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.
EVANS, Paul H. (W/M)
DC# 572349
DOB: 01/30/72
Nineteenth Judicial Circuit, Indian River County Case #97-754
Sentencing Judge: The Honorable Robert A. Hawley
Attorney, Trial: Mark Harllee – Assistant Public Defender
Attorney, Direct Appeal: Gary Caldwell – Assistant PublicDefender
Attorney, Collateral Appeals: Suzanne Keffer &Christina Spudeas – CCRC-S
Date of Offense: 03/23/91
Date of Sentence: 06/16/99
Circumstances of Offense:
The murder of Alan Pfeiffer was the result of amurder-for-hire conspiracy involving Connie Pfeiffer (Alan Pfeiffer’s wife),Paul Evans, Sarah Thomas (Evans’ girlfriend), and Donna Waddell (Evans’roommate).
A few weeks prior to the murder, Connie Pfeiffer approachedseveral individuals regarding the killing of her husband, but each individualrefused. Connie Pfeiffer’s co-worker, Donna Waddell, suggested that herroommate, Paul Evans, might be willing to commit the murder. On themorning of 03/23/91, Evans, Pfeiffer, and Waddell arranged the Pfeiffer’strailer to look as if a robbery had taken place, stacking electronic equipmentnear the back door of the trailer.
After the trailer was arranged, Waddell and Evans went toWaddell’s house to steal her father’s gun. Evans, Thomas, and Waddellwent to the fair that evening, but later left to go to the trailer. Thomas and Waddell dropped Evans off at the trailer, where he was to wait forAlan Pfeiffer to arrive and then shoot him. Evans arranged for Thomas andWaddell to pick him up at the trailer one to two hours after they dropped himoff.
On 03/23/91, Alan Pfeiffer left work at 7:30 p.m. for thethirty-minute drive to the trailer. Neighbors testified that gunshotswere heard coming from the Pfeiffer’s trailer between 8:00 and 8:30 p.m. After picking up Evans at the trailer, Evans, Thomas, and Waddell went back tothe fair, where they met up with Connie Pfeiffer. Early the next morning,police found Alan Pfeiffer’s body on the living room floor with three gunshotwounds – two in the head and one in the spine.
After an investigation in which no arrests were made, thecase grew cold and was eventually closed. In 1997, six years after themurder, the case was reopened and the investigation focused on Evans, ConniePfeiffer, Waddell, and Thomas. Thomas first agreed to cooperate withpolice and wore a wire to get incriminating statements from Waddell. Waddell was arrested, and when presented with the tape-recorded statements, shealso agreed to cooperate with the police. As a result of the statementsof Thomas and Waddell, Evans and Connie Pfeiffer were implicated in the murderand arrested.
Codefendant Information:
Connie Pfeiffer was convicted of First-Degree Murder andsentenced to life imprisonment. Donna Waddell pled guilty toSecond-Degree Murder and was sentenced to ten years imprisonment. SarahThomas, who was 16 years old at the time of the murder, testified at the trialbut was never charged with a crime.
Prior Incarceration History in the State of Florida:
At the time of the murder, Evans was on probation for aBurglary charge. Additionally, he had several property crime convictions andsentences of probation. The following is Evans’ Community Supervision Historywith both the Florida Department of Corrections and with correctional agenciesof other states.
| Offense Date | Offense | Sentence Date | County | Case No. | Community Supervision Length |
| 04/05/1990 | SHOPLIFTING | 10/17/1990 | INDIAN RIVER | 9000359 | 0Y 6M 0D |
| 04/05/1990 | BURG/N/ASSLT/OCC.STRUCT. | 10/17/1990 | INDIAN RIVER | 9000359 | 2Y 0M 0D |
| 11/10/1994 | BURG/DWELL/OCCUP.CONVEY | 10/19/1995 | INTERSTATE | 9400048 | 3Y 2M 30D |
| 11/11/1994 | GRAND THEFT,300 L/5,000 | 05/17/1995 | INTERSTATE | 9517845 | 2Y 0M 1D |
Trial Summary:
08/06/97 Indicted on one count of First-Degree Murder
02/11/99 Jury returned a guilty verdict
02/12/99 Jury recommended a death sentence by a vote of 9-3
06/16/99 Sentenced to death
Appeal Summary:
Florida Supreme Court – Direct Appeal
FSC# SC96404
808 So. 2d 92
08/30/99 Appeal filed
12/13/01 FSC affirmed conviction and sentence
02/12/02 Rehearing denied and Mandate issued
U.S. Supreme Court – Petition for Writ of Certiorari
USSC# 02-5345
537 U.S. 951
07/19/02 Petition filed
10/15/02 USSC denied Petition
Circuit Court – 3.851 Motion
CC# 97-754
10/03/03 Motion filed
06/06/05 CC denied motion
Florida Supreme Court – 3.851 Motion Appeal
FSC# 05-1617
995 So. 2d 933
09/06/05 Appeal filed
08/28/08 Appeal denied
Florida Supreme Court – Petition for Writ of HabeasCorpus
FSC# 07-494
995 So. 2d 933
03/14/07 Petition filed
08/28/08 Appeal denied
United States District Court, Southern District –Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus
USDC# 08-14402
12/01/08 Petition filed
Case Information:
Evans filed a Direct Appeal with the Florida Supreme Courton 08/30/99, citing fourteen errors, many of which revolved around issues ofwitness testimony and the delay between the crime and the indictment. TheFSC affirmed the conviction and sentence on 12/13/01.
Evans filed a Petition for Writ of Certiorari with the U.S.Supreme Court on 07/19/02 that was denied on 10/15/02.
Evans filed a 3.851 Motion with the Circuit Court on10/03/03 that was denied on 06/06/05.
Evans filed a 3.851 Motion Appeal with the Florida SupremeCourt on 09/06/05 that was denied on 08/28/08.
Evans filed a Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus with theFlorida Supreme Court on 03/14/07 that was denied on 08/28/08.
Evans filed a Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus in theUnited States District Court on 12/01/08 that is pending.
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Report Date: 05/15/03 JFL
Approved: 06/10/03 WS
Updated: 04/20/09 KLH