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DOORBAL, Noel (W/M)
DC# M16320
DOB: 12/21/71
Eleventh Judicial Circuit, Dade County Case # 95-17381-B
Sentencing Judge: The Honorable Alex Ferrer
Attorney, Trial: Penny Burke & Anthony Natale – SpecialAssistant Public Defender
Attorney, Direct Appeal: Scott Sakin – Special AssistantPublic Defender
Attorney, Collateral Appeals: Melodee Smith – Registry
Date of Offenses: 11/15/94& 05/25/95
Date of Sentence: 07/17/98
Circumstances of Offense:
Doorbal was convicted and sentenced for the kidnapping,extortion, and attempted murder of Marc Schiller, as well as the kidnapping andmurders of Frank Griga and Krisztina Furton.
Kidnapping, Extortion, and Attempted Murder of MarcSchiller
Marc Schiller was a successful businessman who owned anaccounting firm and hired Jorge Delgado to help with his business. Delgadooften visited Schiller’s house, and the two eventually became goodfriends. Delgado also became friends with Daniel Lugo, who was employedat Sun Gym, where Delgado exercised. Eventually, Lugo began joiningDelgado in trips to Schiller’s house.
In 1994, Schiller questioned Delgado’s business practices,which caused an argument between the two. Schiller and Delgado severed theirbusiness ties, and on the advice of Lugo, Delgado hired John Mese to be anaccountant. Lugo convinced Delgado that Schiller had cheated the two ofthem in billing operations. Delgado testified that Lugo produced documents toback up his claims. When questioned by Delgado, Schiller denied any wrongdoing. It was at this time that Lugo, along with several associates,including Noel Doorbal and two other individuals recruited by Lugo from Sun Gym,made a plan to kidnap Schiller and force him to sign over assets Lugo believedSchiller owed him (Lugo) and Delgado. Although Delgado had originally told Lugohe wanted nothing to do with the plan, he became very involved in theplot. Delgado gave specific information to Lugo about Schiller’s life,work schedule, home, and family life. Lugo, Doorbal, and the others thensecretly observed Schiller.
After a few attempts, the group was successful in kidnappingSchiller on 11/15/94. They took him to a warehouse Delgado had rented.Lugo demanded that Schiller sign over his assets to him. After Schillerrefused, the group began beating him and shocking him with a stun gun. Schillerfinally agreed after Lugo had threatened to harm Schiller’s wife and children.Schiller began unwillingly signing checks and documents, giving Lugo possessionof his property and assets. During this time, Schiller was blindfolded sohe could not see what he was signing. Mese became involved in the crimes byusing his position as a notary public to verify the signing of the checks anddocuments. During Schiller’s captivity, the group entered Schiller’s houseand stole items and charged items with Schiller’s credit cards. Three weeksinto the kidnapping, Doorbal and Delgado convinced Lugo that the group neededto kill Schiller because he could possibly identify some, if not all, of thoseinvolved in the kidnapping and extortion.
In the fourth week of the abduction, a plan was constructedto kill Schiller by staging the murder to appear to be a fatal drunk-drivingaccident. The group forced Schiller to consume a large amount ofalcohol. Lugo took Schiller’s car and ran it into a utility pole to makeit appear as though Schiller was involved in an accident. They tookSchiller to the car and put him in the front seat, then poured gasoline overthe vehicle and set it on fire. The group was leaving the scene in another carwhen they saw Schiller in the road. Lugo and Doorbal then told the driverto run him over, which the driver did. They left the scene, convincedthat Schiller was dead. They found out later that Schiller had actuallysurvived and, at his request, was transported to New York torecuperate. While Schiller was in New York, Lugo and his group emptied hishouse and bank accounts. Schiller was able to identify Lugo in histestimony because he recognized Lugo’s voice during his abduction.
Abduction, Attempted Extortion, and Murders of FrankGriga & Krisztina Furton
Doorbal, through his girlfriend at the time, learned of thewealth of a local businessman, Frank Griga, and his girlfriend, KrisztinaFurton. Doorbal relayed this information to Lugo, and they planned tokidnap and extort the couple.
Lugo and Doorbal planned to visit Griga under the guise ofpresenting a business proposition, and they planned to gain his confidencethrough this encounter; however, Griga was not interested. During theirsecond visit on 05/24/95, Lugo and Doorbal were to carry out the abduction, butLugo aborted the plan.
The next plan was to lure the couple to Doorbal’s apartment,with an invitation to dinner. On 05/25/95, the couple followed Lugo and Doorbalto Doorbal’s apartment. When Delgado visited Doorbal’s apartment thatevening, he was informed that Griga was killed during a fight withDoorbal. Once Furton knew Griga was seriously hurt, she startedscreaming. It was at that time that Lugo restrained her and injected herwith Rompun, a horse tranquilizer, to subdue her. They then focused on Furtonfor information about the code to enter and burglarize Griga’shome. Doorbal had carried Furton to the bottom of the stair casewhere she began to scream again. She was then injected a second time withthe horse tranquilizer. After answering a few questions, Furton decided not tosupply them with any more information. They injected her with a third doseof the tranquilizer. At this point, John Raimondo, a corrections officerwhom Lugo had hired to kill Furton and dispose of both the bodies, arrived. Heneither killed Furton, nor disposed of the bodies.
Lugo went to Griga’s house with what he thought was the codeto get in the house. Once he realized he did not have the correct code, hecalled Doorbal, who informed Lugo that Furton was dead. When Lugo returnedto Doorbal’s apartment, he told Delgado to go home and to return to Doorbal’sapartment the next morning with a truck.
The next morning both bodies were loaded onto the truck andwere taken to a warehouse in Hialeah. After Lugo and Doorbal had purchasedthe necessary equipment, they proceeded to dismember the bodies with a hatchetand chainsaw. They also attempted to burn the heads, hands and feet in a metaldrum. Lugo and Doorbal removed everything from Doorbal’s apartment thathad blood on it, including carpet and computer equipment, and stored the itemsin the storage area of Lugo’s apartment.
On 05/27/95, Lugo made a trip to the Bahamas to gain accessto Griga’s bank account, but was unsuccessful and returned to Miami. On05/28/95, Lugo, Doorbal and another man disposed of the torsos, arms, and legsof the bodies in metal drums that were left at a site in southern DadeCounty. The heads, hands, and feet were disposed of separately in theEverglades.
Lugo escaped to the Bahamas, where he was arrested in June1995 based on information supplied to police by his girlfriend at thetime. Doorbal was linked to the crimes by information obtained throughpolice investigation and questioning of associates linked to the disappearanceof Griga and Furton and the kidnapping and extortion of Schiller.
Codefendant Information:
Daniel Lugo - Indicted on 10/02/96 and sentenced on 07/17/98(Case# 95-17381-C):
Count I Conspiracy to Commit Racketeering – 30 years
Count II Racketeering –30 years
Count III First-Degree Murder(Furton) – Death
Count IV First-Degree Murder(Griga) – Death
Count V Kidnapping – Life
Count VI Kidnapping – Life
Count VIII Attempted Extortion – 5 years
Count IX Grand Theft Auto – 5years
Count X AttemptedFirst-Degree Murder – Life
Count XI Armed Kidnapping –Life
Count XII Armed Robbery – 15 years
Count XIII Burglary – 15 years
Count XIV Grand Theft (Second-Degree) – 15 years
Count XV Grand Theft Auto – 5 years
Count XVI Possession of an Identification Plate – 5years
Count XVII Arson – 30 years
Count XVIII Extortion – 30 years
Count XIX Money Laundering (Counts XIX – XXVII) –15
years each
Count XXVIII Forgery (Counts XXVIII, XXXI, XXXIV, XXVII,
XL, XLIII) – 5years each
Count XXX Uttering a Forged Instrument (Counts XXX, XXIII,
XXXVI, IXL, XLII,XLV) – 5 years each
Count XLVI Conspiracy to Commit a First-Degree Felony – 15
years
John Mese - Mese was indicted on 10/02/96 (Case# 95-17381-F)for the kidnapping, extortion, and murders of Griga and Furton and thekidnapping and extortion of Marc Schiller. A jury returned guiltyverdicts on all counts of the indictment; however, the judge set aside theconvictions pertaining to the Griga/Furton crimes. On 07/20/98, Mese wassentenced to 56 years imprisonment for the kidnapping and extortion ofSchiller.
Mese appealed and the State cross-appealed the sentence tothe Florida District Court of Appeal, Third District. On 06/19/02, theDCA ruled that the trial judge improperly set aside the two RICO convictionsand ordered a new sentencing hearing to be conducted on those counts.
On 01/15/03, Mese was sentenced to 30 years imprisonment forone count of Conspiracy to Commit Racketeering.
John Raimondo - Raimondo was indicted on 10/02/96 (Case#95-17381-I) on one count each of Conspiracy to Commit Racketeering,First-Degree Murder (Furton), Kidnapping (Furton), and AttemptedExtortion. The State nolle prossed all but the kidnapping charge, andRaimondo was convicted and sentenced to eight years imprisonment for thecrime.
Jorge Delgado - In return for testifying for the State,Delgado was sentenced to two prison terms of 15 and 5 years for his role in themurders of Griga and Furton and the attempted murder of Schiller.
Trial Summary:
10/02/96 Indicted as follows:
CountI Conspiracyto Commit Racketeering
Count II Racketeering
Count III First-Degree Murder(Furton)
Count IV First-Degree Murder(Griga)
Count V Kidnapping
Count VI Kidnapping
Count VIII Attempted Extortion
Count IX Grand Theft Auto
Count X AttemptedFirst-Degree Murder
Count XI Armed Kidnapping
Count XII Armed Robbery
Count XIII Burglary
Count XIV Grand Theft (Second-Degree)
Count XVII Arson
Count XVIII Extortion
Count XLVI Conspiracy to Commit a First-Degree Felony
05/05/98 Jury returned guilty verdicts on all counts of the indictment
06/11/98 Jury recommended death sentences by two votes of 8-4
07/17/98 Sentenced as follows:
CountI Conspiracyto Commit Racketeering – 30 years
Count II Racketeering –30 years
Count III First-Degree Murder(Furton) – Death
Count IV First-Degree Murder(Griga) – Death
Count V Kidnapping – Life imprisonment
Count VI Kidnapping – Life imprisonment
Count VIII Attempted Extortion – 5 years
Count IX Grand Theft Auto – 5years
Count X AttemptedFirst-Degree Murder – Life
imprisonment
Count XI Armed Kidnapping –Life imprisonment
Count XII Armed Robbery – Life imprisonment
Count XIII Burglary – 15 years
Count XIV Grand Theft (Second-Degree) – 15 years
Count XVII Arson – 30 years
Count XVIII Extortion – 30 years
Count XLVI Conspiracy to Commit a First-Degree Felony – 15
years
Appeal Summary:
Florida Supreme Court – Direct Appeal
FSC# SC93988
837 So.2d 940
02/08/99 Appeal filed
10/10/02 FSC affirmed convictions and sentences
01/30/03 FSC withdrew the 10/10/02 opinion and substituted revised opinion
01/30/03 Rehearing denied and Mandate issued
U.S. Supreme Court – Petition for Writ of Certiorari
USSC# 02-10379
539 U.S. 962
04/30/03 Petition filed
06/27/03 USSC denied Petition
Circuit Court – 3.851 Motion
CC# 95-17381-B
06/15/04 Motion filed
02/24/05 CC denied Motion
Florida Supreme Court – 3.851 Motion Appeal
FSC# 05-383
03/07/05 Appeal filed
02/14/08 Appeal denied
Florida Supreme Court – Petition for Writ of HabeasCorpus
FSC# 06-1490
07/26/06 Petition filed
02/14/08 Petition denied
United States District Court, Southern District –Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus
USDC# 08-21566
06/02/08 Petition filed
09/10/08 Petition denied
United States Court of Appeals, 11th Circuit, −Habeas Appeal
USCA# 08-15869
572 F.3d 1222
02/20/09 Appeal filed
06/29/09 USCA affirmed denial of Habeas Petition
U.S. Supreme Court – Petition for Writ of Certiorari
USSC# 09-6559
09/15/09 Petition filed
11/16/09 Petition denied
Factors Contributing to the Delay in Imposition ofSentence:
The Direct Appeal was pending from 02/08/99 – 01/30/03.
Case Information:
Doorbal filed a Direct Appeal with the Florida Supreme Courton 02/08/99, citing the following errors: lack of probable cause in issuinginitial search warrants, failure to suppress the seized evidence at trial,improper character evidence testimony presented at trial, improper remarks bythe State during closing arguments at the conclusion of the guilt and penaltyphases, refusal to admit letters written by Lugo to Doorbal that purported toshow Lugo’s domination over Doorbal’s actions, and improper finding of aggravatingcircumstances. On 10/10/02, the FSC affirmed the convictions andsentences. On 01/30/03, after denying Doorbal’s Rehearing Motion, the FSCreplaced the opinion of 10/10/02 with a new opinion, dated 01/30/03.
Doorbal filed a Petition for Writ of Certiorari with theU.S. Supreme Court on 04/30/03 that was denied on 06/27/03.
Doorbal filed a 3.851 Motion with the Circuit Court on06/15/04 that was denied on 02/24/05.
Doorbal filed a 3.851 Motion Appeal with the Florida SupremeCourt on 03/07/05 that was denied 2/14/08.
Doorbal filed a Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus with theFlorida Supreme Court on 07/26/06 that was denied 2/14/08.
Doorbal filed a Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus with theUnited States District Court on 06/02/08 that was denied on 09/10/08.
Doorbal filed a Habeas Appeal with the United States Courtof Appeals on 02/20/09, and on 06/29/09, the USCA affirmed the denial of theHabeas Petition.
Doorbal filed a Petition for Writ of Certiorari with theUnited States Supreme Court on 09/15/09 that was denied on 11/16/09.
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
12/01/05 30 MAILVIOLATIONS UNIONC.I.
________________________________________________________________________
Report Date: 09/10/03 JFL
Approved: 10/08/03 WS
Updated: 12/09/09 KKR