PANAMA CITY — Prosecutors intend to seek the death penalty against two men suspected in the robbery and slaying of a 90-year-old Lynn Haven man, according to court records.
Ashley Griffin and Kevin Jeffries, both 28 and from Hartford, Ala., and 27-year-old David Challender of Vernon were arrested in April after an investigation and manhunt that spanned three states. They were indicted last week for first-degree murder, and prosecutors have filed notices of intent to seek the death penalty against Jeffries and Challender.
Prosecutor Larry Basford said in court filings Scott’s killing was “cold, calculated and premeditated,” and it was “especially heinous, atrocious and cruel.” Those phrases are lifted directly from the Florida law establishing what the state must prove before a death sentence can be imposed.
More than 20 law enforcement agencies were involved in the apprehension of the people suspected of killing Wallace Scott, but in a letter from the Bay County Jail to the judge hearing her case, Griffin says she’s been set up by her ex-boyfriend and takes credit for his capture.
“The day I voluntarily came to meet the investigators, I did everything in my power to help them catch these 2 killers and I succeeded [sic],” Griffin wrote to Judge Brantley Clark. “I caught the killers.”
After the arrests, BCSO officials said the suspects entered Scott’s home with the intent of getting information that would allow them access to his bank accounts. Scott was bound and beaten when he refused to provide personal identification numbers. Officials said there was evidence of torture.
BCSO officials said at the time the arrests were the result of “the most intensive investigation in recent memory.” Griffin’s role in the investigation is not clear.
According to a BCSO timeline of the investigation, she was located in Donalsonville, Ga., on April 13, nine days after Scott was killed, and brought back to Bay County. Investigators developed her, Jeffries and Challender as suspects the day before.
Jeffries and Challender were arrested later the same day; Jeffries was in Holmes County and Challender was in Caryville. Deputies had reason to believe the two men had made statements to the effect they would not be taken alive, and guns were stolen from Scott’s home.
All three individuals were in possession of property taken from Scott’s home when they were arrested, investigators said. Griffin, who signed her letter to Clark “Ashley Griffin aka Angel,” was wearing a ring that belonged to Scott.
Sherri Mercer and Deborah Cupp, two women Scott employed as caretakers, were arrested on suspicion of credit card fraud for allegedly using Scott’s credit cards without authorization. Challender is Mercer’s son and Jeffries is her nephew.
Investigators said Scott learned of the fraud and had an appointment to remove Mercer as a beneficiary in his will April 8. She has been cleared of suspicion of being in the house at the time of the killing.