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 on for statistical or legal purposes.

BRADLEY, Donald (W/M)

DC #   066600

DOB: 07/04/60

Fourth Judicial Circuit, Clay County, Case #96-1277

Sentencing Judge: The Honorable Peter Dearing

Trial Attorney: Alan Chipperfield– Assistant Public Defender 

Attorney, Direct Appeal: Nada M. Carey – Assistant PublicDefender

Attorney, Collateral Appeals: Richard Kuritz– Registry

Date of Offenses:       09/01/95

11/07/95

Date of Sentence:       06/25/98

Circumstances of Offense:

Donald Bradley, the defendant, was convicted and sentencedto death for the murder of Jack Jones on 11/07/95.

Linda Jones, wife of the victim, became distressed andinfuriated upon learning her husband was having an affair with Carrie Davis, ateenager she had befriended and brought into their home.  Linda Jones,after many unsuccessful attempts to break up the affair, propositioned DonaldBradley to intimidate Davis and assault her husband. 

At the request of Mrs. Jones, Bradley and three of hisemployees went to Davis’ apartment on 10/31/95 to retrieve a diamond ring thatMr. Jones had given his young lover.  When Davis would not answer thedoor, Bradley ordered his employees to vandalize the girl’s car.

Mrs. Jones then solicited Bradley to assault Mr. Jones andthe two conjured up a plan to make the attack look like a home invasion. Bradley enlisted the help of Brian and Patrick McWhite,two of the employees that had previously helped vandalize Davis’ car. While picking up the brothers on 11/07/95, Bradley instructed Patrick to get alarge “zulu war stick” to use on Mr. Jones during theattack.  According to trial testimony, the brothers agreed to help assaultMr. Jones for $100 each, but that Bradley never mentioned killing him. 

Prior to the arranged burglary, Bradley had many telephoneconversations with Mrs. Jones in which she informed him of the location of Mr.Jones’ gun and that both the front and side doors would be left unlocked. 

On the evening of 11/07/95, when Mr. Jones saw the McWhite brothers enter his home, he ordered them toleave.  When they refused, a physical altercation ensued.  Bradleybegan an unyielding assault on Mr. Jones with the “war stick” and a gun. At one point, the McWhite brothers taped Mr. Joneshands and feet and pulled him into another room.  Mr. Jones pleaded forthe beating to stop, but Bradley continued.  Bradley tried to shoot Mr.Jones in the head, but the gun malfunctioned.  Mr. Jones died from theinjuries he suffered in the beating.

During the episode, Mrs. Jones watched without emotion asher husband was severely beaten.  Bradley taped her hands as well to makethe scene look more believable.  When the men left, she called 911. Patrick McWhite’s fingerprints were lifted from thescene, which led to his arrest, and eventually to the arrest of his brother,Bradley and Mrs. Jones.

Evidence presented at trial indicated that Mrs. Jones triedto solicit two other men to kill her husband prior to contacting Bradley. When Mrs. Jones received the life insurance money from her husband’sdeath, Bradley expected a payoff of $100,000-$200,000.

Codefendant Information:

Linda Jones was convicted of First-Degree Murder andsentenced to life in prison.  She was also convicted of two counts ofSolicitation to Commit Murder and one count of Conspiracy to Commit Murder.Each of the three charges carried a 13-year sentence.

Brian and Patrick McWhite bothpled to Third-Degree Murder and were sentenced to 10 years each.

Trial Summary:

09/14/96         Defendant arrested.

09/26/96         Defendant indicted on:

                                   Count I:           First-Degree Murder

                                   Count II:           Armed Burglary

                                   Count III:         Conspiracy to CommitMurder

05/22/98         The jury found the defendant guilty on all counts.

05/29/98         Upon advisory sentencing, the jury, by a 10 to 2 majority, voted for the deathpenalty.

06/25/98         The defendant was sentenced as followed:

                                   Count I:           First-Degree Murder - Death

                                   Count II:           Armed Burglary– 30 years

                                   Count III:         Conspiracy to CommitMurder – 30 years

Appeal Summary:

Florida Supreme Court – Direct Appeal

FSC #93,373

787 So. 2d 732

07/06/98         Appeal filed.

03/01/01         FSC affirmed the convictions and sentence of death.

06/04/01         Rehearing denied.

07/05/01         Mandate issued.

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

USSC #01-6555

534 U.S. 1048

09/04/01         Petition filed.

11/26/01         Petition denied.

State Circuit Court – 3.850 Motion

CC #96-1277

11/14/02         Motion filed.

09/14/05         Evidentiary Hearing held.

11/14/05         Evidentiary Hearing held.

05/25/06         Evidentiary Hearing held.

06/21/07         Motion denied.

07/05/07         Motion for rehearing.

0713/07          Motion denied.

Florida Supreme Court- 3.850 Appeal

FSC #07-1964

33 So.3d 664

10/19/07         Appeal filed.

01/07/10         FSC affirmed the denial of the 3.850 motion. 

01/28/10          Mandateissued.

02/01/10          Mandatevacated.

04/22/10          Rehearingdenied.

05/14/10          Mandateissued.

Florida Supreme Court – Petition for Writ of HabeasCorpus

FSC #08-1813

33 So.3d 664

09/24/08         Petition filed.

01/07/10         Petition denied. 

United States District Court,Middle District –Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus

USDC# 10-cv-01078

11/24/10          Petition filed.

Factors Contributing to the Delay in the Imposition ofthe Sentence:

Bradley’s Direct Appeal took approximately three years toresolve.

Case Information:

On 07/06/90, Bradley filed a Direct Appeal in the FloridaSupreme Court. In that appeal, he argued that there was insufficient evidenceto support a First-Degree, Premeditated Murder conviction and insufficientevidence for a felony-murder conviction.  Bradley argued that the courterred in allowing testimony regarding the 10/31/95 vandalizationof Davis’ car; as such evidence was irrelevant to any material issue.  Healso contended that Detective Redmond’s out-of-court statement that Bradley hadhis van detailed five times since the murder should have not been admitted asevidence.  The Florida Supreme Court affirmed the convictions and sentenceof death on 03/01/01, and the mandate was issued on 07/05/01.

On 09/04/01, Bradley next filed a Petition for Writ ofCertiorari in the U.S. Supreme Court, which was denied on 11/26/01.

On 11/14/02, Bradley filed a 3.850 Motion in the StateCircuit Court, and on 09/14/05, 11/14/05, and 05/25/06, Evidentiary Hearingswere held.  On 06/21/07, this motion was denied. On 07/05/07, Bradleysubmitted a motion for rehearing, which was denied on 07/13/07.

On 10/19/07, Bradley filed a 3.850 Appeal in the FloridaSupreme Court. On 01/07/10, the Florida Supreme Court affirmed the denial ofthe 3.850 motion.

On 09/24/08, Bradley filed a Petition for Writ of HabeasCorpus in the Florida Supreme Court, which was denied on 01/07/10.

On 11/24/10, Bradley filed a Petition for Writ of HabeasCorpus in the United States District Court, Middle District. That petition ispending.

Institutional Adjustment:

DATE             DAYS                 VIOLATION                         LOCATION     

--------           ----                ----------------------------                 -------------------

06/27/00         60                  DISOBEYINGORDER              UNION C. I.       

09/24/00         0                    DEFACING STATE PROP.         UNION C. I.       

01/31/02         0                    FAILURE TO COMPLY             UNION C. I.       

________________________________________________________________________

01/18/02 – ew

01/22/02 – approved – ws

12/03/10 – updated – jjk