Sonny Oats, Jr.
Sonny Boy Oats, Jr. was convicted of first-degree murder and robbery with a firearm on January 30, 1980. He was sentenced to death for murder and 99 years for robbery with a firearm.
On December 20, 1979, Jeanette Dyer, the clerk at the Little Country Store in Martel, Florida, was found lying on the floor with a gunshot wound, which penetrated her right eye and brain. When Dyer was discovered, she had a faint heartbeat, but died shortly after arriving at the hospital.
Money was missing from the cash register.
On December 24, 1979, an Ocala policeman observed a vehicle with two suspicious-looking men inside it, who were customers of the Jiffy Food Store. As the officer approached the vehicle, the men sped away, leading to a high-speed chase between the officer and the suspects. During the chase, the vehicle crashed, but the two men were not immediately apprehended.
Donnie Williams was arrested shortly after the crash and transported to the Marion County Jail. Oats was present at the jail inquiring about Williams’ release. Before he could get a response, Oats was informed that he was a suspect in the high-speed chase and was arrested.
Oats admitted to, not only his involvement in the high-speed chase, but also to the robbery of the Little Country Store and the murder of Dyer, the store’s clerk.
Subsequently, he confessed to a robbery of an ABC Liquor Store and the shooting of the store’s clerk, which took place one day prior to the Little Country Store robbery.
Oats directed police officers to a site where he had tossed his weapon subsequent to the high-speed chase. According to his statements of the ABC Liquor Store shooting, Oats claimed that he did not intend to shoot the clerk. Some time during the robbery, his foot slipped and his gun fired, the bullet hit the counter and almost shot the clerk.
On June 1980, Oats was tried for the ABC Liquor Store robbery and shooting, prior to and separate from the Little Country Store robbery and shooting. He was convicted of robbery with a firearm and second-degree murder.
Oats escaped from jail shortly after he went into custody at the Marion County Jail. About six months later, Oats was recaptured in Texas by federal agents and sent back to the Marion County Jail.
Source: Florida Commission on Capital Cases
On December 20, 1979, Jeanette Dyer, the clerk at the Little Country Store in Martel, Florida, was found lying on the floor with a gunshot wound, which penetrated her right eye and brain. When Dyer was discovered, she had a faint heartbeat, but died shortly after arriving at the hospital.
Money was missing from the cash register.
On December 24, 1979, an Ocala policeman observed a vehicle with two suspicious-looking men inside it, who were customers of the Jiffy Food Store. As the officer approached the vehicle, the men sped away, leading to a high-speed chase between the officer and the suspects. During the chase, the vehicle crashed, but the two men were not immediately apprehended.
Donnie Williams was arrested shortly after the crash and transported to the Marion County Jail. Oats was present at the jail inquiring about Williams’ release. Before he could get a response, Oats was informed that he was a suspect in the high-speed chase and was arrested.
Oats admitted to, not only his involvement in the high-speed chase, but also to the robbery of the Little Country Store and the murder of Dyer, the store’s clerk.
Subsequently, he confessed to a robbery of an ABC Liquor Store and the shooting of the store’s clerk, which took place one day prior to the Little Country Store robbery.
Oats directed police officers to a site where he had tossed his weapon subsequent to the high-speed chase. According to his statements of the ABC Liquor Store shooting, Oats claimed that he did not intend to shoot the clerk. Some time during the robbery, his foot slipped and his gun fired, the bullet hit the counter and almost shot the clerk.
On June 1980, Oats was tried for the ABC Liquor Store robbery and shooting, prior to and separate from the Little Country Store robbery and shooting. He was convicted of robbery with a firearm and second-degree murder.
Oats escaped from jail shortly after he went into custody at the Marion County Jail. About six months later, Oats was recaptured in Texas by federal agents and sent back to the Marion County Jail.
Source: Florida Commission on Capital Cases
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