Opinion ID: 2544685
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: facts

Text: Allred was indicted on October 23, 2007, on the following charges alleged to have occurred on September 24, 2007: (1) first-degree premeditated murder of Michael Ruschak by shooting with a firearm; (2) first-degree premeditated murder of Tiffany Barwick by shooting with a firearm; (3) armed burglary of a dwelling while inflicting great bodily harm or death; (4) aggravated battery with a firearm (victim Eric Roberts) while inflicting great bodily harm or death; and (5) criminal mischief of a motor vehicle (Barwick's car). Then, on April 30, 2008, Allred entered written and oral guilty pleas to all charges. The trial court conducted a plea colloquy of the defendant and accepted the guilty plea, concluding as follows: The Court finds that you are an alert and an intelligent individual capable of exercising your best judgment, it's your decision to enter a plea of guilty to these offenses, [the plea] has been made freely and voluntarily after [your] having received advice from your attorney with whom you're satisfied, and a factual basis exist[s] for the pleas by your admission under oath. I'll accept the pleas. The next month, against the advice of counsel, Allred moved to waive his right to a jury in the penalty phase and to waive his right to be present during the proceedings. After determining that Allred understood the consequences of these waivers, the Court overruled the State's objection and granted Allred's requests. At the conclusion of an August 2008 pretrial hearing, Allred unexpectedly blurted out that he wanted to fire the public defender's office. The trial judge informed Allred that he would soon hold a hearing on this new request. At the September 4, 2008, hearing, Allred's counsel recited the facts that Allred had requested dismissal of counsel in August and subsequently had given counsel a written request for a hearing on the request to represent himself. Defense counsel explained that the parties still had witnesses to depose and evidence to prepare before the penalty phase could commence. The trial court explained to Allred that a complete record in the case was necessary for Supreme Court review. Thus, if the trial court found after a Faretta [1] hearing that Allred was capable of representing himself, the process would not speed upit would actually slow down. Allred acknowledged his understanding of this explanation and withdrew his request to represent himself [i]f [the proceedings] can be done soon. The parties agreed that they would work expeditiously.
The penalty phase was held September 22-24, 2008. [2] Because Allred pleaded guilty, the State presented evidence regarding the murders to establish a basis for aggravating factors, after which the defense presented mitigation testimony. On August 25, 2007, Allred celebrated his twenty-first birthday with a party at his family's home in Oviedo. A number of people attended, including his best friend Michael Ruschak and Allred's live-in girlfriend, Tiffany Barwick. Allred and Barwick had dated for about a year and lived together for the last several months. The relationship with Barwick, however, came to an abrupt and public end at the birthday party. When Barwick told Allred she wanted her stuff back, Allred went to the room they shared, gathered her belongings, and began throwing them over the property's fence. [3] Someone called the police, who upon arrival ordered Allred to stop but did not arrest him. A few days later, Allred bought a Springfield XP .45 caliber handgun. Because of the legal waiting period, however, he did not take possession of it until September 7. On that day, he used pictures of Barwick for target practice and subsequently emailed Barwick a photo of the bullet-riddled pictures that were hanging on the wall of his room. Witness testimony and digital messaging indicated that in the days shortly before the murders, Allred discovered thatsubsequent to the breakupRuschak and Barwick had sexual intercourse. Allred became angry and sent threatening messages to his ex-best friend and his ex-girlfriend. He also discussed his feelings with friend Michael Siler. In an instant message exchange with Siler on September 23, Allred stated, I pretty much just need to start killing people. The next day, September 24, 2007, the day of the murders, Allred specifically threatened the lives of Barwick and Ruschak. In an instant message chat with Siler in the morning, Allred stated, I'm pretty much gonna kill him ... Ruschak ... and her. In an electronic conversation with victim Ruschak on that same day, Allred told him, If [I] see you again, [I] will kill you, and yes that is a threat. Finally, Allred and Barwick engaged in a heated and lengthy computer exchange on the day of the murder. Allred informed Barwick that he had hacked into her computer, changed the passwords, deleted files, and sent emails to people on her contacts list. He also transferred all of the funds in her bank account to pay her credit card debt. Calling her a whore because of her relationship with Ruschak, Allred said he could not forgive her for that and threatened, [I]f, I ever see [Ruschak] again I will kill him. Allred was fired from his job instructing on the use of computer software on the day of the murders. That evening, he and Siler went to dinner at a local restaurant. They talked about work and other subjects, but Allred seemed not to care about anything and often shrugged in response to questions. Allred drove Siler home about an hour later. Siler testified that as Allred left, the thought that Allred might be suicidal crossed his mind. After dropping Siler off, Allred drove first to a grocery store and bought beer. Then he went home for a while, but he did not drink any of the beer. Later, knowing that Barwick would be with Ruschak, Allred contacted Ruschak, stating that he was coming to Ruschak's house. Allred then picked up the .45 he bought for his birthday and went out to his truck. At the time of the murders, Ruschak was living in the home of friend Eric Roberts at 100 Shady Oak Lane. A neighbor, Steve McCavour, testified that at approximately 10 p.m. on September 24, 2007, he saw a large black truck repeatedly crashing into a white car. He called 911 and observed the driver go to the front door of Roberts' house, kick and bang on it, and then head around the house. Roberts and roommate Ruschak had invited friends over that night for dinner and to watch a popular television program. Tiffany Barwick was living there temporarily, and the other guests present were Justin Kovacich, Philip Cammarata, Kathryn Cochran, and Charles Bateman. Soon after all the guests arrived, Ruschak told the group that he had just received a message from Allred stating that he was coming over. Ruschak suggested calling Allred's mother to see if Allred had left home and someone suggested calling the police, but neither call was made. The message that Allred was coming over, however, put Barwick in full panic mode. Soon thereafter, witnesses sitting in the living room heard a loud noise outside the house, which Cochran testified sounded like a mortar going off. Ruschak, who was in the kitchen at the front of the house, looked out the window and announced that Allred had arrived. Ruschak then quickly locked the front door just before Allred banged loudly on it, yelling, [L]et me in. When no one opened the door, Allred went to the back of the house, where the guests had assembled in the living room. He banged on the sliding glass door, and Barwick ran up the hall to a bathroom near the front of the house. The glass door suddenly shattered when Allred fired a shot into it. He walked into the house, holding his gun. He recognized all of the people standing before him, but he said nothing. The people present began to scream and look for an escape route. Together, Cammarata and Kovacich ran up the hallway to the front door, unlocked it, and fled as they heard gunshots. Kovacich then called 911. Allred saw Ruschak peer around the corner from the kitchen, and Allred fired a shot up the hallway in his direction. Allred walked past Roberts, who had just come down the hallway from the front door, and went directly to the kitchen, where he shot Ruschak several times. At this point, Roberts grabbed Allred from behind and asked Allred what he was doing. Allred struggled with Roberts, telling him to let go. When Roberts did not release him, Allred pointed the gun downward and fired a shot that hit Roberts' right leg. During this struggle, Bateman ran out the shattered back door and into the woods, where he called 911. Realizing he could escape the same way, Roberts let go of Allred and ran to a neighbor's house. When his neighbors opened their door, Roberts asked them to call 911 and soon heard Allred drive off in his truck. Roberts realized he had been shot when his neighbors pointed to the blood on his pants. At this point, only Barwick and Cochran remained alive in the house with Allred. Barwick was in the hall bathroom at the front of the house, where she fled when Allred first entered. Standing in the bathtub, Barwick called 911. At the beginning of the call, Barwick tried to provide the 911 dispatcher with the necessary information. However, as the gunshots sounded in the background, she began to scream and hyperventilate. Finally, the line went dead. In his confession, Allred recounted that after he gained his release from Roberts, he entered the bathroom. Then, without saying a word, he fired multiple shots into Barwick. She collapsed in the tub and died. While hidden in the master bathroom, Cochran heard the others yelling and running, and she heard the gunshots. Finally, she heard Barwick's screaming, followed by more gunshots and then silence. Soon, Roberts returned to the house. He saw Ruschak lying face down in the front doorway and then found Cochran still hiding in the bathroom at the back of the house. Roberts told her that Allred was gone. The police arrived shortly thereafter. After leaving the crime scene, appellant called 911. He reported that he had killed two people and threatened to commit suicide. When Deputy Sheriff David Kohn arrived at Allred's home, Allred was standing at the end of his driveway near the road, with a cell phone in his hand and his gun on the ground. Upon initial contact, Allred told the officer, I'm the guy you're looking for. After the officer secured him, Allred asked if the people were dead, but the officer told him he could not provide that information. Then, in the patrol car, Allred stated, I knew I killed someone, I shot fourteen times. Allred was turned over to the Oviedo Police Department, and he was interviewed by two detectives after he was advised of his Miranda [4] rights. In his confession, Allred largely admitted the above factual description as to the actual murders. He admitted firing fourteen shots during the incident, emptying the clip, but he denied sending any threatening messages. He stated that he bought the .45 pistol only because he could after he turned twenty-one. Although he usually left his gun at home unless he was going to target practice, he gave no reason for taking it with him that night. He acknowledged using Barwick's picture for target practice earlier in the month, but he claimed that he did not think of killing her until the night of the murders. He denied, however, that he went to the house that night with the intent to shoot Barwick and Ruschak and stated that he went there solely to ram her car. He explained that he killed Ruschak because his ex-best friend was an asshole who sided with Barwick in their breakup, but he gave no reason for the murder of Barwick. Allred did not speak to either victim before he shot them. [5] The medical examiner, Dr. Predrag Bulic, performed the autopsies on the victims. He testified that Ruschak had four gunshot wounds but there was no way to determine the order in which the shots were fired. Two wounds were nonlethal. One wound was potentially lethal if not treated within an hour. That bullet passed through the vertebral column, nicked the vena cava, and exited through the upper abdomen. Finally, the cause of death was a shot that entered the middle chest and travelled through the sternum, heart, and left lung. Barwick had six gunshot wounds, and again the medical examiner was unable to determine the order in which the rapid shots were fired. Four of the wounds were nonlethal. The fifth gunshot wound would have been lethal if not treated quickly; the bullet collapsed a lung. The sixth wound, however, was immediately lethal. That bullet traveled diagonally through her left lung, heart, diaphragm, abdomen, and liver.
In mitigation, the defense presented the testimony of family members and teachers regarding Allred's academic and social development. Allred's mother, Tora Allred, testified that her son was a happy child until about age five or six, when he became a different child, hyper, and emotional. She took him to a pediatrician, who she said found no physical problems but suggested Allred had been sexually abused; he referred her to a psychiatrist. The psychiatrist, however, found Allred had a well-defined tic disorder (licking his hand and rubbing his eye) and diagnosed attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD); he prescribed medication. Allred's mother said that his personality showed in many of his school pictures in which he did not smile. Tora Allred also testified that appellant's paternal grandparents lived either in their home or next door for most of his life. She stated that onceshe did not specify whenappellant's much older cousin filed a police report accusing this same grandfather of sexually molesting him, but she admitted that appellant had never made such an allegation. Regarding Allred's progress in school, Tora Allred testified that in grade school, progress reports indicated that Allred was inattentive and did not do his work. Although it was suggested that Allred might have a learning disability, subsequent school testing revealed that he had a high IQ and qualified for gifted classes. Allred was less social than his brothers and quieter. He left school after eleventh grade and attended a community college to earn his high school diploma. Then, at another nearby college, he obtained a two-year degree in accounting. After graduating from high school, Allred lived alone in a large room that had been added downstairs in the family home. Only Allred had access to the room after he installed a deadbolt lock on the door. Appellant painted the walls and ceiling black and covered the windows with black curtains. At the time of the murders, Allred was essentially self-sufficient. He was employed full time teaching the use of software, and he paid for his own car and cell phone. Allred and Tiffany Barwick had a good relationship and were happy until the birthday breakup. In fact, on the day he turned twenty-one, Tiffany gave him a card that read, Andrew, happy birthday. I am so happy I've spent the last year with you. I love you, hope you like your gift. Tora Allred, however, also testified that after the breakup, Tiffany gave Allred a T-shirt that had Failed written on it. A rebuttal witness, however, subsequently testified at the Spencer [6] hearing that Tiffany gave Allred the T-shirt at his twentieth birthday party, a year before the murders. The word failed was Allred's catchphrase, and the gift was meant to be funny because it was the word he used all the time. In fact, Allred laughed when he saw the shirt. Both of Allred's parents testified that the family kept guns in the house for hunting and skeet and target shooting. Further, when Allred was younger, his father experienced a period in which he had a drinking problem that resulted in multiple DUIs and incidents of domestic violence. On one occasion, Allred's drunken father threatened to shoot himself, and his mother struggled with her husband. The then twelve-year-old Allred observed this and called the police. As a result, his father was arrested. Finally, both parents were concerned about appellant after the breakup with Tiffany, and the weekend after the breakup, his father considered that appellant might commit suicide. Allred's parents tried to encourage appellant, telling him that he would get over Tiffany. Allred's paternal grandfather testified that he and his wife had lived with Allred's family for ten years from the time Allred was a baby. Both grandparents then moved with their son's family from Winter Park to Oviedo, where they lived on adjacent property. According to his grandfather, Allred studied, was good with his hands, and was a computer nut. Although he no longer lived next door, Allred visited him at his new home and brought Tiffany with him sometimes. He was not asked any questions about familial sexual abuse allegations. Three of Allred's teachers testified regarding his school life. A grade school teacher stated that he made good grades but was frequently tired and slept in class. He was generally withdrawn and standoffish, preferring not to participate, and he had trouble making friends. A middle school teacher testified that he had an IQ of at least 130 and qualified for gifted classes. The school was a mix of rural students, such as Allred, and more cosmopolitan students who had computers and academically advanced parents. As a result, the second group often picked on Allred because he did not have a computer at home and he often wore the same clothes two days in a row. Allred was quiet and a loner; he had friends but none in the gifted program. He took fewer gifted classes in seventh grade and then dropped out of the program in the eighth grade. Allred's high school web design teacher agreed that Allred was a loner but said he nevertheless made Bs and Cs in school. At the end of the hearing, victim impact statements from the victims' families were read to the trial court. Afterwards, the prosecutor asked the trial court to inquire whether the defense intended to present mental health mitigation, noting that the defense had listed an expert to testify. The defense responded that after discussion and consultations, they determined not to present such testimony.
On November 19, 2008, Allred was present for his sentencing hearing. He declined, however, to address the court. The judge then sentenced Allred to death for the murders of Ruschak and Barwick. Allred was given life sentences for armed burglary of a dwelling while inflicting great bodily harm or death and for aggravated battery with a firearm while inflicting great bodily harm on Eric Roberts. Finally, appellant was sentenced to five years for criminal mischief. All sentences were ordered to be served concurrently. In sentencing Allred to death for the murders, the court found the following three aggravating factors and ascribed the weight indicated as to Allred's murder of Michael Ruschak: (1) cold, calculated, and premeditated (CCP)great weight; (2) murder committed while engaged in a burglarylittle weight; and (3) prior capital or violent felony conviction (Barwick's contemporaneous murder)great weight. As to Barwick's murder, the court found the following three aggravators and ascribed the weight indicated: (1) the murder was especially heinous, atrocious, or cruel (HAC)great weight; (2) CCPgreat weight; and (3) prior capital or violent felony conviction (Ruschak's contemporaneous murder)great weight. [7] The court also considered the following mitigating circumstances and ascribed the weight indicated: (1) defendant accepted responsibility by entering guilty pleaslittle weight; (2) defendant cooperated with law enforcement-moderate weight; (3) defendant suffered from an emotional disturbance-moderate weight; (4) defendant's emotional and developmental age was less than his chronological agenot established; (5) other factors including that defendant was likely sexually abusednot established; and (6) defendant's developmental problems at a young age impacted his educational and social development little weight.