appeal with the Florida Supreme Courton 07/25/02, citing the following errors: allowing crime scene and autopsyphotographs into evidence; failing to find mitigating circumstances; findingthe aggravating circumstance of heinous, atrocious, or cruel murder;disproportionate death sentence; and Florida’s unconstitutional death penaltystatute. On 05/06/04, the FSC affirmed the convictions andsentences.
Douglas filed a Petition for Writ of Certiorari with theU.S. Supreme Court on 10/13/04 that was denied on 01/10/05.
Douglas filed a 3.851 Motion with the Circuit Court on 05/17/05that was denied on 11/23/09.
Douglas filed a 3.851 Motion Appeal with the Florida SupremeCourt on 02/22/10, which is pending.
Douglas filed a Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus with theFlorida Supreme Court on 09/03/10, which is pending.
Institutional Adjustment:
THE FOLLOWING ENTRIESREFLECT DISCIPLINARY ACTIONS AGAINST THE INMATE FOR VIOLATION OF THE RULE CITEDAND INDICATE THE GAIN TIME DAYS LOST.
DATE DAYS VIOLATION LOCATION
06/22/05 60 DISOBEYINGORDER UNIONC.I.
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Report Date: 07/23/04 JFL
Updated: 10/26/10 JJK