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ABDOOL, Dane Patrick (White/Male)
DC# 130335
DOB: 12/17/1986
Ninth Judicial Circuit, Orange County Case #48-2006-CF-002848-O
Sentencing Judge: The Honorable Lisa T. Munyon
Attorney, Trial: Kelly Bryan Sims – Public Defender’s Office
Attorney, Direct Appeal: James R. Wulchak– Public Defender’s Office
Attorney, Collateral Appeals: Maria Deliberato, Marie-Louise Samuels Parmer– CCRC-M
Date of Offense: 02/25/2006
Date of Sentence: 05/12/2008
Circumstances of Offense:
On the night of 02/24/06, Amelia Sookdeowas at the home of her friend Natasha Jagllal. Sookdeo informed Jagllal shewould be meeting Dane Patrick Abdool for drinks laterthat night. Around 10:00 p.m., Jagllal’s mother droveSookdeo home. Sookdeo’smother confirmed that Sookdeo arrived home at 10:00p.m. Later that night, Sookdeo called Abdool to ask him if he could buy her some alcohol. After11:00 pm, Abdool parked in front of Sookdeo’s house and waited for her to come out. The twothen went to Abdool’s house to drink the alcohol.There, Abdool reported that Sookdeohad only a few sips and “started acting stupid”. The two then had sex but Sookdeo was still “acting stupid,” so Abdooltold her to put her clothes on so they could leave. Once in the car, Sookdeo began to yell at Abdoolto take her home. When he began to turn the car around, she changed her mindand told him to drop her on the side of the road so she could walk home. When Abdool asked where she wanted to be dropped, she just toldhim to drive. She said that she was upset with the way she was being treatedand the purely sexual nature of their relationship. Sookdeoagain asked Abdool to pull over so she could walk. Abdool complied.
Abdool stated that, at this point,he was “really pissed off” with Sookdeo. After he gother out of the car, he pulled out duct tape and wrapped it around her. He thenretrieved a can of gasoline from the car. Abdool hadpurchased the duct tape, gasoline and can earlier in the evening, which heintended to use to scare Sookdeo. When askedlater by detectives why he had purchased these items, he said he wanted her toknow what it feels like right before you die so she would stop acting stupid. When Sookdeo saw the can of gasoline, she askedif Abdool was going to kill her. At this point, hedoused her with the gasoline and the two began to struggle and Sookdeo fell to the ground. She then got up andstarted towards Abdool, who lit the lighter, whichcaught her on fire. Sookdeo began to flailaround and yell. Abdool stated that she then rantowards the car and hit the front fender. When Abdoolstarted to feel a burning sensation, he panicked and fled the scene in his car.On the way home, he took his car through a car wash.
Around 4:15 a.m. on 2/25/06, a police officer spotted asmall fire burning on the side of State Road 545. As the officer got closer,she realized that it was a human body on fire. The body was so badly burnedthat the officer could not determine the sex or race of the victim. DNA testinglater revealed that it was the body of Amelia Sookdeo.The medical examiner determined that Sookdeo had diedas a result of the fire, which was propelled by an accelerant. Additionally,soot was found in her lungs indicated that she was still alive and able tobreath as she was burning. A senior crime lab analyst reported that gasolinewas found in all of Sookdeo’s clothing and that shewould have to have been within inches if not in direct contact with the flamefor ignition to occur. Two trails of ignitable liquid were found, one leadingfrom Sookdeo’s torso to an area of dirt and rocks, andone leading from her body to the gas can. Additionally, tire tracks matchingthe tires on Abdool’s Volkswagen Jetta,as well as a pair of his gloves, were found at the scene thus linking Abdool with the murder. A search warrant was obtained for Abdool’s Jetta. Abdool confessed to the murder of Amelia Sookdeo during subsequent interviews.
Trial Summary:
03/21/06 Indicted as follows:
Count I: First-degree murder
02/19/08 Jury returned a guilty verdict
02/25/08 Jury recommended death by a vote of 10-2
05/14/08 Sentenced as follows:
Count I: First-degree murder – Death
Appeal Summary:
Florida Supreme Court – Direct Appeal
FSC# 08-944
05/21/08 Appeal filed
10/07/10 Appeal denied
10/22/10 Motionfor rehearing
01/25/11 Motiondenied
02/10/11 Mandateissued
Case Information:
On 05/21/08, Abdool filed a directappeal with the Florida Supreme Court in which he raised the following claims:(1) the evidence did not prove premeditation; (2) the trial court allowedDetective Bobby Gammill’s opinion on the nature of Sookdeo’s death; (3) the victim’s father provided norelevant information; (4) the trial court ordered the defense counsel to turnover data used by its mental health expert prior to the penalty phase; (5) theprosecutor elicited improper, inflammatory and irrelevant evidence during thepenalty phase; (6) the victim-impact evidence was irrelevant and prejudicial;(7) the court failed to consider weighty mitigating factors; (8) the deathsentence is not proportionate; (9) Ring v. Arizona; (10) the evidencemay not be sufficient to support conviction. The Florida Supreme Court affirmedthe sentence and conviction on 10/07/10.
On 10/22/10, Abdool filed a Motionfor rehearing that was denied on 01/25/11. A mandate was issued on 02/10/11.
Institutional Adjustment:
________________________________________________________________________
Report Date: 11/03/10 JJK
Approved: 11/03/10 RM
Updated: 02/16/11 JJK