FL- Raymond Wigley Murdered in Prison

7-18-2009 Florida:

The account of Raymond Wigley's murder in prison is put together from multiple sources.

Starting with the June 17, 2009 news article below "Date Set Again For Marek Execution" we find these two comments:

"In 1983, Marek and Wigley were convicted of kidnapping, raping and strangling Adella Marie Simmons after her car broke down on Florida's Turnpike. Marek and Wigley stopped and persuaded Simmons to ride with them to a service station. They instead took her to a beach about 60 miles away where she was strangled with a bandana after being sexually assaulted. Her body was found in a lifeguard shack on Dania Beach."

"Wigley was sentenced to life in prison and Marek received the death penalty. Marek has been on death row for 25 years. Wigley, meantime, died in prison in 2000. Ironically, he was strangled by a fellow inmate."

So we have, Raymond Wigley -a convicted rapist & murderer- was himself murdered by a fellow inmate in 2000.

Searching the Internet we then find the appellate court case of JOHN RICHARD MAREK, Appellant, -vs.- STATE OF FLORIDA, Appellee. (No. SC09-765 5-8-2009)

On page 2 is this footnote:

1. Marek’s codefendant, Raymond Wigley, was tried separately and sentenced to life in prison for his role in the kidnapping and murder of Simmons. Wigley was later murdered in prison by John Blackwelder. See Blackwelder v. State, 851 So. 2d 650 (Fla. 2003) (affirming Blackwelder’s conviction for first-degree murder and his sentence of death).

From pp10-11:
The prosecutor related the factual basis for the plea, and the defense agreed that the State could establish a prima facie case:

MR. DEKLE: Basically, the state stands ready to prove that the defendant, in his cell at Columbia Correctional Institution here in Columbia County, tied inmate Raymond Wigley in a four-point restraints into -- on the bottom bunk that was in that cell, that he then took a ligature and tied it around the neck of Mr. Wigley and compressed that ligature to the point that he killed Mr. Wigley by strangulation.

At that point he then left the cell, leaving the body in the cell, went and reported his conduct to a correctional officer. The FDLE and the Office of the Inspector General were summoned to the scene. Since that time Mr. Blackwelder has given a full and complete taped statement in which he admitted to premeditating the murder of Mr. Wigley and describing how he committed that murder. That complete taped statement was made after a full and complete advisal of his Miranda rights. A transcript of that statement is in the court file.

Since that time Mr. Blackwelder has written a number of letters which contain what the State contends to be admissions to the -- to the -- to the homicide.

And that’s basically the evidence that the state stands ready to prove to prove the premeditated homicide. When we get to the penalty phase, we’ll be offering a tremendous amount of additional evidence as it relates to the circumstances of the homicide. But that’s enough to prove the premeditated murder.

This documents the death of Raymond Wigley.

eAdvocate

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Date Set Again For Marek Execution

7-17-2009 Florida:

Florida Can Execute John Marek After State Supreme Court Ruling

Justices Stayed Execution In May In Order To Hear New Evidence

Marek Was Convicted Of Kidnapping, Raping & Strangling A Woman In 1993.

FORT LAUDERDALE (CBS4) --A date has been set, for the second time, for convicted killer Richard Marek's execution for the murder of a South Florida woman two decades ago.

Marek is to be executed by lethal injection on Friday, August 21.

Marek was supposed to be executed May 13 for the 1983 kidnapping, rape and murder of Adella Marie Simmons in Broward County.

The Supreme Court put the execution on hold May 11, allowing Marek time to argue his accomplice, Raymond Wigley, was the actual killer. A Broward Circuit Court was told to review the appeal, which it denied.

On Thursday, the Supreme Court agreed with the decision and lifted the stay.

In 1983, Marek and Wigley were convicted of kidnapping, raping and strangling Adella Marie Simmons after her car broke down on Florida's Turnpike. Marek and Wigley stopped and persuaded Simmons to ride with them to a service station. They instead took her to a beach about 60 miles away where she was strangled with a bandana after being sexually assaulted. Her body was found in a lifeguard shack on Dania Beach.

Three prison inmates testified in court in June that Wigley confessed to being the actual killer. All three inmates were previous cellmates of Wigley's.

When they were caught by police, Wigley confessed, but said it was Marek who strangled Simmons.

Wigley was sentenced to life in prison and Marek received the death penalty. Marek has been on death row for 25 years. Wigley, meantime, died in prison in 2000. Ironically, he was strangled by a fellow inmate. ..Source.. by



Article: Florida inmate who wanted state to kill him is executed

5-27-2004 Florida:

A man who said he killed a fellow prison inmate so the state of Florida would give him the death penalty has been executed.

John Blackwelder, 49, received an injection of chemicals at Florida State Prison on Wednesday, a spokesman for Gov. Jeb Bush said.

Blackwelder was convicted in the May 2000 strangling of Raymond Wigley, 39, who was serving a life term for murder.

At the time, Blackwelder faced life without parole for a series of sex convictions. He said he killed Wigley and pleaded guilty to first-degree murder because he wanted to die but couldn't bring himself to … ..Source.. by AP