Experts told The Tributary that Officer Donald Bowers should have reported his hit to the face of William McNeil Jr. after he smashed the car’s window to drag McNeil out of the car.
Tag: state attorney
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
Duval judge denies new trial for Death Row inmate scheduled for execution
If put to death, Michael Bell will be the eighth person executed by the state this year.
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.
![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.
Posted inFlorida
How a Florida prosecutor fixed a ‘weak’ case using a liar and 3 jailhouse snitches to send a man to Death Row
The Tributary’s ‘Cold-Blooded’ series is a seven-month investigation unraveling the 1993 murder prosecution that sent a man to Death Row on the word of a known liar and three jailhouse informants.
Posted inFlorida
‘No plans to begin looking for work’: Orlando’s chief assistant state attorney emails staff after Monique Worrell’s election win
A longtime rival of former State Attorney Monique Worrell and current Chief Assistant State Attorney told staff he had “no plans” to look for a different job after Worrell’s re-election.
Posted inCriminal Justice
Jacksonville man beaten by JSO officers avoids jail time with plea deal
A 24-year-old who Jacksonville Sheriff’s officers beat after he fled during a traffic stop avoided jail time by pleading guilty to a non-violent misdemeanor Monday morning.
Posted inFlorida
Drug verdict overturned by Jacksonville prosecutor’s improper statements
A conviction in a drug case was reversed after the Fifth District Court of Appeal said that two Duval County prosecutors made numerous improper statements during a 2022 trial.