Latest Legal News from the Criminal Courts in Houston, Texas

May 31, 2007

Media Advisory: Michael Griffith scheduled for execution

AUSTIN – Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott offers the following information about former Harris County sheriff’s deputy Michael Griffith, who is scheduled to be executed after 6 p.m. Wednesday, June 6, 2007. Griffith was convicted and sentenced to death for the Houston robbery and murder of Deborah McCormick.

FACTS OF THE CRIME

Deborah McCormick and her mother Mary Ringer worked together at the Always and Forever Florist Shop and Wedding Chapel, located in Houston. On the morning of October 10, 1994, Mary left Deborah in the shop alone, locking the door behind her. The two women had agreed to keep the door locked if only one of them was in the store, and no one was to be admitted unless the customer was known to them.

When Mary returned to the shop about 30 minutes later, she found her daughter’s body lying in a pool of blood and naked from the waist up. She had been stabbed eleven times. Missing were four hundred dollars that had been hidden in a makeup bag and the mother’s credit cards that had been in the victim’s purse.

The mother’s missing credit cards were used later that day at a gas station more than eighteen miles away from the murder scene, and they were also used at three department stores.

Griffith was arrested a month after the murder in a hotel room. Police discovered the stolen credit cards and an envelope containing money and a knife. In Griffith’s car, police found a receipt for a dozen red roses from the Always and Forever Florist Shop.

Mary Ringer testified that Griffith had been in the shop on three other occasions to purchase roses, and she recognized him as a customer.

The medical examiner identified the knife recovered from Griffith’s hotel room as consistent with the knife that inflicted the wounds on Deborah McCormick’s body. DNA testing indicated that the knife had a mixture of two different blood types – that of Deborah McCormick and Griffith.

PUNISHMENT PHASE

At the punishment phase of the trial, a former co-worker from the Harris County Sheriff’s Department testified that Griffith had a reputation for not being a peaceful and law abiding person, that Griffith was prone to spontaneous eruptions, and that Griffith was terminated from the sheriff’s department on January 21, 1993, for a violation of departmental policy regarding domestic abuse.

The State also presented evidence of two other violent robberies Griffith committed shortly after the murder of Deborah McCormick. Griffith robbed a Guardian Savings and Loan in Harris County on October14, 1994, four days after the murder. During the robbery, Griffith made the lone employee walk to the restroom in the back of the building, at which time Griffith shot her in the back of the head. The first shot grazed her head, but a second shot lodged and fragmented into her skull. The victim, who survived, was still conscious and saw Griffith shoot a security camera.

Griffith also robbed a bridal salon and sexually assaulted the salesperson on October 28, 1994.

The State presented numerous examples of Griffith’s abusive treatment of his ex-wives and girlfriends. Specifically, Griffith’s first wife testified that Griffith began hitting her very early on in their marriage; that Griffith was unfaithful to her, and when she confronted him with the affairs, he broke several of her ribs; and that she finally left him when he injured their oldest daughter in a fight.

Another ex-wife testified Griffith was charming and often gave her gifts while they were dating but became violent on the day they were married. During the three-year marriage, Griffith was physically abusive and began beating her four or five months into the marriage. Griffith once threatened to kill her for wearing a dress he thought was too tight. After they had separated, Griffith attacked her when she attempted to take money out of their bank account; during the attack, Griffith broke down her front door, broke her car windows, and took the money she had withdrawn.

Griffith began dating a co-worker from the Harris County Sheriff’s Department in October 1992. At first, Griffith was charming and sent flowers and gifts frequently, but soon became very possessive, jealous, and temperamental. On one occasion, Griffith choked her and threatened her with a gun. In January 1993, Griffith, who was despondent over losing his job, held the girlfriend hostage at his apartment for twelve hours, during which time he threatened her with a pair of scissors and told her he should kill her. At one point, Griffith told her “it’s a good day for you to die” and that she could say goodbye to her children before he killed her. The girlfriend escaped, and Griffith was arrested for assault.

Hilda Garcia testified that, when they first began dating, Griffith treated her well and gave her flowers, but soon became very possessive and temperamental. Griffith struck her on two occasions, one time chipping her tooth. On September 19, 1994, Griffith became angry and destroyed some things in Garcia’s home, then attacked her when she tried to throw him out. Garcia filed assault charges against Griffith for this incident.

As a rebuttal witness, the State called Allan Brantley, an FBI agent who works at the National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crimes. Brantley testified that there was a high probability that Griffith would engage in future acts of violence that were consistent with his past behavior. Brantley opined that Griffith’s actions were motivated by a sexual drive, and that such sexual drives do not go away. Brantley compared Griffith to a sexual predator who enjoys both the sexual aspect of his actions, as well as the power, control, and domination of a weaker individual. Such a predator will continue to look for similar outlets for sexual gratification, and, if isolated from females, he will look for a similar victim within the available population, which could include weaker males.

PROCEDURAL HISTORY

Griffith was convicted and sentenced to death in December 1995 for the capital murder of Deborah McCormick. The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals affirmed his conviction and sentence. The U.S. Supreme Court denied certiorari review of this decision. The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals denied state habeas corpus relief on October 8, 2003, after adopting the trial court's findings of fact and conclusions of law.

Griffith’s federal petition for writ of habeas corpus was denied on September 27, 2005. The district court also denied a certificate of appealability (COA) in the same opinion. Griffith filed a notice of appeal on October 5, 2005. Griffith’s request for COA was denied by the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on July 21, 2006. The Supreme Court denied certiorari review of this decision on January 8, 2007.

PRIOR CRIMINAL HISTORY

Griffith has no prior prison record. However, in addition to his death sentence, Griffith was also sentenced to 60 years in prison on two counts of aggravated robbery.

Griffith has committed numerous unadjudicated crimes, as described in the section regarding the punishment phase evidence.

 

next...»

[ Back to top ]

© 2006 John T. Floyd III All Rights Reserved : Web Master Kevin Grey Lee