Jesse Tafero
Encyclopedia
Jesse Joseph Tafero was convicted of murder and executed via electric chair
in the state of Florida
for the murders of Florida Highway Patrol officer Phillip Black and Donald Irwin, a visiting Canadian
constable
and friend of Black. There is a large debate about whether or not Tafero was wrongfully convicted of the murder of the two police officers.
According to Rhodes, Tafero then shot both Black and Irwin with the gun, (which was legally registered to Jacobs who bought guns on behalf of Tafero - he couldn't legally apply for a license because of his record) and led the others into the police car and fled the scene. Rhodes later recanted this testimony, and has changed it many times since. Tafero and Jacobs claimed that Rhodes was the lone shooter, and that he subsequently forced them to accompany him in the police vehicle.
They later disposed of the police car and kidnapped a man and stole his car. All three were arrested after being caught in a roadblock
. When they were arrested, the gun was found in Tafero's waistband.
Prior to his conviction for murder, Tafero had been convicted of robbery and had served seven years of a 25 year sentence. He was in violation of his parole at the time of the killings. Rhodes was on parole for assault with intent to commit robbery. The prosecution would argue that Tafero and Jacobs had more motive to avoid arrest.
At their trial, Rhodes testified that Tafero and Jacobs were solely responsible for the murders. Tafero and Jacobs were convicted of capital murder and were sentenced to death
while Rhodes was sentenced to 3 life sentences. He was released in 1994 following parole for good behavior. The children were placed in the care of Sunny Jacobs' parents until their deaths in a 1982 plane crash
. The children were then separated and Sunny's younger child, Christina, was placed into foster care with a friend of Jacobs. Sunny's older child, Eric, who was in his mid teens, first resided with Sonia's brother Alan, then lived on his own, struggling to survive by working at a pizza restaurant and various odd jobs.
Tafero and Jacobs continued their relationship through letters while serving time in the prison. Because there was no death row for women in Florida, Jacobs was put into solitary confinement for the first five years of her imprisonment, let out only once or twice a week for exercise. She learned yoga to pass the time, and after being moved to the general prison population, began teaching yoga to other prisoners.
Because the jury had recommended a life sentence for Jacobs, the court commuted Jacobs' sentence to life in prison, but not Tafero's.
Tafero was to be executed by electrocution
. The machine, dubbed "Old Sparky
", malfunctioned, causing six-inch flames to shoot out of Tafero's head. A member of the execution team had used a synthetic sponge rather than a sea sponge
, which is necessary to provide greater conductivity and a quick death. In all, three jolts of electricity were required to render Tafero dead, a process that took 13 minutes and 30 seconds. Prison inmates later claimed that 'Old Sparky' was 'fixed' and tampered with to make Tafero's execution more like torture. One close inmate friend of Tafero later said he could smell the burning flesh of his friend for days after.
The case became a cause célèbre
among death penalty opponents, who cited the brutal circumstances of his execution as reasons it should be abolished.
The Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals
found reason to overturn the conviction of Jacobs. She was released after accepting a plea bargain in which she pled nolo contendere
(technically an Alford plea
of "no contest", but without admitting factual guilt) to all of the charges against her. As Professors Hugo Bedau and Michael Radelet stated in their book, In Spite Of Innocence, "If Jacobs was innocent, then the execution of Tafero was probably the execution of an innocent man, because the same evidence (later shown to be insufficient) used to convict Jacobs had also been used to convict Tafero. The information that freed her would have freed him -- if he had not already been executed."
After her release, Jacobs was reunited with her children and became an outspoken opponent of the death penalty. She moved to Ireland, where she now lives with her husband Peter Pringle (also previously convicted of murder and later exonerated) and continues to teach yoga, offering it also to prison inmates in her new country. She wrote the 2007 book, Stolen Time, about the events that changed her life, as well as a forthcoming book about yoga, "If you can breathe, you can do it". Jacobs also campaigns for human rights, working with Amnesty International and other organizations. Tafero and Jacobs' story, and the stories of five other exonerees, was told in a documentary theatre style play called "The Exonerated
", which has been performed around the world. She was portrayed in a TV movie version by actress Susan Sarandon
, as well as a documentary film created by her childhood friend Micki Dickoff.
Electric chair
Execution by electrocution, usually performed using an electric chair, is an execution method originating in the United States in which the condemned person is strapped to a specially built wooden chair and electrocuted through electrodes placed on the body...
in the state of Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
for the murders of Florida Highway Patrol officer Phillip Black and Donald Irwin, a visiting Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
constable
Constable
A constable is a person holding a particular office, most commonly in law enforcement. The office of constable can vary significantly in different jurisdictions.-Etymology:...
and friend of Black. There is a large debate about whether or not Tafero was wrongfully convicted of the murder of the two police officers.
The crime, trial, and execution
On the morning of February 20, 1976, Black and Irwin approached a car parked at a rest stop for a routine check. Tafero, his partner Sonia "Sunny" Jacobs, her two children (ages 9 years and 10 months), and Walter Rhodes were found asleep inside. Tafero had previously been in prison and was on probation. Black saw a gun lying on the floor inside the car. He woke the occupants and had first Rhodes then Tafero come out of the car.According to Rhodes, Tafero then shot both Black and Irwin with the gun, (which was legally registered to Jacobs who bought guns on behalf of Tafero - he couldn't legally apply for a license because of his record) and led the others into the police car and fled the scene. Rhodes later recanted this testimony, and has changed it many times since. Tafero and Jacobs claimed that Rhodes was the lone shooter, and that he subsequently forced them to accompany him in the police vehicle.
They later disposed of the police car and kidnapped a man and stole his car. All three were arrested after being caught in a roadblock
Roadblock
A roadblock is a temporary installation set up to control or block traffic along a road. The reasons for one could be:*Roadworks*Temporary road closure during special events*Police chase*Robbery*Sobriety checkpoint...
. When they were arrested, the gun was found in Tafero's waistband.
Prior to his conviction for murder, Tafero had been convicted of robbery and had served seven years of a 25 year sentence. He was in violation of his parole at the time of the killings. Rhodes was on parole for assault with intent to commit robbery. The prosecution would argue that Tafero and Jacobs had more motive to avoid arrest.
At their trial, Rhodes testified that Tafero and Jacobs were solely responsible for the murders. Tafero and Jacobs were convicted of capital murder and were sentenced to death
Death Sentence
Death Sentence is a short story by the American science-fiction writer Isaac Asimov. It was first published in the November 1943 issue of Astounding Science Fiction and reprinted in the 1972 collection The Early Asimov.-Plot summary:...
while Rhodes was sentenced to 3 life sentences. He was released in 1994 following parole for good behavior. The children were placed in the care of Sunny Jacobs' parents until their deaths in a 1982 plane crash
Pan Am Flight 759
Pan Am Flight 759, operated by a Boeing 727-235, N4737 Clipper Defiance, was a regularly scheduled passenger flight from Miami to Las Vegas, with an en route stop at New Orleans...
. The children were then separated and Sunny's younger child, Christina, was placed into foster care with a friend of Jacobs. Sunny's older child, Eric, who was in his mid teens, first resided with Sonia's brother Alan, then lived on his own, struggling to survive by working at a pizza restaurant and various odd jobs.
Tafero and Jacobs continued their relationship through letters while serving time in the prison. Because there was no death row for women in Florida, Jacobs was put into solitary confinement for the first five years of her imprisonment, let out only once or twice a week for exercise. She learned yoga to pass the time, and after being moved to the general prison population, began teaching yoga to other prisoners.
Because the jury had recommended a life sentence for Jacobs, the court commuted Jacobs' sentence to life in prison, but not Tafero's.
Tafero was to be executed by electrocution
Electric chair
Execution by electrocution, usually performed using an electric chair, is an execution method originating in the United States in which the condemned person is strapped to a specially built wooden chair and electrocuted through electrodes placed on the body...
. The machine, dubbed "Old Sparky
Old Sparky
Old Sparky is the nickname of the electric chairs in Arkansas, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma, New York, Texas, and Virginia. It was the nickname of the long-retired electric chair at the now-closed West Virginia State Penitentiary in Moundsville, West...
", malfunctioned, causing six-inch flames to shoot out of Tafero's head. A member of the execution team had used a synthetic sponge rather than a sea sponge
Sea sponge
Sponges are animals of the phylum Porifera . Their bodies consist of jelly-like mesohyl sandwiched between two thin layers of cells. While all animals have unspecialized cells that can transform into specialized cells, sponges are unique in having some specialized cells, but can also have...
, which is necessary to provide greater conductivity and a quick death. In all, three jolts of electricity were required to render Tafero dead, a process that took 13 minutes and 30 seconds. Prison inmates later claimed that 'Old Sparky' was 'fixed' and tampered with to make Tafero's execution more like torture. One close inmate friend of Tafero later said he could smell the burning flesh of his friend for days after.
The case became a cause célèbre
Cause célèbre
A is an issue or incident arousing widespread controversy, outside campaigning and heated public debate. The term is particularly used in connection with celebrated legal cases. It is a French phrase in common English use...
among death penalty opponents, who cited the brutal circumstances of his execution as reasons it should be abolished.
The Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals
United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit
The United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit is a federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following districts:* Middle District of Alabama...
found reason to overturn the conviction of Jacobs. She was released after accepting a plea bargain in which she pled nolo contendere
Nolo contendere
is a legal term that comes from the Latin for "I do not wish to contend." It is also referred to as a plea of no contest.In criminal trials, and in some common law jurisdictions, it is a plea where the defendant neither admits nor disputes a charge, serving as an alternative to a pleading of...
(technically an Alford plea
Alford plea
An Alford plea in United States law is a guilty plea in criminal court, where the defendant does not admit the act and asserts innocence...
of "no contest", but without admitting factual guilt) to all of the charges against her. As Professors Hugo Bedau and Michael Radelet stated in their book, In Spite Of Innocence, "If Jacobs was innocent, then the execution of Tafero was probably the execution of an innocent man, because the same evidence (later shown to be insufficient) used to convict Jacobs had also been used to convict Tafero. The information that freed her would have freed him -- if he had not already been executed."
After her release, Jacobs was reunited with her children and became an outspoken opponent of the death penalty. She moved to Ireland, where she now lives with her husband Peter Pringle (also previously convicted of murder and later exonerated) and continues to teach yoga, offering it also to prison inmates in her new country. She wrote the 2007 book, Stolen Time, about the events that changed her life, as well as a forthcoming book about yoga, "If you can breathe, you can do it". Jacobs also campaigns for human rights, working with Amnesty International and other organizations. Tafero and Jacobs' story, and the stories of five other exonerees, was told in a documentary theatre style play called "The Exonerated
The Exonerated
The Exonerated is a made-for-cable television film which dramatizes the true stories of six people who had been wrongfully convicted of murder and other offenses, placed on death row, and later exonerated and freed after serving varying years in prison...
", which has been performed around the world. She was portrayed in a TV movie version by actress Susan Sarandon
Susan Sarandon
Susan Sarandon is an American actress. She has worked in films and television since 1969, and won an Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance in the 1995 film Dead Man Walking. She had also been nominated for the award for four films before that and has received other recognition for her...
, as well as a documentary film created by her childhood friend Micki Dickoff.
Problems with Rhodes's testimony
Prior to his release, Rhodes had admitted several times that he had lied about his involvement in the shooting. In Jacobs' version of events, she and Tafero had accepted a lift from Rhodes, a casual acquaintance (who was in breach of his parole, although she claims this was not known to the couple), while they were on the run from authorities in North Carolina. Rhodes then carried out the shooting. While Tafero had the gun at the time of his arrest, Rhodes was the only person on which traces of gunpowder were found. He changed his story repeatedly over the years (Cite, St Petersburg Times). Sunny "Sonia" Jacobs has always maintained that she and Tafero were completely innocent of the crime, and that her plea was in response to advice from her lawyer. (Cite. Guardian Monday February 20, 2006).See also
- List of individuals executed in Florida
- Capital punishment in the United StatesCapital punishment in the United StatesCapital punishment in the United States, in practice, applies only for aggravated murder and more rarely for felony murder. Capital punishment was a penalty at common law, for many felonies, and was enforced in all of the American colonies prior to the Declaration of Independence...
- Capital punishment debateCapital punishment debateThe use of capital punishment, frequently known as the death penalty, is highly controversial.-Retribution:Supporters of the death penalty argued that death penalty is morally justified when applied in murder especially with aggravating elements such as multiple homicide, child murder, torture...