The aborted review demonstrates the limitations of a unit set up to fanfare, the first of its kind in Florida, to seek justice for the wrongly accused
Category: Cold Blooded
Posted inCold Blooded
The ‘hanging judge’: Legacy of Jim Crow looms over Jacksonville Death Row case
An examination by The Tributary shows that Judge Hudson Olliff possessed retrograde views on race that were an open secret in Jacksonville’s legal community but less understood by the general public.
Posted inFlorida
‘Cold-Blooded’ wins 2025 Online News Award, recognized for impact
The Tributary today was awarded one of journalism’s most prestigious awards. ‘Cold-Blooded’ won the Online News Association’s feature reporting award, honoring excellence in online journalism that shows depth, insight and new understanding. The series has already been cited in filings to the Florida Supreme Court and U.S. Supreme Court.
Posted inFlorida
Cops had a choice of witnesses. They used the liar to put a Jacksonville man on Death Row
A cache of records recently obtained by The Tributary paints a vivid portrait of Sidney Jones, who was at once a petty thief, burglar, gunman, and liar, as well as a longtime paid police informant whose controlled buys gave cops probable cause for arrests.
Posted inFlorida
Witnesses say their lies put a man on Death Row. Then they took it back
On June 16, Henry Edwards signed a detailed affidavit acknowledging that he gave false testimony in a 1995 capital murder case as a favor to a Jacksonville detective – false testimony that put a man on Death Row. On Monday, after prosecutors and a judge told Edwards that recanting his past testimony could lead to criminal charges, he took it all back.
Posted inFlorida
Witnesses in Duval Death Row case say they were coached by detective to lie
The legal team representing Michael Bell submitted handwritten affidavits from both witnesses, each saying he was coached to give false testimony by Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office Detective William Bolena.
Posted inFlorida
Death Row attorneys fight state for records in case highlighted by The Tributary
Lawyers for Kenneth Hartley, a Jacksonville Death Row inmate convicted of murder more than 30 years ago on the word of a known liar and three jailhouse snitches, are fighting to pry loose records they hope will undo the case, which was the subject of a recent investigation by The Tributary called ‘Cold-Blooded.’
Posted inBehind the Story
Behind the story of ‘Cold-Blooded’
Nichole spent seven months investigating the 30-year-old prosecution against Kenneth Hartley, a project The Tributary published last month under the heading “Cold-Blooded.” Here, she answers some questions about the story, how it was reported, and what’s next.
Posted inFlorida
‘Open for business:’ It pays to be an informant. Telling the truth is optional
It is no mystery why detainees will seize the chance to testify that they heard someone confess – whether true or not.
![Prosecutor George Bateh speaks with the media after a hearing in Kenneth Hartley's murder case. [contributed by News4Jax video archives]](https://i0.wp.com/floridatrib.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Screenshot-2025-04-24-at-10.17.56%E2%80%AFAM.png?resize=1200%2C900&ssl=1)
Posted inFlorida
George Bateh put 15 men on Death Row – and was rebuked twice by Florida’s Supreme Court
George Bateh was good at putting people on Death Row. Whether that was the work of a righteous prosecutor or a sneaky courtroom tactician is a question at the heart of the legacy he left behind after more than 30 years in the State Attorney’s Office for the Fourth Judicial Circuit.