MetaFilter posts tagged with Florida and murder

Suddenly Last Summer

cowboy_sally — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 10:59:58 -0800

A gay Republican news story that you probably didn't read about in the paper: In late August, Ralph Gonzalez--Republican strategist, former Georgia GOP executive director, and "political powerhouse"--was murdered (along with his roommate, David Abrami, another Republican political consultant) by Gonzalez' "friend" and former Marine Jason Robert Drake. Characterized as the result of a "lovers' quarrel," it's a bizarre crime story that should've made at least a ripple in the national news, given some other recent incidents. But it never did. While Gonzalez wasn't a politician himself, he had some high-powered (and controversial) clients/associates. Like the spectacularly corrupt Florida Rep. Tom Feeney. Gonzalez was a long-time pal of Ralph Reed, of Christian Coalition/Jack Abramoff fame. He also orchestrated an "Adam and Steve" smear campaign for an Alabama State House election. Yet allegedly it wasn't even a secret Gonzalez was gay. And who was Jason Robert Drake? Ex-military, campaign volunteer for right-wing Virginia Rep. Patrick McHenry (who isn't a stranger to unsavory company himself), and purported rough trade. Sound familiar? [Via. ]

Did Florida's justice system fail miserably?

SentientAI — Fri, 06 Feb 2004 07:40:19 -0800

Joseph P. Smith had a criminal record dating back to 1993, now suspected of kidnapping and murdering eleven year old Carlie Brucia in Sarasota. According to the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, Smith had a history of "second chances." How typical is this, or is this just a case of hindsight being everything?

XQUZYPHYR — Sat, 07 Sep 2002 15:32:57 -0800

This week, two boys in Florida were tried for the bludgeoning-murder of their father. With accusations raised of the actual killing to have been done by another, adult male with alleged sexual ties to the two boys, the boys were found guilty only of a lesser second-degree murder charge, claiming the adult must have done the actual deed... yet the jury was unaware the adult accused and being tried for that very idea was acquitted of all charges the previous week. The issue? Both trials were handled by the same prosecutor who presented completely different theories to each jury... in other words, not settling on a confident belief of who actually performed the killing, the prosecution tried to get both the adult and the pair of boys convicted for it. Isn't that risky? Or, if you like a different flavor of debate, isn't that completely unethical?

gloege — Tue, 04 Jun 2002 05:54:18 -0800

Florida announces close to a thousand children missing... After the Rilya Wilson tragedy, Florida desperately tries to meet and account for all children within the social services child welfare office and comes up with 972 unaccounted for and a lot of ifs, ands, buts, and maybe's...

hijinx — Fri, 26 May 2000 14:42:12 -0800

Teacher shot and killed by student in Florida. Details are still sketchy, but he was a student of the middle school. A truly sad event.