The Commission on Capital Cases updates thisinformation regularly. This information;however, is subject to change and may not reflect the latest status of aninmate’s case and should not be relied upon for statistical or legalpurposes.
STEINHORST, Walter (W/M)
DOB: 08/29/31
Fourteenth JudicialCircuit, Bay County Case # 77-708 & 77-709
Sentencing Judge: The Honorable James Adkins
Attorney, Trial: Clifford Davis – Private
Attorney, Direct Appeal: Clifford Davis – Private
Attorney, Collateral Appeals: Stephen Alexander & Lisa Kiebel – Private
Date of Offense: 01/23/77
Date of Sentence: 08/08/78
Circumstances of Offense:
Walter Steinhorst was a participant in a marijuanaimportation conspiracy. On the night of01/23/77, he was guarding a dirt road that led to a beach landing site, where ashipment of marijuana was to be brought ashore and loaded onto trucks. Harold Sims, Douglas Hood, Sheila McAdams,and Sandra McAdams stumbled upon Steinhorst and a gunfight ensued between Simsand Steinhorst. Sims was killed in thegunfight and the other three were taken and placed in a passenger van.
Steinhorst talked with the leaders of the operation aboutwhat to do with Hood, Sheila McAdams, and Sandra McAdams. Steinhorst, assisted by Charlie Hughes andDavid Goodwin, took the three to a sinkhole in rural Taylor Countyand shot each in the head, execution-style. The bodies were weighed down with concrete blocks and thrown into thesinkhole. The bodies were found severalmonths later.
Codefendant Information:
David Goodwin wasconvicted and sentenced to Life Imprisonment.
Charlie Hughes accepted aplea bargain and was sentenced to 15 years.
Additional Information:
Steinhorst was also chargedin federal court for drug smuggling but was acquitted.
Steinhorst died ofnatural causes on 09/23/99.
Trial Summary:
11/30/77 Indicted as follows – Case # 77-708:
Count I: First-Degree Murder (Douglas Hood)
Count II: First-Degree Murder (Sheila McAdams)
Count III: First-Degree Murder (Sandra McAdams)
Indicted as follows – Case # 77-709:
Count I: First-Degree Murder (Harold Sims)
03/08/78 Cases ordered consolidated for trial
05/04/78 Jury returned guilty verdicts on allcounts of the indictments
Jury recommended death by majority votes
08/08/78 Sentenced as follows – Case # 77-708:
Count I: First-Degree Murder (Douglas Hood) – Death
Count II: First-Degree Murder (Sheila McAdams) – Death
Count III: First-Degree Murder (Sandra McAdams) – Death
Sentenced as follows – Case # 77-709:
Count I: First-Degree Murder (Harold Sims) – Death
Appeal Summary:
FloridaSupreme Court – Direct Appeal
FSC# 55,087
412 So.2d 332
09/15/78 Appeal filed
03/04/82 FSC affirmed convictions and sentences
04/27/82 Rehearing denied
06/02/82 Mandate issued
Florida Supreme Court – Petition for Writ ofHabeas Corpus
FSC# 64,755
477 So.2d 537
01/18/84 Petition filed
09/26/85 FSC denied Petition
11/19/85 Rehearing denied
Circuit Court– 3.850 Motion
CC# 77-708 & 77-709
02/13/86 Motion filed
03/24/86 CC denied Motion
11/20/86 03/24/86 order denying Motion vacatedand Motion denied again
Florida Supreme Court – 3.850 Motion Appeal
FSC# 69,659
498 So.2d 414
11/24/86 Appeal filed
11/26/86 FSC reversed denial and remanded forevidentiary hearing
Circuit Court– 3.850 Motion Evidentiary Hearing
CC# 77-708 & 77-709
09/18/87 Evidentiary hearing held
06/23/88 CC denied Motion
Florida Supreme Court – 3.850 Motion Appeal
FSC# 72,695
574 So.2d 1075
07/12/88 Appeal filed
01/15/91 FSC affirmed the denial of the Motion
03/06/91 Rehearing denied and Mandate issued
Circuit Court– 1.540 Motion for Relief from Judgment
CC# 77-708 & 77-709
10/04/91 Motion filed
04/12/93 CC denied Motion
07/08/93 Rehearing granted and Motion denied
Florida Supreme Court – 1.540 Motion Appeal
FSC# 82,188
636 So.2d 498
08/09/93 Appeal filed
04/21/94 FSC reversed denial and remanded for afactual determination
05/17/94 Mandate issued
Florida Supreme Court – Petition for Writ ofHabeas Corpus
FSC# 82,643
638 So.2d 33
10/29/93 Petition filed
05/26/94 FSC denied Petition
Circuit Court– 1.540 Motion for Relief from Judgment
CC# 77-708 & 77-709
10/13/94 Evidentiary hearing held
06/16/95 CC denied Motion
Florida Supreme Court – 1.540 Motion Appeal
FSC# 86,109
695 So.2d 1245
07/20/95 Appeal filed
06/05/97 FSC affirmed denial
U.S. Supreme Court – Petition for Writ ofCertiorari
USSC# 97-375
533 U.S. 1022
09/02/97 Petition filed
12/08/97 USSC denied Petition
Death Warrant:
11/06/86 Governor Bob Graham signed a deathwarrant
11/26/86 FSC granted a stay of execution
Factors Contributing to the Delay in Imposition ofSentence:
At several stages in theappellate process, the case was remanded due to trial court errors.
Case Information:
Steinhorstfiled a Direct Appeal with the Florida Supreme Court on 09/15/78, citing thefollowing errors: permitting a State witness to testify despite witness' violationof rule of sequestration; limiting cross-examination of a State witness toprevent inquiry into witness' participation in a smuggling operation; admittingevidence that the murders were committed during a kidnapping and wereespecially heinous, atrocious, and cruel; and failing to find the mitigatingevidence that Steinhorst had no significant history of prior criminalactivity. On 03/04/82, the FSC affirmedthe convictions and sentences.
Steinhorstfiled a Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus with the Florida Supreme Court on01/18/84, alleging ineffective assistance of counsel. On 09/26/85, the FSC denied thePetition.
Steinhorstfiled a 3.850 Motion with the Circuit Court on 02/13/86 that was denied on03/24/86 and again on 11/20/86.
Steinhorstfiled a 3.850 Motion Appeal with the Florida Supreme Court on 11/24/86. On 11/26/86, the FSC determined that anevidentiary hearing was required, reversed the denial of the 3.850 Motion andremanded to the Circuit Court.
Anevidentiary hearing was held on 09/18/87, and the 3.850 Motion was again deniedon 06/23/88.
Steinhorstfiled a 3.850 Motion Appeal with the Florida Supreme Court on 07/12/88, citingthe following errors: withholding of exculpatory evidence by the State andfailing to instructthe jury on nonstatutory mitigating factors. On 01/15/91, the FSC affirmed the denial of the 3.850 Motion.
Steinhorstfiled a 1.540 Motion for Relief from Judgment with the Circuit Court on10/04/91 that was denied on 04/12/93.
Steinhorstfiled a 1.540 Motion Appeal with the Florida Supreme Court on 08/09/93, arguingthat the trial court erred in failing to conduct an inquiry as to whether relevant recordsregarding alleged conflict of interest of the judge were available. On 04/21/94, the FSC remanded for anevidentiary hearing on the conflict of interest.
Steinhorst filed aPetition for Writ of Habeas Corpus with the Florida Supreme Court on 10/29/93disproportionate sentencing, compared to codefendants. On 05/26/94, the FSC denied thePetition.
Anevidentiary hearing on the conflict of interest was held on 10/13/94 and the1.540 Motion was again denied on 06/16/95.
Steinhorstfiled a 1.540 Motion Appeal with the Florida Supreme Court on 07/20/95. The FSC found no conflict of interest andaffirmed the denial of the 1.540 Motion on 06/05/97.
Steinhorst filed a Petition for Writ of Certiorari with the U.S. SupremeCourt on 09/02/87 that was denied on 12/08/97.
Steinhorstdied of natural causes on 09/23/99.
Report Date: 03/28/05 JFL