Ken Lott was sentenced to death by the State of Florida for a robbery murder. According to court documents Ken Lott would rob and murder the victim Rose Connors inside of her home. Rose Connors would die from having her throat slashed. Ken Lott would be arrested, convicted and sentenced to death.
Ken Lott 2021 Information
| DC Number: | 026985 |
|---|---|
| Name: | LOTT, KEN E |
| Race: | WHITE |
| Sex: | MALE |
| Birth Date: | 02/14/1953 |
| Initial Receipt Date: | 07/07/1995 |
| Current Facility: | UNION C.I. |
| Current Custody: | MAXIMUM |
| Current Release Date: | DEATH SENTENCE |
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On the morning of March 28, 1994, Rose Conners was found murdered, lying unclothed in the master bedroom of her home. The right side of Conners’ throat had been slashed, her larynx had been fractured, she had been struck in the head with a blunt object and she had a single stab wound in the back. There were duct tape lines on her legs, arms, and face suggesting that Conners was bound and gagged prior to being killed and that the tape was removed after her death. There were bruises on Conners’ arm matching the imprint of a set of pliers found at the scene. The medical examiner testified that the blow to Conners’ head in combination with the pressure to her neck rendered her unconscious. The blow to Conners’ head was inflicted anywhere between a few minutes and thirty minutes before her neck was cut. The injury to her neck, which partially cut the jugular vein, was the cause of Conners’ *1241 death. The medical examiner estimated that Conners died sometime between 2 p.m. on Saturday, March 26, 1994 (the last time Conners was known to be alive), and 5 p.m. on Sunday, March 27, 1994. Although there was no evidence of sexual battery found by the medical examiner, there was significant bruising in the thigh area, suggesting that pressure had been applied to force her legs apart. Conners had a defensive wound on her right thumb. Abrasions were found on Conners’ elbows and knees and her torn panties were found underneath a bed in another bedroom of her house.
When Conners’ sister went through Conners’ effects, it was discovered that Conners’ diamond tennis bracelet was missing. In April of 1994, Lott offered to sell a gold ring and a diamond tennis bracelet to David Pratt, a friend, but Pratt refused the offer. Sometime after Easter of 1994, Lott went over to Robert Whitman’s house and stated that he had some jewelry, which included a gold ring and a diamond tennis bracelet that came from a robbery and murder in Jacksonville, that he wanted to get rid of. A week later, Lott returned to Whitman’s house and told Whitman that Lott and a friend, Ray Fuller, had killed Rose Conners. Lott told Whitman that he and Fuller had been using “crystal meth” and cocaine, and when they ran out of money and drugs they decided to rob Conners. Lott knew Conners because a few months before he had provided lawn services to her. Lott and Fuller planned to have Fuller tie, gag, and blindfold Conners since she did not know Fuller. However, Conners saw Lott when she escaped from the house and Lott had to come out from the bushes where he was hiding to catch her and bring her back inside.
Lott told Whitman that Conners had no cashonly gold and jewelry. Lott said that he beat Conners because she was fighting like a mad dog when he grabbed her and brought her back into the house. Lott said Conners begged him not to kill her and offered to sign her car over to them and take them to the bank to get money. Lott also told Whitman that he had to kill Conners because she knew him and would send him to prison. He said he cut Conners’ throat with a boning or fillet knife. Lott also said that he returned to Conners’ house that night and cleaned up the scene.
In May of 1994, Robert Whitman contacted the Orange County Sheriff’s Department and reported what he had been told by Lott. The sheriff’s department devised a plan to have Whitman meet with Lott regarding the stolen jewelry. At this meeting Whitman told Lott he would sell the jewelry for him and then gave Lott $600 for the jewelry. When Lott drove off, sheriff’s deputies pursued him and took him into custody.
In addition, the State submitted fingerprint, shoe print, and fiber evidence establishing Lott’s presence at the scene and proof that Lott was in possession of Conners’ diamond tennis bracelet, ring, and ATM card shortly after the crime. The State argued that Lott used a pair of pliers on Conners’ arm when questioning her about her valuables and her PIN number for her ATM card. Photographs taken by Conners’ bank established that Lott used Conners’ ATM card to retrieve money from a cash machine on Sunday, March 27, 1994. Coworkers of Lott’s wife testified that Lott’s wife was seen wearing Conners’ tennis bracelet subsequent to Conners’ death.
Because all of the evidence of what occurred during the murder consisted of testimony by Whitman concerning what Lott told him, Lott predicated his defense on the theory that he was set up by Whitman. Whitman admitted that he had been convicted of three or four felonies. He further admitted that he had been supplying drugs to Lott. Whitman also said that twenty-three years ago Lott had informed on him and gotten him in trouble with the law. Lott asserted that Whitman made up the story of Lott murdering Conners because Whitman wanted revenge for that incident.
The jury found Lott guilty of first-degree murder. At the sentencing phase, the jury recommended death by a unanimous vote. Lott later testified at a sentencing hearing held pursuant to Spencer v. State, 615 So. 2d 688 (Fla.1993), that he had been in Conners’ master bathroom in February of 1994 giving her advice about plantings outside her window, and that is how his palm print came to *1242 be on the sink. He had no explanation for the existence of prints in the other bedroom or his shoe prints in another part of the house. Lott also admitted that he was the person who used Conners’ card at the ATM, but he contended that he got the card and the PIN number from Whitman and did not notice that Rose Conners’ name was on the card.
https://law.justia.com/cases/florida/supreme-court/1997/86108-0.html