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. 

WILLIAMSON, Dana (W/M)

DC #    048606

DOB:  09/18/59                    

Seventeenth Judicial Circuit, Broward County, Case#90-9560CF10B & 92-15642CFA

Sentencing Judge: The Honorable Richard D. Eade

Attorneys, Trial: Charles Johnson & Steve Hammer –Special Public Defenders

Attorneys, Direct Appeal: Scott A. Mager, Robert E. Hodapp& Carl Schoeppl – Private

Attorney, Collateral Appeals: Kevin Kulik – Registry

Date of Offense: 11/04/88

Date of Sentence: 07/15/94

Circumstances of Offense:

Dana Williamson was convicted and sentenced to death for the11/04/88 murder of Donna Becker.

On the evening of 11/04/88, Robert Decker went out for dinnerwith his father Clyde and his two-year-old son Carl.  They arrived home afew minutes before 9:00 p.m. and found Charles Panoyan, a long-timeacquaintance and co-worker, waiting for them in their driveway.  Panoyanaccompanied the family inside to watch Dallas on television.  Shortlyafter 9:00 p.m., Panoyan went to his truck to retrieve some venison that he hadbrought as a gift for the Deckers.  Moments after Panoyan returned, amasked gunman (later identified as Dana Williamson) entered the house and put agun to Clyde’s head.  Williamson ordered Clyde and Robert to lie on thefloor and demanded their wallets.  Robert told Williamson that he did nothave his wallet. It was locked away in the safe. Meanwhile, Robert askedPanoyan if he knew the identity of the gunman, but Panoyan said nothing.

Williamson then restrained all three men with handcuffs andordered Robert to show him where the safe was located in the masterbedroom.  After inspecting the safe and deciding that it may be connectedto an alarm system, Williamson instructed Robert and his son Carl, who hadfollowed his father into the bedroom, to lie on the floor. He then tiedRobert’s feet together to prevent him from escaping.  Robert managed tofree himself and peered into the living room where Williamson was whisperingsomething to Panoyan.  Williamson noticed Robert in the doorway andreturned to the bedroom to again restrain him.

Williamson then began rummaging through the house in anapparent search for valuables.  Meanwhile, Robert freed himselfagain.  Upon noticing, Williamson hog-tied Robert and demanded to knowwhere he kept the drugs and money.  Even though there was an estimated$2,000 in cash in the house, Robert responded that he had none.  After theordeal, police reports indicated that the cash was gone, along with severalothers items of value. 

While Williamson continued to search the house, Donna Beckerarrived home.  As she walked to the bedroom, Williamson grabbed her andpulled her into the hallway.  Williamson stabbed Donna severaltimes.  After being stabbed, Donna managed to call 911 from a closet inthe house.  She alerted police to the robbery and expressed concern forher husband’s and son’s safety.

Williamson continued to search the home and then returned tothe bedroom with a piece of paper asking Robert for a copy of hissignature.  Robert noticed that his wife Donna had already signed thepaper.  Williamson then shot Robert, his father Clyde and his son Carl allin the head.  The men and the boy survived; however, Donna Decker wasfound dead in the closet when police arrived at the scene.

Months later, Charles Panoyan identified Dana Williamson asthe perpetrator of the robbery and murder.  According to his testimony,Panoyan knew Williamson through Williamson’s father, Charlie, who was a goodfriend of Panoyan’s.  Panoyan testified that Williamson approached him onseveral occasions and inquired whether Robert Decker dealt drugs.  Panoyanadamantly insisted that Robert Decker was not involved in drugs.  Williamsonagain asked about Robert Decker’s drug involvement the night before themurder. 

Panoyan testified that, on the night of the murder, as hewent to his truck to retrieve the venison for the Decker’s, he was held at gunpointby Dana Williamson and his brother, Rodney Williamson. They told him they weregoing to rob the Decker’s.  The Williamson brothers allegedly threatenedto kill Panoyan and his family if he said anything to Robert or Clyde Deckerwhen he went back inside the house.  Panoyan informed police that herecognized the gun that Dana Williamson was carrying as his own and thatWilliamson must have stolen it from his truck.  Panoyan testified thatduring the robbery and murder, Williamson told him to go outside, where he washeld at gunpoint by Rodney Williamson.  Rodney Williamson instructed himto get in his truck and drive a short distance down the road.  Panoyanclaimed that Rodney Williamson repeatedly threatened his life and the lives ofhis family members. While the two men were stopped in the truck, DanaWilliamson approached the truck without his mask. Williamson ordered Panoyan toleave and not to tell the authorities anything about what had happened thatnight.  He then reiterated his original threats against Panoyan and hisfamily. 

Panoyan claimed that, after he was released by theWilliamson brothers, he went to a nearby shopping mall and asked a securityguard for some money to call his wife.  The security guard called a policeofficer, who escorted Panoyan to the Decker household and then to the policestation where he was questioned concerning the crimes.  It was during thisinterrogation that Panoyan acknowledged the crime that was committed at theDecker’s household but that he was unaware of the assailant’s identity. At trial, Panoyan acknowledged that he did not come forward with theWilliamsons’ identity right away because of the threats they had made againsthim, and Dana Williamson’s reputation of having previously killed a child.

Dana Williamson and Charles Panoyan were both indicted forthe crimes 08/13/92; however, due to his testimony against Williamson, thecharges against Panoyan were dismissed and he was released.

Prior Incarceration History in the State of Florida:

NOTE:           In 1975, Williamson was convicted of manslaughter for killing a child.

Codefendant Information:

Rodney Williamson

Rodney Williamson was convicted of First-Degree Murder andmultiple counts of Armed Burglary, Armed Robbery, Kidnapping and Extortion. Williamson was sentenced to 30 years for extortion and to life imprisonment onall other convictions.

Trial Summary:

08/13/92         The defendant was indicted on the following charges:

                                   Count I:          First-Degree Murder

                                   Count II:         AttemptedFirst-Degree Murder

                                   Count III:        Attempted First-DegreeMurder

                                   Count IV:        Attempted First-DegreeMurder

                                   Count V:         Armed Burglary(Dwelling)

                                   Count VI:        Armed Burglary (Conveyance)- charges dropped

                                   Count VII:      Armed Burglary (Conveyance) - chargesdropped

                                   Count VIII:     Armed Robbery

                                   Count IX:        Armed Robbery

                                   Count X:         Armed Robbery

                                   Count XI:        Armed Robbery

                                   Count XII:      Armed Kidnapping

                                   Count XIII:     Armed Kidnapping

                                   Count XIV:     Armed Kidnapping

                                   Count XV:      Armed Kidnapping

                                   Count XVI:     Armed Kidnapping

                                   Count XVII:   Extortion

02/19/94         The jury found the defendant guilty as charged. 

06/03/94         Upon advisory sentencing, the jury, by an 11 to 1 majority, voted for the deathpenalty.

07/15/94         The defendant was sentenced as follows:

                                   Count I:          First-Degree Murder - Death

                                   Count II:         AttemptedFirst-Degree Murder - Life

                                   Count III:        Attempted First-DegreeMurder - Life

                                   Count IV:        Attempted First-DegreeMurder - Life

                                   Count V:         Armed Burglary(Dwelling) - Life

                                   Count VIII:     Armed Robbery - Life

                                   Count IX:        Armed Robbery - Life

                                   Count X:         Armed Robbery - Life

                                   Count XI:        Armed Robbery - Life

                                   Count XII:      Armed Kidnapping - Life

                                   Count XIII:     Armed Kidnapping - Life

                                   Count XIV:     Armed Kidnapping - Life

                                   Count XV:      Armed Kidnapping - Life

                                   Count XVI:     Armed Kidnapping - Life

                                   Count XVII:   Extortion – 30 years

Appeal Summary:

Florida Supreme Court – Direct Appeal

FSC #84,198

681 So. 2d 688 (Fla. 1996)

08/15/94         Appeal filed

09/19/96         FSC affirmed convictions and sentences

10/21/96         Mandate issued

U.S. Supreme Court – Petition for Writ of Certiorari

USSC #96-8064

520 U.S. 1200

02/28/97         Petition filed

04/28/97         Petition denied

State Circuit Court – 3.850 Motion

CC #90-9560 & 92-15642

03/24/98         Motion filed

09/05/01         Motion amended

02/07/02         Motion amended

07/30/02         Motion amended

02/13/07         Motion denied

Florida Supreme Court – 3.850 Motion Appeal

FSC# 07-564

994 So.2d 1000

03/23/07         Appeal filed

10/08/08         Disposition affirmed in part, remanded to CC for an Evidentiary Hearing on theissue of ineffectiveness of counsel

10/30/08         Mandate issued

Florida Supreme Court – Petition for Habeas Corpus

FSC# 07-1787

994 So.2d 1000

09/21/07         Petition filed

10/08/08         Habeas granted for the conviction and sentence for the Attempted First DegreeMurder charge

10/08/08         Habeas denied for the conviction and sentence of death for the First DegreeMurder charge

10/30/08         Mandate issued

Factors Contributing to the Delay in Imposition of theSentence:

Dana Williamson filed a 3.850 Motion that was pending from03/24/98 – 02/13/07. The delay is due in part to changes in collateralrepresentation and public records requests.  Williamson filed a 3.850 Motionappeal to the Florida Supreme Court.  The FSC affirmed the disposition of thelower court, but remanded for an Evidentiary Hearing on 10/08.  The EvidentiaryHearing has been pending for over one year due to assignment of a new judge.

Case Information:

On 08/18/94, Williamson filed a Direct Appeal in the FloridaSupreme Court.  In that appeal, he argued that the trial court erred byadmitting testimony regarding his 1975 conviction for manslaughter. Williamson next argued that the trial court erred in failing to sever hisextortion charge from the trial and for allowing erroneously admittedevidence.  Williamson also contended that the trial court erred in itsconsideration and application of aggravating and mitigatingcircumstances.  On 09/19/96, the Florida Supreme Court affirmed DanaWilliamson’s convictions and sentence of death.

On 02/28/97, Williamson filed a Petition for Writ ofCertiorari in the United States Supreme Court, which was denied on 04/28/97.

On 03/24/98, Williamson filed a 3.850 Motion in the StateCircuit Court and amended the motion on 09/05/01, 02/07/02, and 07/30/02. On 02/13/07, the State Circuit Court denied the motion.

On 03/23/07, Williamson filed a 3.850 Motion Appeal in theFlorida Supreme Court.  On 10/08/08, the Florida Supreme Court affirmedthe disposition of the lower court but remanded for an Evidentiary Hearing onthe issue of ineffectiveness of counsel.  The mandate was issued on10/30/08.

Williamson filed a Petition for Habeas Corpus in the FloridaSupreme Court on 09/21/07.  On 10/08/08, the Florida Supreme Court grantedHabeas and vacated the conviction and sentence for the Attempted First-DegreeMurder charge.  However, the court denied habeas and affirmed the convictionand sentence of death for the First-Degree Murder charge.  The mandate wasissued 10/30/08.

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Original          12/04/02          EW

Approved       12/05/02          WS

Updated         02/24/10          MJH