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The couple shared the house with Bernards children from a previous relationship. She called the police when no one answered their home phone, leading to the discovery of their bodies. Avsenew's defense attorney claimed that his client found them dead and then stole the items instead of calling police. When she returned, she claimed that she found her husband unresponsive and unconscious in the front seat. Patti James was convicted of the murder of her husband. In 2017, he told the court during his death row sentencing that he had no regrets and Im proud of every decision Ive ever made. He made waves when he hand-wrote a letter to Broward Circuit Judge Ilona Holmes, bragging that, it is my duty as a white man to cull the weak and timid from existence homosexuals are a disease to mankind and must be put down. According to the Wilton Manors Police Department, Avsenew shot Adams nine times in the head, shot Powell twice in the head and beat him with a blunt object. Initially thought of as a robbery gone wrong, the police investigation soon revealed an underlying twisted plot that brought out a dark secret to light. Both sides are due in court Thursday morning for a pre-trial hearing. At the time of the murder, Bernard was 37 years old and was a well-respected community member. Wilton Manors police took Mullins case back over while still partnering with the Broward County Sheriffs Office. ", Avsenew expressed similar sentiments at a Spencer hearing in June, saying "I wholeheartedly have nothing to lose and I'm going to take it out on everybody I can.". Screenshot via CBS Miami, YouTube. Following a downturn in property values in the. A follow-up email laid out the crucial evidence was found in a Wilton Manors Police evidence vault. Avsenew, now 37 and an inmate at Union Correctional Institution in Raiford, allegedly met the couple through Craigs List and moved in with them weeks prior to the killing. Robert Malcolm Rimmer, convicted of first-degree murder for the execution-style murders of two Wilton Manors stereo store employees during a robbery, had a message almost a year ago for the. They also determined that he was strangled after the beating. She became suspicious and turned him into authorities. Inside, Bernard lay unresponsive and possibly dead on the front seat of the car. 2018 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Its not clear how the mothers death will affect Avsenews retrial. But he is the prime suspect in dozens of other murders. The 22-year-old had been beaten, raped and murdered. Timothy Ott told police that on March 24, Patti (who he believed to be Demi) brought her husband, Bernard, to Otts apartment. These weren't the first and won't be the last. Ott only realized that he had been duped by Patti, and that she was both Demi and T.J., after he had been implicated in the murder. His attorney stated that they did not kill Adams and Powell, but discovered their bodies and then stole their credit cards and car. BidVertiser Bernard James lived with his wife, Patricia (Patti) Donahue James, in the 800 block of Northwest 29th Street in Wilton Manors, Florida. Marci Craig, the sister of Adams, told SFGN back in 2013 that she was waiting for the couples arrival at the airport in Ohio during a visit when they never showed up. The ratio of registered sex offenders to all residents in this city is much lower than the state average. A 33-year-old South Florida man faces a possible death sentence after a jury found him guilty Thursday murdering Stephen Adams and Kevin Powell, a Wilton Manors couple who took him in after he. Suspicious of his behavior and worried that her son might harm her, Jeanne Avsenew testified that she had him turned in. The park ranger immediately slumped over, but Ott then strangled Bernard twice, with a wire and a clothesline to confirm the kill. Avsenew fired his attorneys shortly after his conviction and represented himself during the penalty phase of his case. This verdict acts as a validation of the excellent investigative work done by our Police Department in 2010, stated Wilton Manors Chief Paul OConnell in the same press release. Her lover, Timothy Ott, was also convicted for his involvement in the crime. However, Avsenew drew attention when hand-wrote a letter to Broward Circuit Judge Ilona Holmes, gloating that, it is my duty as a white man to cull the weak and timid from existence homosexuals are a disease to mankind and must be put down. Rafael Olmeda is a reporter for the South Florida Sun Sentinel. Follow him on Twitter @rolmeda. They were very good at communicating, Shannon Kicklighter, Powells brother, told SFGN in 2013. 37-year-old Bernie James had been found dead in the front seat of his car. Peter Avsenewis on death row for the murders of Steve Adams and Kevin Powell. Peter currently sits on death row for the murder of Adams and Powell, who had been together for 29 years before being shot and bludgeoned to death in December 2010. FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. - A self-proclaimed prostitute was sentenced to death Tuesday for the 2010 killing of a gay couple from Wilton Manors. We have been able to look through that evidence and tomorrow we will continue to work with Fran (Kubes) on the issues of this case, said Blocker. ClickADu She then returned to her home with Ott, who reassured her that he would bring her husband back. Read More: How Did Dallen Bounds Die? FT LAUDERDALE (CBSMiami) - It took two hours for a Broward jury to sentence convicted killer Peter Avsenew to death Thursday afternoon. . HilltopAds. She then called the police to report the crime. Mullins body was discovered on the steps of St. Clements Catholic Church. Prosecutors then cut a deal with him where in return for pleading guilty to lesser charges of second-degree murder, Timothy would have to testify against Patti in her trial. She shared that her son drove to her home in Polk County in the victims vehicle and acted strangely. Last year, all Wilton Manors homicide cases, including Annas, were transferred to the Broward County Sheriffs Office, which has more resources. Avsenew was found guilty of several charges including two first-degree murders, robbery with a firearm, credit card fraud, and grand theft auto. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Afterwards, they say Avsenew traveled to his mother'a home. Before moving to South Florida, she began her career in South Bend, Indiana and spent six years in Jacksonville as a reporter and weekend anchor. The sister of one of the two men murdered in Wilton Manors on Christmas weekend says the killings were a hate crime. When law enforcement questioned Patti James, she said that she and her husband had just returned home when she saw a man approach her husband outside their house. Adams and Powell had been together for 29 years before they were shot and bludgeoned to death days before Christmas in 2010. Monday, Mullins family is scheduled to look through case files with members of the Wilton Manors Police Department. Her recorded testimony already has been ruled inadmissible, and the testimony she gave in person at his sentencing hearing did not cover the same ground as her trial testimony. Jeanne testified that days after the murder, her son came to her house driving the couples car and admitted he stole it. For decades her sister, Fran Kubes, fought for answers in the case. Suspect Held in Manors Slaying a Petty Criminal with Long Record. Prosecutors argued that Peter Avsenew stayed with the victims at their Wilton Manors home after they placed a sexually suggestive ad on the website Craigslist in late 2010. Jeanne Avsenew, whose testimony helped put her son on Floridas death row four years ago, died last week in Polk County, throwing a wrench into plans to retry Peter Avsenew for the 2010 murders of Stephen Adams and Kevin Powell of Wilton Manors. Losing someone you love, and its been 40 years, is devastating, said Kubes. In the last 5 years Wilton Manors has seen increasing violent crime and decline of property crime. Later, Ott told the police that he and T.J. also talked about marrying and settling down. Amanda Batchelor is the Digital Executive Producer for Local10.com. During his death row sentencing in 2017, he told the court he had no regrets and Im proud of every decision Ive ever made. According to the Sun Sentinel, he scratched his head with his middle finger and explained that he was not giving the finger to the jury, but to the families of the victims. Got a juicy lead or story idea? Michael Mitchell, 38, faces murder and arson charges in the . The man who admitted to killing a Wilton Manors couple in 2010 and told a judge he was not sorry has been granted a new trial, the Sun Sentinel reports. City-data.com does not guarantee the accuracy or timeliness of any information on this site. Avsenew claimed that he came home and found the couple dead and fled in a panic. He showed no emotion when the jury's decision was announced. Some parts 2023 Advameg, Inc. Crime rate in Wilton Manors, Florida (FL): murders, rapes, robberies, assaults, burglaries, thefts, auto thefts, arson, law enforcement employees, police officers, crime map, Crime rate in Wilton Manors, Florida (FL). Mom dies before she can testify at retrial of, Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Mom dies before she can testify at retrial of son she helped put on death row, Serena Williams reveals second pregnancy at Met Gala, Palm Beach Atlantic University professor who was fired after parent alleged he was indoctrinating students files federal complaint, People are hurting: With so many flood-damaged homes, money is on the way to help, Photos: Best and worst looks from the 2023 Met Gala, testimony she gave in person at his sentencing hearing, Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. If this case intrigues you, lets find out more about it and where the criminals are today, shall we? If you need help with the Public File, call (954) 364-2526. Detectives released the sketch of a murder suspect and they are asking the public for help with solving a cold case in Wilton Manors. Last November, Avsenew was found guilty in the murder. Let us know! Investigation Discoverys Evil Stepmothers: Bloody Betrayal takes the viewer through the brutal murder and the subsequent investigation that finally brought the culprits to justice. The evidence included his living with the victims, going on a shopping spree with their credit cards, and ditching their car at a Walmart in Haines City where his mother lives. Jump to a detailed profile, search site with google or try advanced search. Local 10 soon learned some of the evidence has been misplaced possibly lost. Prosecutors declined to comment Wednesday on how Jeanne Avsenews death will affect their trial strategy. In 1982, police officers found Anna Marie Mullin dead on the front steps of St. Clements Catholic Church. Wilton Manors police say they have located critical evidence in the case of Anna Marie Mullin, including fingerprints and physical evidence that was swabbed for DNA and sent out for testing. WILTON MANORS, Fla. - After a Local 10 investigation into the handling of a 40-year-old cold case, detectives are one step closer to solving it. Peter Avsenew was found guilty in 2017 for the 2010 murders of Kevin Powell, 52, and Stephen Adams, 47, in Wilton Manors. HilltopAds. Avsenew, now 37, met the two men through personal advertising on Craigslist seeking an older established male partner who could take care of him.. He is not guilty.. When no one answered the phone at their Wilton Manors home, she called the police, who found the mens bodies. FT LAUDERDALE (CBSMiami) - It took two hours for a Broward jury to sentence convicted killer Peter Avsenew to death Thursday afternoon. Michael Mitchell, 38 has been charged with premeditated murder and first-degree arson. If you need help with the Public File, call (954) 364-2526. November 21, 2022 / 5:55 PM / CBS Miami FORT LAUDERDALE -- A man who has been convicted and sentenced to die twice in the 2010 slayings of a Wilton Manors couple is asking for a third trial,. Privacy Policy | Terms of Website Use, Avsenew Found Guilty in Wilton Manors Double Murder Trial. Emergency services and the police soon reached the spot to find Bernards car parked in front of his house. Peter Avsenew, 33, the man accused of the 2010 murder of Wilton Manors couple Stephen Adams, 52, and Kevin Powell, 47, was found guilty Thursday, the Sun Sentinel reported. The mother of a man on trial for the murder of a Wilton Manors couple has died, adding to an already complicated case. On March 24, 1987, Bernard James was found dead in front of his home on Northwest 29th Street, Wilton Manors, Florida. Jury selection is scheduled to start in early May. Manors Double Gay Murder Case Goes to Jury. WILTON MANORS Former death row inmate Peter Avsenew was found guilty, again, for the murders of Kevin Powell, 52, and Stephen Adams, 47, a Wilton Manors couple who took him into their. After telling police her story about a robbery gone wrong, she changed her story and told police that Timothy Ott, whom she knew only through telephone conversations, was the one who killed her husband. It is information Kubes waited on for decades. His lawyer also claimed that Avsenew had experienced trauma from the death of his sister at a young age and sexual abuse. According to Ott, they tried various methods to kill Bernard, including trying to poison him with apple seeds. Powell and Adams took him into their Wilton Manors home in 2010. Her family traveled back to Florida to remember her and sit down with police for a case update. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. I cant put into words the feeling of ending a life; it's euphoric at the least.. The Wilton Manors Police Department is now offering up to $5,000 for a total of up to $10,000 in reward money for information leading to an arrest. She also testified that her son said he had not slept in three days, had a bruise from fighting, and that he got rid of the smell of bleach after taking a shower.. Our community can be assured that our good work continues now and into the future., Manors Double Gay Murder Case Goes to Jury, Gay Couple Are Murder Victims in Manors Double Homicide, Families of Wilton Manors Murdered Couple Still Waiting for Answers, Guilty Verdict in 2010 Wilton Manors Double Murder, 2520 N. Dixie Highway, Wilton Manors, FL 33305. Jeanne Avsenew died of cancer earlier this month and was a key witness against her son, Peter, in his first trial in the murders of Steve Adams and Kevin Powell. In her plot to kill her husband, Patti involved her lover, Timothy Ott. We cannot overstate the harmful effect of this testimony having come from not just anyone, but defendant Avsenews own mother, the court wrote. Marci Craig, the sister of Adams, told SFGN back in 2013 that she was scheduled to pick them up from the airport in Ohio for a visit, but they never showed up. The murderer even sent a hand-scribbled letter to Broward County Judge Ilona Holmes after his conviction, seeming to boast about the killings. FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. A self-proclaimed prostitute was sentenced to death Tuesday for the 2010 killing of a gay couple from Wilton Manors. The 2020 Wilton Manors crime rate fell by 16% compared to 2019. Stable, low-density and gay-friendly - 1/10/2015 My home town of wilton Manors has transformed from the early 1960's to present, having ups and downs along the way. I met the families of Kevin Powell and Stephen Adams at their memorial service. Prev; Her life mattered to us, Kubes said. Ive been like this for as long as I can remember., Families of Wilton Manors Murdered Couple Still Waiting for Answers, Avsenew Found Guilty in Wilton Manors Double Murder Trial, Accused Killer Avsenew's Friends Shocked by Arrest, Jury Recommends Death Sentence for Convicted Killer Who Said He Has 'No Regrets', Manors Double Gay Murder Case Goes to Jury, Suspect Held in Manors Slaying a Petty Criminal with Long Record, Execution Ordered for Killer of Wilton Manors Couple, 2520 N. Dixie Highway, Wilton Manors, FL 33305. Amanda Batchelor, Digital Executive Producer. As the man approached Bernard, Patti said that her husband told her to go inside the house and take care of the children. Police said the couple was found shot to death and wrapped in blankets in their Wilton Manors home on the day after Christmas in 2010. During closing arguments Thursday, Broward assistant state attorney Molly McGuire laid out the evidence and timeline of events linking Avsenew to the crime. From her description, the police gathered that they were looking for someone who is well built and over 6 feet tall, sporting an afro haircut. The mother of a man on trial for the murder of a Wilton Manors couple has died, adding to an already complicated case. He also said Peter was traumatized by the murder of his sister in the 90s and that he was the victim of sexual abuse. According to the Sun Sentinel, prosecutors will seek the death penalty and sentencing will be carried out in January. 25th St. in Wilton Manors, killed . Our hearts go out to the family and friends of Kevin and Stephen, but maybe now, they can get some closure. We are hoping by tomorrows meeting we will have answers..