x
Breaking News
More () »

Death sentence thrown out in 2010 murder of 20-year-old Tampa man

Dontae Morris' first-degree murder conviction was upheld, but it was ruled that he must be resentenced due to the recent U.S. Supreme Court Case ruling in Hurst vs. Florida.
Murder suspect Dontae Morris in court for a hearing. The Florida Supreme Court on Thursday tossed out Morris' death sentence in the murder of Derek Anderson. [Times (2011)]

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Dontae Morris, a convicted cop-killer and accused killer in four total murders, has had his death sentence vacated in the 2010 murder of Derek Anderson by the Florida Supreme Court Thursday.

His first-degree murder conviction was upheld, but it was ruled that he must be resentenced due to the recent U.S. Supreme Court Case ruling in Hurst vs. Florida.

In the Hurst vs. Florida case, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that death sentences require a unanimous jury. In this case, it was decided that the jury's role in the capital punishment was limited and therefore unconstitutional.

The court released the following statement on the case:

"Because the jury, in this case, recommended death by a vote of 10 to 2, we cannot determine that the jury unanimously found that the aggravators outweighed the mitigators ... The error in Morris’ sentencing was not harmless beyond a reasonable doubt."

Morris remains on death row for the killings of two Tampa police officers.

For more information, check out the Tampa Bay Times article.

Make it easy to keep up-to-date with more stories like this. Download the 10 News app now.

Have a news tip? Email tips@wtsp.com, visit our Facebook page or Twitter feed.

Before You Leave, Check This Out