Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Jeanne testified that days after the murder, her son came to her house driving the couples car and admitted he stole it. Her family traveled back to Florida to remember her and sit down with police for a case update. They were very good at communicating, Shannon Kicklighter, Powells brother, told SFGN in 2013. Medical personnel tried in vain to bring him back to life. Avsenew has shown no remorse in court for the killings. Afterwards, they say Avsenew traveled to his mother'a home. Police say she had been strangled to death. If this case intrigues you, lets find out more about it and where the criminals are today, shall we? Thursday morning he read a statement to the jury which read in part, "I have no regrets in my life and I am proud of every decision I ever made. After a Local 10 investigation into the handling of a 40-year-old cold case, detectives are one step closer to solving it. Copyright 2023 Local10.com is published by WPLG INC., a Berkshire Hathaway company. May 9, 2021 On March 24, 1987, Bernard James was found dead in front of his home on Northwest 29th Street, Wilton Manors, Florida. "I will always stand up for what I believe in and eradicate anything in my way. 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. Privacy Policy | Terms of Website Use, Controversial Witness in Murder of Wilton Manors Couple Dies Before Retrial. She was somebody who mattered to us. The defendant was granted a new trial earlier this year by the Florida Supreme Court, which found that the jury should never have heard his mothers recorded testimony because she was not in the same room with him and could not see him when she testified. Local 10 soon learned some of the evidence has been misplaced possibly lost. Avsenew's mother turned him in to authorities after he made suspicious statements to her. The 2020 Wilton Manors crime rate fell by 16% compared to 2019. If there is missing evidence, our agency will be 100% transparent with the family of Anna Marie Mullin, Blocker said. There were no significant symbols in Bernards married life that would hint towards such a devastating course of action. 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. However, Peter tells a different story. Bernard James lived with his wife, Patricia (Patti) Donahue James, in the 800 block of Northwest 29th Street in Wilton Manors, Florida. Suspect Held in Manors Slaying a Petty Criminal with Long Record. The defendant replied, Id rather just kill people. And in the letter he seemed to address his attorneys claims writing, nothing traumatic made me the way I am. Since sitting down with police, they began looking for missing evidence. Having caught Ott in her net of deception, Patti set about planning her husbands murder with Timothy. She possibly left with a man who has been described in a police sketch. After his arrest, Timothy claimed that he did not know about Pattis elaborate plan to kill her husband, and he even was unaware that Bernard was not an abusive father. Patti then hid in the bathroom while Ott used an aluminum bat to hit Bernard over the head. January 11, 2018 / 2:59 PM 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 court said that the failure to ensure that Avsenew was kept in the presence of [his mother] during her testimony, in this case, her virtual presence, constituted a clear violation of the defendants rights. HilltopAds. Her family is devastated. I cant put into words the feeling of ending a life; it's euphoric at the least.. This was one of the most horrific crimes in our city during my time as mayor. Jump to a detailed profile, search site with google or try advanced search. Forty years, no answers, said Kubes. 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. The couple shared the house with Bernards children from a previous relationship. Sunday marks 40 years since Anna Marie Mullin was murdered in Wilton Manors. Later, Ott told the police that he and T.J. also talked about marrying and settling down. In the last 5 years Wilton Manors has seen increasing violent crime and decline of property crime. Since he chooses to keep his life out of the public sphere, not much is known about his present whereabouts. Discuss Wilton Manors, Florida (FL) on our hugely popular Florida forum. The park ranger immediately slumped over, but Ott then strangled Bernard twice, with a wire and a clothesline to confirm the kill. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. FT LAUDERDALE (CBSMiami) - It took two hours for a Broward jury to sentence convicted killer Peter Avsenew to death Thursday afternoon. On the night of March 24, 1987, an urgent call came into the Wilton Manors 911 dispatch center. Bridgette Matter joined the Local 10 News team as a reporter in July 2021. City-data.com does not guarantee the accuracy or timeliness of any information on this site. 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. Her life mattered to us, Kubes said. 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. His lawyer also claimed that Avsenew had experienced trauma from the death of his sister at a young age and sexual abuse. The same jury that convicted him returned in October to consider whether. All rights reserved. The Knights sold their home on Hickory Hill Road in Wilton for about $1 million in March 2010 and moved to California. Kubes reached out to Local 10 News for help last year after an investigation uncovered some of the evidence in the case was misplaced. 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. Avsenew fired his attorneys shortly after his conviction and represented himself during the penalty phase of his case. 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.. Amanda Batchelor is the Digital Executive Producer for Local10.com. Our hearts go out to the family and friends of Kevin and Stephen, but maybe now, they can get some closure. Detectives continue to look for evidence. Inside, Bernard lay unresponsive and possibly dead on the front seat of the car. Peter Avsenew was found guilty in 2017 for the 2010 murders of Kevin Powell, 52, and Stephen Adams, 47, in Wilton Manors. The other $5,000 is coming from Crime Stoppers . We talked to the Chief of Police Gary Blocker about missteps in the case. 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. She then returned to her home with Ott, who reassured her that he would bring her husband back. 25th St. in Wilton Manors, killed . Avsenew had been taken in by the couple and was later turned in by his mother and captured in Polk County. WILTON MANORS, Fla. - Detectives and a family desperate for closure released the sketch of a murder suspect, and they are asking the public for help with solving a cold case in Wilton. FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. A self-proclaimed prostitute was sentenced to death Tuesday for the 2010 killing of a gay couple from Wilton Manors. In the subsequent trial, the jury listened to Otts testimony and, after deliberating for a while, found Patti Donahue James guilty of first-degree murder in 1988. We cannot overstate the harmful effect of this testimony having come from not just anyone, but defendant Avsenews own mother, the court wrote. Please enter valid email address to continue. But that generosity was forever ended 36 years ago when Mullin's body was found on the front steps of St. Clement's Catholic Church in Wilton Manors. 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. to push for answers in her sisters murder case. Schaffer had been a police officer in Wilton Manors, a Fort Lauderdale suburb, and was a deputy with the Martin County Sheriff's Office at the time Poole disappeared, Springer said. Bridgette Matter joined the Local 10 News team as a reporter in July 2021. For her crimes, she was sentenced to life in prison. She was a wonderful sister, she was a great sister.. WILTON MANORS, Fla. - Sunday marks 40 years since Anna Marie Mullin was murdered in Wilton Manors. Wilton Manors Police Chief Gary Blocker says the case is very much open and under investigation. Peter Avsenew was convicted June 10 of the murders of Stephen Adams and Kevin Powell in Wilton Manors in 2010. Peter was a new roommate to the couple weeks before their murder and they reportedly met through Craigs List. Her testimony came under question by defense attorneys because she testified remotely due to her illness and could . A $10,000 reward still stands for any helpful information in the case. Losing someone you love, and its been 40 years, is devastating, said Kubes. In her plot to kill her husband, Patti involved her lover, Timothy Ott. Privacy Policy | Terms of Website Use, Man Who Boasted of Murdering Wilton Manors Couple in 2010 Granted New Trial. Defense lawyer Gabe Ermine objected to allowing the jury to hear her statements. They were just really kindhearted, always getting involved with helping people., Avsenews defense attorney claimed that he did not kill the couple, but found them dead and stole their credit cards and car, Local 10 reports.