Peter Avsenew, 33, the man accused of the 2010 murder of Wilton Manors couple Stephen Adams, 52, and Kevin Powell, 47, was found guilty Thursday, the Sun Sentinel reported. Copyright 2018 by WPLG Local10.com - All rights reserved. Use at your own risk. Before moving to South Florida, she began her career in South Bend, Indiana and spent six years in Jacksonville as a reporter and weekend anchor. Eventually police did relocate key evidence, including fingerprints and physical evidence that was sent to a lab for testing earlier this year. Last year, all Wilton Manors homicide cases, including Annas, were transferred to the Broward County Sheriffs Office, which has more resources. The man who admitted to killing a Wilton Manors couple in 2010 and told a judge he "was not sorry" has been granted a new trial, . City-data.com does not guarantee the accuracy or timeliness of any information on this site. 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. Please enter valid email address to continue. Avsenew, now 37, met the two men through personal advertising on Craigslist seeking an older established male partner who could take care of him.. A judge in Broward County increased the charges against Phillip Siegel to attempted murder on . I cant put into words the feeling of ending a life; it's euphoric at the least.. She claimed that she and her husband were at Otts apartment, and suddenly her husband disappeared from there. Patricia James, a Wilton Manors woman who lived in a fantasy world of telephone romances and fictitious characters, sat stone-faced on Tuesday as jurors found her guilty of first-degree. HilltopAds. She said she searched his computer and found he was a person of interest in the murders. During closing arguments Thursday, Broward assistant state attorney Molly McGuire laid out the evidence and timeline of events linking Avsenew to the crime. A complete list of evidence is being kept secret to preserve the investigation. Broward Jury Finds Man Guilty Again in 2010 Double-Murder Retrial Both sides are due in court Thursday morning for a pre-trial hearing. 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. Manors Double Gay Murder Case Goes to Jury. She was somebody who mattered to us. A follow-up email laid out the crucial evidence was found in a Wilton Manors Police evidence vault. Avsenew's mother was undergoing cancer treatments at the time of the trial in 2017 and was unable to testify in person. Sister of Murdered Gay Man Says Killing Was Hate Crime Key evidence found in 40-year-old Broward murder cold case - WPLG Prosecutor Shari Tate said in closing arguments,"He made a choice and the choice has consequences. 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. Bridgette Matter joined the Local 10 News team as a reporter in July 2021. Amanda Batchelor, Digital Executive Producer. Sunday marks 40 years since Anna Marie Mullin was murdered in Wilton Manors. "I will always stand up for what I believe in and eradicate anything in my way. Discuss Wilton Manors, Florida (FL) on our hugely popular Florida forum. Prev; Jump to a detailed profile, search site with google or try advanced search. "There was blood inside the car by the center console, there was clear trauma to the right side of the victim's head. / CBS Miami. Peter Avsenew was convicted last year of first-degree murder in the deaths of Kevin Adams and Steven Powell. As the man approached Bernard, Patti said that her husband told her to go inside the house and take care of the children. Defense lawyer Gabe Ermine objected to allowing the jury to hear her statements. Our community can be assured that our good work continues now and into the future., Manors Double Gay Murder Case Goes to Jury, Gay Couple Are Murder Victims in Manors Double Homicide, Families of Wilton Manors Murdered Couple Still Waiting for Answers, Guilty Verdict in 2010 Wilton Manors Double Murder, 2520 N. Dixie Highway, Wilton Manors, FL 33305. If you need help with the Public File, call (954) 364-2526. But Peter Avsenew was already a suspect by the time his mother turned him in. Initially thought of as a robbery gone wrong, the police investigation soon revealed an underlying twisted plot that brought out a dark secret to light. The 2020 Wilton Manors crime rate fell by 16% compared to 2019. The prosecution claimed during the trial that Avsenew used the couple's credit cards and was found in possession of their car. Her testimony came under question by defense attorneys because she testified remotely due to her illness and could . On May 9, they say Mitchell showed up to Young's apartment at 201 N.W. Carollo Takes Stand in Ball & Chain Trial, Accuses Witnesses of Lying Under Oath, Miami Juror in Historic Death Penalty TrialExplains Life in Prison Verdict, Florida Principal Resigns After Sending $100K to Scammer Posing as Elon Musk, Check Your Change! Former death row inmate Peter Avsenew convicted after murder retrial - MSN WILTON MANORS, Fla. - A man accused of attacking a woman in Wilton Manors is facing new charges. Amanda Batchelor is the Digital Executive Producer for Local10.com. 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. We are hoping by tomorrows meeting we will have answers.. Peter Avsenew, 38, was. After a Local 10 investigation into the handling of a 40-year-old cold case, detectives are one step closer to solving it. The park ranger immediately slumped over, but Ott then strangled Bernard twice, with a wire and a clothesline to confirm the kill. For Wilton Manors, we found that the violent crime rate is one of the highest in the nation, across communities of all sizes (both large and small). Public Defender Gordon Weekes said Avsenews defense team is determining how to proceed. After telling police her story about a robbery gone wrong, she changed her story and told police that Timothy Ott, whom she knew only through telephone conversations, was the one who killed her husband. 2023 Compare Crime Rates: San Francisco, CA vs Wilton Manors, FL The Knights sold their home on Hickory Hill Road in Wilton for about $1 million in March 2010 and moved to California. Ex-Boyfriend Arrested in Murder of Man Found Inside Burning Wilton According to the Sun Sentinel, prosecutors will seek the death penalty and sentencing will be carried out in January. When she returned, she claimed that she found her husband unresponsive and unconscious in the front seat. Patti James was convicted of the murder of her husband. Mom dies before she can testify at retrial of son she helped put on The ratio of registered sex offenders to all residents in this city is much lower than the state average. Their car and credit cards were missing, according to the evidence. He is not guilty.. Copyright 2023 Local10.com is published by WPLG INC., a Berkshire Hathaway company. If this case intrigues you, lets find out more about it and where the criminals are today, shall we? Public defender Gabe Ermine said there were at least two other people who could have committed the murders. Patti then introduced a problem in T.J.s life and told Ott that T.J.s ex-husband had just gotten visitation rights to her three children. NBC Universal, Inc. Police found the man guilty in the 2010 murder of a Wilton Manors couple. Rafael Olmeda may be reached at rolmeda@sunsentinel.com or 954-356-4457. UNTANGLING TORTURED WEB OF A KILLER - Sun Sentinel Higher means more crime, U.S. average is 254.8. Read More: How Did Dallen Bounds Die? Let us know! Peter Avsenewis on death row for the murders of Steve Adams and Kevin Powell. Since he chooses to keep his life out of the public sphere, not much is known about his present whereabouts. WILTON MANORS Jeanne Avsenew, whose testimony helped put her son on Florida's death row four years ago, died last week in Polk County, throwing a wrench into plans to retry Peter Avsenew for. The police were led to Ott by Patti herself as she kept changing her story and ended up implicating Ott as her husbands murderer. Peter was a new roommate to the couple weeks before their murder and they reportedly met through Craigs List. For her crimes, she was sentenced to life in prison. Avsenew could get life in prison or he could be returned to death row. Got a juicy lead or story idea? Schaefer, a former Wilton Manors police officer, was convicted in 1973 of the mutilation murders of two young women from Oakland Park. 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. Execution Ordered for Killer of Wilton Manors Couple. Kubes says this is the closest her family has ever been to finding justice for her sister.