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Gill pleads guilty to murder
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| By:James Redmond, Times Staff Writer |
July 14, 2005 |
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Florida State Prison inmate who asked one judge for the death penalty
after murdering a woman has asked another judge for the same fate.
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Ricardo
Gill asked Judge Robert Cates to give him the death penalty after
pleading guilty to strangling his cellmate at the Reception and Medical
Center (RMC) in Lake Butler in 2001. "You will give me a license to
kill if you give me another life sentence," said Gill in a Union County
courtroom on July 8. "I am 100 percent sure, this time, it will not be
an inmate that is killed."
Gill plead guilty to strangling his
cell mate just days after being sentenced to life in prison by Judge
Stan Morris. Gill had plead guilty to the beating and stabbing death of
Beverly Moore in 1999. While Gill asked Morris to sentence him to the
death penalty, Morris refused citing Gill's history of mental health
issues in his decision.
His court records indicate he was
admitted to a mental health institution in Miami during his childhood.
He also spent two years in a juvenile detention facility before he
turned 16. He was sent to jail once again at 17 and spent 13 years
behind bars.
After being out for just 11 months, Gill killed
Moore and attempted to kill a Gilchrist County woman as well. Gloria
Feliciano was stabbed multiple times with a butcher knife in the back.
Gill was sentenced to 30 years in prison in that case earlier this
year.
Gill had originally been scheduled for a pretrial
conference when he informed Cates he wished to change his plea. Cates
questioned Gill at length as to his decision. "Do you fully understand
the consequences of your decision?" Cates asked Gill. "I do," answered
Gill.
While Gill had been assigned two attorneys to represent
him, he chose to represent himself. His standby council attempted
several times to interject on his behalf. Each time, Gill asked the
judge that all statements by council be stricken from the record.
After the plea, there was some question as to whether or not the
sentencing phase of the trial could proceed without a jury. Gill had
waived his right to be sentenced by a jury, but his standby council
questioned whether that was possible. After a short recess, lead
prosecutor Geoffery Fleck presented several cases to Cates where
defendants facing the death penalty had waived to right to be sentenced
by a jury.
Cates then asked Gill if he was ready to proceed to
sentencing. "I'm prepared to proceed today," said Gill. Noting the
objections by Gill's standby council, Cates decided the sentencing
phase of the trial would begin at 1:30 p.m. that afternoon.
In
his arguments for the death penalty, Fleck presented evidence that
showed the crime met all five criteria for the sentence. "We understand
that this penalty is reserved for crimes out of the ordinary," said
Fleck.
One piece of evidence Fleck presented was a note found in
the cell where Gill strangled Orlando Rosello. The writing,
authenticated by Gill, told of his plan. It explained how Gill went
about wrapping a bed sheet around Rosello's neck then hitting him in
the head several times. It stated that Gill left the sheet around
Rosello's neck for several hours to ensure his death.
In an unusual
move by the prosecution, Fleck presented mitigating circumstances of
the crime as well. This process is normally done by the defense team.
It was in response to Gill presenting no defense on his behalf.
Fleck presented the court with a number of mental health reports and
psychiatric evaluations. "They all say something about Mr. Gill's
mental health and state of mind," said Fleck.
According to Fleck,
one of the reports, authored by Dr. Allen Waldron, describes a clump of
abnormal blood vessels in Gill's brain. Waldron's conclusions were that
Gill suffered with this condition his entire life. "According to this
report, he has no more control over his aggression than an animal,"
said Fleck.
Fleck ended his presentation by saying that Gill's
behavior presents the best argument for the death sentence. "We are
left with no choice but to protect ourselves," said Fleck.
While
Gill presented no arguments against the charges, he did read a prepared
statement to the judge. "Your Honor, this case can end with the
imposition of the death penalty today. I understand the death penalty
cannot be given on a threat," said Gill. "Please make the right
decision and don't be the fault of another loss of life."
While
Gill had requested to be sentenced immediately, Cates said he would
issue a ruling in the case within 15 to 30 days. Cates made no
statements as to which way he might be leaning on ruling on the case.
Debbie Buchanan, a spokesperson with the Florida Department of
Corrections, said that Gill would be handled like any other inmate that
makes threats toward corrections officers or public officials. "We take
precautions to ensure the safety of our officers," said Buchanan. "We
will use these same precautions with Gill."
James Redmond can be reached at (386) 496-2261 or uctimes@alltel.net
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©Bradford County Telegraph 2005
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