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High Court Denies Death Sentence Appeal In Carrollwood Killing

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By NEIL JOHNSON | The Tampa Tribune

Published: June 5, 2008

TAMPA - The state Supreme Court today denied the appeal of a man convicted in the gruesome 1998 murder of Vicki Robinson, a killing in which he was aided by her daughter, who was 15 at the time.

Attorneys for Adam "Rattlesnake" Davis, who was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to death, turned to the Supreme Court to appeal a lower-court decision.

Attorneys argued that Davis' lawyers didn't provide an effective defense during the trial and the hearing that resulted in a jury recommendation he be executed.

Today, , the Supreme Court denied the claim that attorneys for Davis were ineffective. The ruling upheld a similar ruling from an appellate court.

Davis and girlfriend Valessa Robinson were found guilty in the murder of 49-year-old real estate agent Robinson, who was stabbed and injected with bleach in her Carrollwood home.

A friend, Jon Whispel, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and agreed to testify against Davis and Valessa Robinson.

According to the Supreme Court ruling, late on June 26, 1998, Davis, then 19, Valessa Robinson and Whispel, also 19 at the time, met at a Denny's and took LSD. While on the drug, Valessa Robinson proposed the three kill her mother by injecting an overdose of heroin, but they couldn't get any of the drug.

During Valessa Robinson's trial, prosecutors said she wanted to kill her mother because Vicki Robinson wanted to end the girl's relationship with Davis.

They bought a syringe for $2 to inject the sleeping woman with bleach and an air bubble. By then it was early in the morning of June 27. Vicki Robinson woke up, and Davis grappled with her.

The girl and Davis held Vicki Robinson down and Davis injected the bleach. When that didn't kill her, Davis stabbed the woman.

When they heard her groaning, Davis went back into the room, and later he told Whispel he had stabbed Vicki Robinson two more times and tried to break her neck. They stuffed her body into a plastic garbage can and dumped it along a canal near Waters Avenue.

The trio stole Vicki Robinson's car, credit cards, cash and ATM card, intending to head to Phoenix.

On July 2, 1998, they were caught in Texas.

Vicki Davis was popular in her church and community. More than 100 people showed up for a vigil at her house the day after her daughter told investigators where to find the body.

The state high court's ruling today was its second review of Davis' trial and death sentence. In 2003, attorneys for Davis appealed the conviction and sentence, an appeal the Supreme Court denied.

In 1999, Whispel was sentenced to 25 years in prison. He testified against Davis and Valessa Robinson at their trials and avoided a possible death penalty.

In 2000, Valessa Robinson was found guilty of third-degree murder along with theft charges and sentenced to 20 years.

Reporter Neil Johnson can be reached at (813) 259-7731 or njohnson@tampatrib.com.

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