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. 

 

WRIGHT, Tavares (B/M)

DC#    H10118

DOB: 02/07/81

 

­­­Tenth Judicial Circuit, Polk County Case # 0002727

Sentencing Judge: The Honorable Dick Prince

Attorney, Trial: Byron Hileman and David Carmichael – Private

Attorney, Direct Appeal: Byron Hileman – Private

Attorney, Collateral Appeals: CCRC-Middle

Date of Offense: 04/21/00

Date of Sentence: 10/12/05

 

Circumstances of Offense:

 

On Friday, April 21, 2000, Tavares Wright and codefendant, Samuel Pitts, murdered David Green and James Felker in a remote orange grove on Barfield Road near Polk City, Florida.  The bodies were discovered on Wednesday, April 26, 2000.

 

David Green and his cousin, James Felker, were approached by Wright in a local parking lot in Lakeland and were abducted and murdered some time after 8:00 p.m. on the night of the 21st.  Several witness testified that Wright informed them that he approached Felkner and Green and asked for a cigarette.  When they refused, Wright pulled out a pistol and forced his way into the back seat of Green’s vehicle.  Wright then drove the victims and their car to an apartment complex to pick up Pitts.

 

Wright and Pitts then drove the victims approximately ten miles to a remote orange grove in Polk City.  When the victims insisted they had nothing to give the assailants, they were shot.  Each victim had been shot three times.  Green’s body was found face-up, with bullet wounds in his chest and head.  In his outstretched hand, was a wallet that contained Green’s license.  Felker’s body was face-down, with three bullet wounds to his head.  Green’s cause of death was determined to be gunshot wounds to the head.  Felker’s cause of death was determined to be gunshot wounds to the head, one by a .380-caliber projective to the forehead and two by a shotgun blast to the back of the head.

 

Wright and Pitts took a black bag with computer tools, a Polaroid camera and a Nextel cell phone from the stolen vehicle.  The bag with the computer tools and the Polaroid camera were pawned, while Wright gave the cell phone to a teenage acquaintance.

 

Codefendant Information:

 

Samuel Lee Pitts

 

Samuel Lee Pitts was tried separately for the murders of Green and Felker.  Pitts was convicted of two counts of first-degree murder and other offenses related to this incident.  He received sentences of life imprisonment for the murders.

 

Additional Information:

 

A Jury Trial was held before the Honorable Dick Prince, Circuit Court Judge, on 03/03/03 which resulted in a mistrial on 03/27/03.  A second trial was held before the same judge on 09/09/03 until 10/10/03, which resulted in a mistrial due to a hung jury on 10/12/03.  The third trial was held before the same judge from 10/18/03 until 11/12/04. 

 

Wright’s mother abused alcohol and cocaine while pregnant.  Wright was born with an abnormally small head and suffered two head injuries as a child.  Wright has an IQ of 77, which is considered borderline mental retardation.  He has damage to his frontal lobes.

 

Current Incarceration History in the State of Florida:

 

 

Offense

Date

Offense

Sentence

Date

County

Case No.

Prison Sentence Length

04/21/2000

2nd Deg. Murd. Dangerous Act (Attempted)

03/22/2002

Polk

0002653

30Y 0M 0D

04/21/2000

At. Flny. Murd/NOT 782.04(3)

03/22/2002

Polk

0002653

Sentenced to Life

04/21/2000

At. Flny Murd/NOT 782.04(3)

03/22/2002

Polk

0002653

Sentenced to Life

09/29/2001

Agg Battery Intended Harm

05/17/2002

Polk

0106529

15Y 0M 0D

06/28/2001

Battery by Detainee

11/15/2002

Polk

0106850

30Y 0M 0D

01/28/2003

Batt. Leo/Firfgt/Ems/Etc.

07/30/2004

Polk

0301449

10Y 0M 0D

04/21/2000

1st Dg Mur/Premed. or Att.

10/12/2005

Polk

0002727

Death Sentence

04/21/2000

1st Dg Mur/Premed. Or Att.

10/12/2005

Polk

0002727

Death Sentence

04/21/2000

Carjack W/Fa, Deadly Weapon

10/12/2005

Polk

0002727

Sentenced to Life

04/21/2000

Kidnap, Assault or Terrorize

10/12/2005

Polk

0002727

Sentenced to Life

04/21/2000

Kidnap, Assault or Terrorize

10/12/2005

Polk

0002727

Sentenced to Life

04/21/2000

Robb. Gun/Deadly Wpn

10/12/2005

Polk

0002727

Sentenced to Life

04/21/2000

Robb. Gun/Deadly Wpn

10/12/2005

Polk

0002727

Sentenced to Life

 

 

Trial Summary:

 

05/11/00          Indicted as follows:

                                    Count I:           First-Degree Murder (David Green)

                                    Count II:         First-Degree Murder (James Felker)

                                    Count III:        Carjacking with a Firearm

                                    Count IV:        Armed Robbery

                                    Count V:         Armed Robbery

                                    Count VI:        Armed Kidnapping

                                    Count VII:      Armed Kidnapping

11/13/04          Jury returned guilty verdicts on all counts of the indictment

11/16/04          Jury vote waived in penalty phase

10/12/05          Sentenced as follows:

                                    Count I:           First-Degree Murder – Death

                                    Count II:         First-Degree Murder – Death

                                    Count III:        Carjacking with a Firearm – Life in Prison

                                    Count IV:        Armed Robbery – Life in Prison

                                    Count V:         Armed Robbery – Life in Prison

                                    Count VI:        Armed Kidnapping – Life in Prison

                                    Count VII:      Armed Kidnapping – Life in Prison

 

Appeal Summary:

 

Florida Supreme Court – Direct Appeal

FSC# 05-2212

19 So.3d 277

 

12/05/05          Appeal filed

09/03/09          FSC affirmed the conviction and sentence

09/24/09          Mandate issued

 

State Circuit Court – 3.851 Motion

CC# 00-02727

(Pending)

 

11/05/10          Motion filed.

 

Case Information:

 

On 11/15/07, Wright filed his initial brief in the Florida Supreme Court, raising the following issues on appeal: (1) the trial court erred and abused its discretion when it denied the defendant’s motion in limine to exclude collateral crimes evidence, which then became a feature of the trial and caused a prejudicial effect to outweigh its probative value; (2) the trial court erred in denying the defendant’s motions that the Florida death sentencing statutes are unconstitutional under the Fifth, Sixth, and Fourteenth Amendments of the United States Constitution as shown in Ring v. Arizona; (3) the trial court erred in finding it proven beyond a reasonable doubt that these murders were aggravated by the circumstance that they were committed in a cold, calculated, and premeditated manner; and (4) the trial court erred in finding it proven beyond a reasonable doubt that these murders were aggravated by the circumstance that they were committed for the purpose of avoiding or preventing lawful arrest.  On 09/03/09, the Florida Supreme Court affirmed the conviction and sentence.

 

On 11/05/10, Wright filed a 3.851 Motion in Circuit Court.  This motion is pending.

 

________________________________________________________________________

 

Report Date:   09/10/09          MJH

Approved:       09/10/09          RRM

Updated:         11/10/10          MJH