A Jacksonville man who was convicted for the 2004 murders of a drug dealer and the dealer’s 13-year-old son was denied an appeal for his two death sentences by the Florida Supreme Court.
Thomas Bevel, 42, of Jacksonville, was convicted in 2005 of the first-degree murders of Garrick Stringfield and his 13-year-old son, Phillip Sims. As well as the attempted murder of another woman connected to Stringfield.
The court noted in its opinion that Bevel had an IQ of 71, and his childhood was impacted by trauma of his mother’s death at age 12. At the time of the murders, Bevel was 22 years old.
“Bevel’s father did not actively participate in his life and subsequently died due to heroin use,” the court wrote. “Bevel’s childhood and teenage years were plagued by witnessing repeated acts of violence and substance abuse within his family.”
Bevel had brought up five issues to the court — he believed the court abused its discretion, the court dismissed his personal and medical history, and that Florida’s capital sentencing scheme is “unconstitutional.”
“...Bevel makes no novel or compelling argument that would warrant reconsideration of the numerous recent decisions of this Court,” the court wrote.
The court said it ultimately believed none of Bevel’s claims warranted relief from his death sentence.
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