Oba Chandler: Difference between revisions

He awaited execution of his sentence at the [[Union Correctional Institution]].<ref name="SPT-20010629-rejects">{{cite news|title=Judge rejects killer's appeal |url=http://www.sptimes.com/News/062901/news_pf/SouthPinellas/Judge_rejects_killer_.shtml |newspaper=St. Petersburg Times |date=June 29, 2001 |accessdate=June 5, 2009 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303212955/http://www.sptimes.com/News/062901/news_pf/SouthPinellas/Judge_rejects_killer_.shtml |archivedate=March 3, 2016 |deadurl=yes |df=mdy }}</ref> Shortly after the trial and conviction, his wife Debra filed for divorce and their marriage was formally dissolved a year later. Chandler was no longer allowed to see his daughter Whitney, and, in accordance with his ex-wife's wishes, he was not allowed to see later photographs of her.<ref name="AD-7p6">{{cite news|last=French |first=Thomas |newspaper=St. Petersburg Times |title=Angels & Demons Chapter 7: The Magic Kingdom |url=http://www2.sptimes.com/Angels_Demons/magic.6.html |page=6 |accessdate=June 5, 2009 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090403042225/http://www2.sptimes.com/Angels_Demons/magic.6.html |archivedate=April 3, 2009 |df=mdy }}</ref> In July 2008, Chandler was on Florida's short list of executions.<ref name="SPT-20080703-list">{{cite news|title=5 bay area killers on short list for execution|url=http://tampabay.com/news/courts/criminal/article657533.ece|newspaper=St. Petersburg Times|date=July 3, 2008|accessdate=July 31, 2008|deadurl=noyes|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080730041512/http://tampabay.com/news/courts/criminal/article657533.ece|archivedate=July 30, 2008|df=mdy-all}}</ref> Profiling experts speculated that Chandler may have killed previously, based on the belief that a first-time killer would not be experienced, or bold enough, to abduct and kill three women at once. Chandler remained a suspect in the 1982 murder of a woman found floating off [[Anna Maria Island]]<ref name="SPT-20010622-specter">{{cite news|last=Brassfield |first=Mike |title=Body raises specter of notorious case |url=http://www.sptimes.com/News/062201/SouthPinellas/Body_raises_specter_o.shtml |newspaper=St. Petersburg Times |date=June 22, 2001 |accessdate=November 22, 2008 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080924143324/http://www.sptimes.com/News/062201/SouthPinellas/Body_raises_specter_o.shtml |archivedate=September 24, 2008 |df=mdy-all }}</ref> until 2011, when the body was identified as 29-year-old Amy Hurst and her husband was arrested and charged with her murder.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://tbo.com/pasco-county/almost--decades-later-arrest-made-in-homicide-259581 |title=Almost 3 decades later, arrest made in homicide |first=Todd |last=Leskanic |work=The Tampa Tribune |date=September 22, 2011 |accessdate=July 2, 2012 |archiveurl=https://www.webcitation.org/6ILibzJdD?url=http://tbo.com/pasco-county/almost--decades-later-arrest-made-in-homicide-259581 |archivedate=July 24, 2013 |deadurl=yes |df=mdy }}</ref> Chandler was never charged with another murder.<ref name="FCCC-status">{{cite web|work=Florida Commission on Capital Cases|title=Oba Chandler inmate status|url=http://www.floridacapitalcases.state.fl.us/case_updates/Htm/056979.htm|date=August 25, 2009|accessdate=November 26, 2010 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101218034611/http://www.floridacapitalcases.state.fl.us/case_updates/Htm/056979.htm|archive-date=December 18, 2010}}</ref> All of his appeals of his 1994 conviction were denied; his last was in May 2007.<ref name="SHT-20030418-loses">{{cite news|title=Condemned killer, who dumped 3 bodies in bay, loses appeal|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=I_MeAAAAIBAJ&sjid=9YQEAAAAIBAJ&dq=oba+chandler+appeal&pg=6881,2813468|work=Sarasota Herald-Tribune|agency=Associated Press|date=April 18, 2003|accessdate=January 3, 2010}}</ref>

The judge presiding over the 1994 trial and that ultimately sentenced Chandler, died of [[lung cancer]] in April 2016 at the age of 73.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tampabay.com/news/obituaries/retired-pinellas-circuit-judge-susan-f-schaeffer-dies-at-73/2272902|title=Retired Pinellas Circuit Judge Susan F. Schaeffer dies at 73|work=Tampa Bay Times|accessdate=April 17, 2016|deadurl=no|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160415143227/http://www.tampabay.com/news/obituaries/retired-pinellas-circuit-judge-susan-f-schaeffer-dies-at-73/2272902|archivedate=April 15, 2016|df=mdy-all}}</ref> In a 2011 interview the judge described Chandler as a man with no soul. She said, "It's the worst case as far as factually, and as far as a defendant without saving grace, that I ever handled. And I represented plenty of people who were not necessarily good people."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tampabay.com/news/courts/judge-susan-schaeffer-recalls-oba-chandler-as-a-man-with-no-soul/1202196|title=Judge Susan Schaeffer recalls Oba Chandler as a man with no soul|work=Tampa Bay Times|accessdate=March 2, 2017|deadurl=noyes|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160505203520/http://www.tampabay.com/news/courts/judge-susan-schaeffer-recalls-oba-chandler-as-a-man-with-no-soul/1202196|archivedate=May 5, 2016|df=mdy-all}}</ref>

On October 12, 2011, Harrison said that although he was preparing to file a motion regarding the violation of his client's [[Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution|Fifth]] and [[Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution|14th Amendment]] rights in the case, he was unsure that Chandler was willing to travel to Clearwater, Florida for the court hearing, or would agree to the filing of the motion. "He hates coming down to Clearwater. He doesn't like the ride and he's not well," Harrison said.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.tampabay.com/news/courts/criminal/triple-murderer-oba-chandler-may-not-come-to-pinellas-hearing-on-his/1196435|title=Triple murderer Oba Chandler may not come to Pinellas hearing on his execution|first=Curtis|last=Krueger|work=The Tampa Tribune|date=October 12, 2011|accessdate=October 12, 2011|deadurl=noyes|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20111014073232/http://www.tampabay.com/news/courts/criminal/triple-murderer-oba-chandler-may-not-come-to-pinellas-hearing-on-his/1196435|archivedate=October 14, 2011|df=mdy-all}}</ref> On October 18, 2011, Harrison filed a motion against the execution on the grounds that the way Florida imposes the death penalty is unconstitutional.<ref name="myfoxtampabay1">{{cite news|url=http://www.myfoxtampabay.com/story/18024004/chandler-appeals-execution-cites-recent-ruling |title=Chandler appeals execution, cites recent ruling| first=Tanya |last=Arja |publisher=MyFoxTampaBay | date=October 19, 2011 | accessdate=October 19, 2011 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20141230024003/http://www.myfoxtampabay.com/story/18024004/chandler-appeals-execution-cites-recent-ruling |archivedate=December 30, 2014 }}</ref> A jury makes a recommendation on a life sentence or a death sentence, but under Florida law the judge makes the final decision.<ref name="myfoxtampabay1" /> A hearing on Chandler's motion was set for October 21 at 1:00{{nbsp}}pm; Chandler did not attend.<ref name="myfoxtampabay1" /> On October 24, Chandler's appeal was rejected because he had already filed an appeal to the [[Florida Supreme Court]] prior to the decision.<ref name="tampabay2">{{cite news|url=http://www.tampabay.com/news/publicsafety/crime/oba-chandlers-last-appeal-rejected-by-pinellas-judge-next-stop-is-florida/1198335|title=Oba Chandler's last appeal rejected by Pinellas judge; next stop is Florida Supreme Court|first=Jamal|last=Thalji|work=Tampa Bay Times|date=October 24, 2011|accessdate=October 24, 2011|deadurl=noyes|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20111027191432/http://www.tampabay.com/news/publicsafety/crime/oba-chandlers-last-appeal-rejected-by-pinellas-judge-next-stop-is-florida/1198335|archivedate=October 27, 2011|df=mdy-all}}</ref> This appeal was heard in a court in [[Tallahassee]] at 9:00&nbsp;am on November 9, 2011. The Florida Supreme Court had already upheld Chandler's death sentence twice; once in 1997 and again in 2003.<ref name="tampabay2" />

|archivedate=December 31, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=2011: Oba Chandler|url=http://www.executedtoday.com/2012/11/15/2011-oba-chandler/|publisher=Executedtoday.com|first=Meaghan|last=Good|date=November 15, 2012|accessdate=March 31, 2013|deadurl=no|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130402001439/http://www.executedtoday.com/2012/11/15/2011-oba-chandler/|archivedate=April 2, 2013|df=mdy-all}}</ref> Shortly after signing Chandler's death warrant Governor Rick Scott said: "[Chandler] killed three women, so I looked through different cases, and it made sense to do that one. There's never one thing. It was the right case."<ref>{{cite news|last1=Sanders|first1=Katie|title=Scott on signing Oba Chandler's death warrant: "It was the right case."|url=http://www.tampabay.com/blogs/the-buzz-florida-politics/content/scott-signing-oba-chandlers-death-warrant-it-was-right-case|work=Tampa Bay Times|date=Mar 2, 2017|accessdate=July 24, 2013|deadurl=noyes|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20170303051302/http://www.tampabay.com/blogs/the-buzz-florida-politics/content/scott-signing-oba-chandlers-death-warrant-it-was-right-case|archivedate=March 3, 2017|df=mdy-all}}</ref>

}}</ref> In 1995, Oba Chandler, some members of his family, and Hal Rogers appeared in an episode of the ''[[Maury Povich Show]]'' featuring the case. Chandler appeared via satellite link.<ref name="TheBlade-19890610-nightmare" /> Chandler's case was featured in a full-hour episode of ''[[Crime Stories (TV series)|Crime Stories]]''.<ref name="NYTimes-20011119-tv" /> The case was shown on an episode of ''[[Forensic Files]]'' entitled "Water Logged" in December 2010. In 2012 [[Investigation Discovery]] show ''[[On the Case with Paula Zahn]]'' aired two episodes called "Murder at Sunset" covering the case.<ref>{{cite episode | url=http://investigation.discovery.com/tv/on-the-case-paula-zahn/specials/murder-at-sunset.html | title=Murder at Sunset | at=Parts 1 and 2 | date=September 16, 2009 | accessdate=October 6, 2012 | series=[[On the Case with Paula Zahn]] | network=[[Investigation Discovery]] | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120131183857/http://investigation.discovery.com/tv/on-the-case-paula-zahn/specials/murder-at-sunset.html | archivedate=January 31, 2012}}</ref> In August 2014, the [[Investigation Discovery|ID]] series "Murder in Paradise" covered the case.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tampabay.com/blogs/media/notorious-tampa-bay-murder-case-to-be-featured-on-investigation-discovery/2193998|title=Notorious Tampa Bay murder case to be featured on Investigation Discovery|work=Tampa Bay Times|accessdate=September 22, 2014|deadurl=noyes|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20141011173109/http://www.tampabay.com/blogs/media/notorious-tampa-bay-murder-case-to-be-featured-on-investigation-discovery/2193998|archivedate=October 11, 2014|df=mdy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20140821/LOCAL09/140829895|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20141012110408/http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20140821/LOCAL09/140829895|archivedate=October 12, 2014|title=Documentary looks at Florida slayings|newspaper=[[Journal Gazette]]|accessdate=September 22, 2014}}</ref>