The Commission on Capital Cases updates this information regularly.  This information, however, is subject to change and may not reflect the latest status of an inmate’s case and should not be relied upon for statistical or legal purposes. 

 

FOTOPOULOS, Konstantinos X. (W/M)

DC#    616550

DOB: 07/26/59

 

­­­­Seventh Judicial Circuit, Volusia County Case # 89-7632, 90-1995, 90-6668

Venue changed to Putnam County

 

Sentencing Judge: The Honorable S. James Foxman

Attorney, Trial: Carmen F. Corrente – Private

Attorney, Direct Appeal: Douglas N. Duncan & Philip G. Butler, Jr. – Private

Attorney, Collateral Appeals: James L. Driscoll, Jr. – CCRC-M

 

Date of Offense:         10/20/89 & 11/04/89

Date of Sentence:       11/01/90

 

Circumstances of Offense:

 

During the summer of 1989, Konstantinos Fotopoulos began having an extra-marital affair with a bartender, Deidre Hunt, who worked at his bar. 

 

On 10/20/89, Fotopoulos and Hunt lured Kevin Ramsey to an isolated shooting range by telling him he was to be inducted into a club. Fotopoulos intended to kill Ramsey to prevent Ramsey from blackmailing him [Fotopoulos] concerning counterfeiting activities.  Fotopoulos threatened Hunt that he would kill her if she did not kill Ramsey.  Ramsey was tied to a tree, and Hunt shot Ramsey three times in the chest and once in the head with a .22 pistol, while Fotopoulos videotaped the shooting.  Fotopoulos stopped taping and shot Ramsey once in the head with an AK-47 assault rifle. 

 

Fotopoulos then conspired to kill his wife, Lisa Fotopoulos, in order to collect $700,000 in insurance proceeds.  Fotopoulos used the videotape of Hunt killing Ramsey in order to get Hunt’s cooperation in the murder of Lisa Fotopoulos.  Fotopoulos instructed Hunt to hire someone to kill Lisa Fotopoulos.  Hunt attempted to hire a man on two occasions, but the plan never materialized.  A friend of Hunt’s, Lisa Henderson, led Hunt to her boyfriend, Teja James, who was hired to kill Lisa Fotopoulos for $5,000.  After James botched two attempts to kill Lisa Fotopoulos, Bryan Chase was hired to kill Lisa.  After several unsuccessful attempts, Chase went to the Fotopoulos home on 11/04/89 and shot Lisa Fotopoulos once in the head, but the wound was not fatal.  Fotopoulos then shot Chase repeatedly, to make the murder attempt appear to be a failed burglary.  In a search of the Fotopoulos home by police, the Ramsey murder videotape, a .22 pistol, and an

AK-47 assault rifle were found. 

 

 Codefendant Information:

 

Deidre Hunt was indicted for the same crimes as Fotopoulos, but pled guilty to the charges and was sentenced to death for the murders of Ramsey and Chase.  On appeal, however, her convictions were affirmed but her death sentences were vacated.  Before her retrial, Hunt was allowed to withdraw her guilty verdict and proceed to trial.  The jury returned guilty verdicts on all charges.  On 05/07/98, Hunt was sentenced to two terms of life imprisonment. 

 

Teja James testified for the state and, on 07/21/97, was sentenced to 12 years imprisonment for Conspiracy to Commit First-Degree Murder and Attempted First-Degree Murder.  He was released on 09/17/01.

 

Additional Information:

 

In June of 1990, Fotopoulos pled guilty to six federal counterfeiting charges, which were committed from 1987 – 1989. 

  

Trial Summary:

 

12/06/89          Indicted as follows (89-7632):

Count I            First-Degree Murder (Ramsey)

Count II          First-Degree Murder (Chase)

Count III         Conspiracy to Commit First-Degree Murder *

Count V          Solicitation to Commit First-Degree Murder *

03/12/90          Information presented as follows (90-1995):

                                    Count I            Armed Burglary

                                    Count II          Attempted First-Degree Murder (Lisa Fotopoulos)

                                    Count III         Solicitation to Commit First-Degree Murder **

07/17/90          Trial venue changed to Putnam County

10/08/90          Information presented as follows (90-6668):

                                    Count I            Attempted First-Degree Murder (Lisa Fotopoulos)

10/25/90          Jury returned guilty verdicts on all counts

10/29/90          Jury recommended death by two votes of 8-4

11/01/90          Sentenced as follows (89-7632):

                                    Count I            First-Degree Murder – Death

                                    Count II          First-Degree Murder – Death

                                    Count III         Conspiracy to Commit First-Degree Murder –

 Life Imprisonment

                                    Count IV         Nolle prossed by the State

                                    Count V          Solicitation to Commit First-Degree Murder –

 Life Imprisonment

 

 

                        Sentenced as follows (90-1995):

                                    Counts I-III    Attempted First-Degree Murder –

Life Imprisonment

                        Sentenced as follows: (90-6668):

                                    Count I            Attempted First-Degree Murder –

 Life Imprisonment     

 

* - Fotopoulos and Hunt conspired with and solicited Teja James to murder Lisa

Fotopoulos. 

** - Fotopoulos and Hunt solicited Bryan Chase to murder Lisa Fotopoulos. 

 

Appeal Summary:

 

Florida Supreme Court – Direct Appeal

FSC# 77,016

608 So.2d 784

 

12/03/90          Appeal filed

10/15/92          FSC affirmed convictions and sentences

12/24/92          Rehearing denied

01/25/93          Mandate issued

 

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

USSC# 92-8123

508 U.S. 924

 

03/23/93          Petition filed

05/17/93          USSC denied Petition

 

Circuit Court – 3.850 Motion

CC# 89-7632, 90-1995, 90-6668

 

02/28/95          Motion filed

08/09/96          Pro Se Motion filed

09/11/96          Pro Se Motion adopted and motion refiled

09/27/96          Amended Motion filed

05/16/97          Circuit Court denied motion

 

Florida Supreme Court – 3.850 Motion Appeal

FSC# 91,227

741 So.2d 1135

 

08/04/97          Appeal filed

08/25/99          Dismissed without prejudice to allow Huff hearing to be held in the

 Circuit Court

 

Circuit Court – 3.850 Motion (on remand)

CC# 89-7632, 90-1995, 90-6668

 

03/06/00          Huff hearing held

06/15/00          Circuit Court denied Motion

 


Florida Supreme Court – 3.850 Motion Appeal

FSC# 00-1511

838 So.2d 1122                                              

 

07/20/00          Appeal filed

12/19/02          FSC affirmed denial of 3.850 Motion

02/14/03          Rehearing denied

03/17/03          Mandate issued

 

Florida Supreme Court – Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus

FSC# 01-2824

838 So.2d 1122

 

12/21/01          Petition filed

12/19/02          FSC denied Petition

02/14/03          Rehearing denied

03/17/03          Mandate issued

 

U.S. District Court, Middle District – Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus

USDC# 03-1578

 

11/04/03          Petition filed

04/29/04          Petition amended

01/29/07          Petition granted and denied in part and remanded for resentencing

03/13/07          Certificate of Appealability filed

07/23/07          COA denied

 

United States Court of Appeals, 11th Circuit—Habeas Appeal (filed by State)

USCA# 07-11105

516 F.3d 1229

 

03/13/07          Appeal filed

04/22/08          District court judgment reversed

 

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

USSC# 08-5163

129 S. Ct 217

 

07/02/08          Petition filed

10/06/08          Petition denied

 

Factors Contributing to the Delay in Imposition of Sentence:

 

The 3.850 Motion was pending from 02/28/95 – 06/15/00 and the federal Habeas was pending from 11/04/03 – 01/29/07.

 

Case Information:

 

Fotopoulos filed a Direct Appeal with the Florida Supreme Court on 12/03/90, citing sixteen errors, many of which focused on inclusion of certain testimonial evidence and aggravating circumstances used in the penalty phase of trial.  On 10/15/92, the FSC affirmed the convictions and sentences. 

 

Fotopoulos filed a Petition for Writ of Certiorari with the U.S. Supreme Court on 03/23/93 that was denied on 05/17/93.

 

Fotopoulos filed a 3.850 Motion with the Circuit Court on 02/28/95 that was denied, without an evidentiary hearing, on 05/16/97. 

 

Fotopoulos filed a 3.850 Motion Appeal with the Florida Supreme Court on 08/04/97, citing claims of ineffective assistance of counsel and failure to grant an evidentiary hearing for his 3.850 Motion.  On 08/25/99, the FSC dismissed the Appeal without prejudice to allow the Circuit Court to hold a Huff hearing to determine if an evidentiary hearing was necessary.

 

On 03/06/00, a Huff hearing was held in the Circuit Court, and on 06/15/00, the 3.850 Motion was again denied by the Circuit Court.

 

Fotopoulos filed a 3.850 Motion Appeal with the Florida Supreme Court on 07/20/00, citing claims of ineffective assistance of counsel.  On 12/19/02, the FSC affirmed the denial of the 3.850 Motion. 

 

Fotopoulos filed a Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus with the Florida Supreme Court on 12/21/01, citing claims of ineffective assistance of counsel.  On 12/19/02, the FSC denied the Habeas Petition. 

 

Fotopoulos filed a Petition for Writ of Habeas Corpus with the U.S. District Court, Middle District of Florida, on 11/04/03 and amended the Petition on 04/29/04.  On 01/29/07, the USDC granted and denied the petition in part and ordered a resentencing.  The court found that prosecutorial misconduct and ineffective assistance of counsel occurred during sentencing.  On 03/13/07, Fotopoulos filed a COA, which was denied on 07/23/07. 

 

A Habeas Appeal was filed by the State on 03/13/07 in the United States Court of Appeals, 11th Circuit.  The court reversed the judgment of the U.S. District Court on 04/22/08.

 

On 07/02/08, Fotopoulos filed a Petition for Writ of Certiorari in the United States Supreme Court. The petition was denied on 10/06/08.

 

Institutional Adjustment:

 

 

DATE                    DAYS                     VIOLATION                                       LOCATION      

 

03/04/93               0                              POSS OF CONTRABAND                 UNION C. I.        

06/27/94               0                              POSS OF CONTRABAND                 UNION C. I.        

03/21/95               0                              REF. SUB. ABUSE TEST                  UNION C. I.        

11/28/95               0                              REF. SUB. ABUSE TEST                  UNION C. I.        

12/23/95               0                              UNARMED ASSAULT                      UNION C. I.        

12/25/95               0                              POSS OF CONTRABAND                 UNION C. I.        

12/28/95               0                              POSS OF CONTRABAND                 UNION C. I.        

04/03/00               30                           POSS OF CONTRABAND                 FLORIDA STATE PRISON

09/22/00               30                           POSS OF CONTRABAND                 FLORIDA STATE PRISON

03/28/01               180                         POSS OF ESCAPE PARA.                 FLORIDA STATE PRISON

07/19/01               30                           POSS OF CONTRABAND                 FLORIDA STATE PRISON

07/27/01               60                           POSS OF WEAPONS                          FLORIDA STATE PRISON

08/08/03               90                           SPOKEN THREATS                           FLORIDA STATE PRISON

08/23/03               60                           DISRESP.TO OFFICIALS                 FLORIDA STATE PRISON

 

 

Report Date:   09/03/03          JFL

Approved:       09/10/03          WS

Updated:         10/07/08          KLH