Jesse Tafero
| Jesse Tafero | |
|---|---|
Mug shot of Tafero
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| Born |
Jesse Joseph Tafero October 12, 1946 United States |
| Died | May 4, 1990 (aged 43) Raiford, Florida, United States |
| Criminal penalty | Death by electrocution |
| Criminal status | Executed |
| Spouse(s) | Sonia "Sunny" Jacobs |
| Conviction(s) | First-degree Murder, armed robbery and rape |
Jesse Joseph Tafero (October 12, 1946 – May 4, 1990), 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. The officers were killed during a traffic stop where Tafero, his wife Sunny Jacobs, and their children were passengers. After Tafero's execution, the driver, Walter Rhodes, confessed to shooting the officers.
On the morning of February 20, 1976, Black and Irwin approached a car parked at a rest stop for a routine check. Tafero, his wife Sonia "Sunny" Jacobs, their 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. According to Tafero, Rhodes shot the officers and handed the gun to him so that Rhodes could drive.
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. This account, however, was later contradicted by Rhodes, and there was subsequently enough evidence to support reasonable doubt regarding Tafero's conviction (http://www.lairdcarlson.com/grip/Tafero%20Case%20Chart.htm, http://www.law.northwestern.edu/legalclinic/wrongfulconvictions/exonerations/fl/sonia-jacobs.html).
Gunpowder tests found residue on Rhodes consistent with “having discharged a weapon”, residue on Tafero consistent with “handling an unclean or recently discharged weapon, or possibly discharging a weapon”, and residue on Jacobs and her son consistent with “having handled an unclean or recently discharged weapon”.
Prior to his conviction for murder, Tafero had been convicted of attempted robbery and "crimes against nature" when he was 20 years old. Rhodes entered into a plea agreement for a reduced sentence of second degree murder in exchange for his testimony against Tafero and Jacobs. At their trial, he testified that Jacobs fired first from the back seat, then Tafero took the gun from her and shot the two officers. Rhodes later recanted his testimony on three occasions, in 1977, 1979, and 1982, stating that he shot the policemen, but ultimately reverted to his original testimony.
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Wikipedia