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Navy commander killer appeal denied

By Eric Cravey
Posted 8/1/18

TALLAHASSEE – The 1st District Court of Appeal has denied a motion by a man convicted of killing a U.S. Navy commander in an Orange Park motel.

After a jury trial in Clay County, Anthony Delane …

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Navy commander killer appeal denied


Posted

TALLAHASSEE – The 1st District Court of Appeal has denied a motion by a man convicted of killing a U.S. Navy commander in an Orange Park motel.

After a jury trial in Clay County, Anthony Delane Washington, 33, was convicted in September 2016 of first-degree murder and burglary with an assault in the death of Alphonso Doss, 44, who was at Naval Air Station Jacksonville for training. Doss was murdered on Feb. 12, 2014. Washington was sentenced to concurrent terms of life imprisonment and 30 years in prison.

Washington argued that his convictions and sentences “should be vacated because the incriminating statements he made to the police should have been suppressed,” states court papers.

Washington having an affair with Doss’s estranged wife, Yolinda Hunter Doss when the killing took place at the Astoria Hotel.

Orange Park Police interviewed Washington 9 days after the murder and six months later when Washington drove himself to the police station around 10:17 p.m. After several discussions about his Miranda Rights and the right to an attorney and being honest and doing the right things, court documents state Washington began offering two OPPD detectives some incriminating statements.

“Washington moved to suppress his statements, arguing that they were not freely and voluntarily given because the detectives ignored his repeated requests for counsel and downplayed the significance of the Miranda warnings. After considering argument from counsel and viewing the video recording of Washington’s interrogation, the trial court found that there was no delay in the administration of Washington’s rights and that there was no indication that he was intimidated, coerced, or deceived into waiving his rights,” states the DCA ruling.

The court also found that Washington never “clearly and unequivocally requested counsel during the interrogation.”

Authorities believed Doss was killed because his wife wanted to collect $600,000 in insurance money that she was due if he died, authorities said.

“It is well-settled that police officers must immediately stop an interrogation when a suspect clearly and unequivocally requests counsel at any time during a custodial interview,” states the DCA ruling paperwork. “Failure to do so requires suppression of any statements made after the suspect has invoked his right to counsel. However, the police are not required to stop an interview when a suspect makes an equivocal or ambiguous request for counsel.”

During the second interview, police asked Washington numerous times if he needed a lawyer and Washington asked police as least twice, “So will I walk outta here tonight?” to which one officer responded by saying, “Well, we don’t know what you’re gonna tell us Anthony” and the second detective told Washington, “We won’t know the answer to that.”

The DCA ruled that “Statements such as ‘maybe I should talk to a lawyer’ are not unequivocal requests for counsel,” states the ruling handed down Aug. 1.

“Washington did not thereafter invoke his right to counsel and indicated his willingness to speak to the detectives after being fully advised of his rights. Because Washington did not unequivocally invoke his right to counsel, and the detectives provided straightforward and simple answers to Washington’s questions about his rights, we hold that the trial court properly denied Washington’s motion to suppress.”

The DCA also stated that there was no evidence to determine whether Washington was mentally incompetent and did not understand the detectives line of questioning.

The circuit court trial prosecutors said Washington, Yolinda Doss, and Washington’s friend, Ronnie Wilson II, 35, ambushed Alphonso Doss in the hotel room while Yolinda Doss acted as a lookout, then staged the scene to look like a burglary had gone awry.