John Marek (murderer)
{{Short description|American murderer (1961–2009)}}
{{Infobox criminal
| name = John Marek
| image_name = John Richard Marek.jpg
| image_size =
| image_caption =
| birth_name = John Richard Marek
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1961|9|17}}
| birth_place = United States
| death_date = {{Death date and age|2009|8|19|1961|9|17}}
| death_place = Florida State Prison, Raiford, Florida, U.S.
| alias =
| conviction = First degree murder
Kidnapping
Attempted burglary
| conviction_penalty = Death sentence
| conviction_status = Executed
| occupation =
| spouse =
| parents =
| children =
| death_cause = Execution by lethal injection
}}
John Richard Marek (September 17, 1961 – August 19, 2009) was an American death row inmate at Florida State Prison for the rape and murder of a woman in 1983.{{cite web|url=http://www.dc.state.fl.us/offenderSearch/detail.aspx?Page=Detail&DCNumber=094417&TypeSearch=IR|title=Inmate Release Information Detail|publisher=dc.state.fl.us|access-date=August 10, 2012}} Marek was executed on August 19, 2009.{{cite news|date=August 20, 2009|title=John Marek executed for murdering woman|work=WFTS-TV|url=http://www.abcactionnews.com/news/local/story/John-Marek-executed-for-murdering-woman/Ctc8U32RnkSweVIU_kIfnA.cspx|access-date=August 20, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090821163749/http://www.abcactionnews.com/news/local/story/John-Marek-executed-for-murdering-woman/Ctc8U32RnkSweVIU_kIfnA.cspx|archive-date=August 21, 2009}}
Kidnapping and murder
On June 16, 1983, Adella Marie Simmons, a 45-year-old mother of two, and her Barry University co-worker Jean Trach were returning home from a holiday trip,{{cite news|last=Word|first=Ron|date=August 20, 2009|title=State executes man for '83 murder|work=The Bradenton Herald|url=https://www.bradenton.com/news/article34080144.html|access-date=August 10, 2012}} when their car broke down on Florida's Turnpike in Broward County. John Marek and his accomplice Raymond Dewayne Wigley stopped and convinced Adella Marie Simmons to ride with them to a service station. They instead took her to a beach about 60 miles away, where she was repeatedly sexually assaulted, and then strangled with a bandana and burned.
Marek's accomplice Raymond Wigley was killed by fellow inmate John Richard Blackwelder while serving life imprisonment in 2000.{{cite news|date=April 20, 2009|title=Fla. Gov. Crist Signs 2 Death Warrants|work=Spectrum News 13|url=http://cfnews13.com/News/Local/2009/4/20/governor_crist_signs_2_death_warrants.html|access-date=April 22, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090828011613/http://cfnews13.com/News/Local/2009/4/20/governor_crist_signs_2_death_warrants.html|archive-date=August 28, 2009}}{{cite news|date=April 20, 2009|title=Fla. Gov. Crist signs 2 death warrants|work=WFTX-TV|url=http://www.fox4now.com/Global/story.asp?S=10215461|access-date=April 22, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090828061701/http://www.fox4now.com/Global/story.asp?S=10215461|archive-date=August 28, 2009}} At trial, Blackwelder said he killed Wigley because he (Blackwelder) wanted to die. He was sentenced to death for killing Wigley and gave up all his appeals. Blackwelder was executed on May 26, 2004.{{cite news|last=Word|first=Ron|date=May 27, 2004|title=Florida Inmate Is Executed by Injection|work=Associated Press|url=https://apnews.com/article/c713b05c3c90ea8a281d5881ccdb9ce1|access-date=October 17, 2021}}
Execution
Marek was scheduled to be executed by lethal injection on May 13, 2009, inside the Florida State Prison near Starke, Florida, after Governor Charlie Crist signed a death warrant.{{cite news|date=April 20, 2009|title=Crist Signs Death Warrant In 1983 Slaying|work=WFTV|url=http://www.wftv.com/news/19231661/detail.html|access-date=April 20, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090422190451/http://www.wftv.com/news/19231661/detail.html|archive-date=April 22, 2009}}{{cite web|date=April 20, 2009|title=Memorandum: Death Warrant in the case of John Richard Marek|work=Flgov.com|url=http://www.flgov.com/release/10672|access-date=August 20, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090423070608/http://www.flgov.com/release/10672|archive-date=April 23, 2009}} However, at the last moment the execution did not go through. On July 16, the Florida Supreme Court lifted the stay of execution with Charlie Crist shortly afterwards setting the date of execution to August 19, 2009, at 6 p.m. inside Florida State Prison.{{cite web|date=July 17, 2009|title=Memorandum: Letter to Warden Steven Singer regarding the case of John Richard Marek|work=Flgov.com|url=http://www.flgov.com/release/10899|access-date=August 20, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090828032455/http://www.flgov.com/release/10899|archive-date=August 28, 2009}}{{cite news|date=July 17, 2009|title=Governor sets execution date for Marek|work=ChipleyPaper.com|url=http://www.chipleypaper.com/articles/marek-3849-governor-sent.html|access-date=August 10, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090828040647/http://www.chipleypaper.com/articles/marek-3849-governor-sent.html|archive-date=August 28, 2009}} Marek's attorney filed a motion claiming there was a new witness attesting that Marek did not kill Simmons. The motion was denied on August 17, 2009, by the judge in the case.{{cite news|date=August 17, 2009|title=Judge Won't Stop Execution|work=WPLG|url=http://www.justnews.com/news/20430193/detail.html|access-date=August 20, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090819020909/http://www.justnews.com/news/20430193/detail.html|archive-date=August 19, 2009}}
Marek was executed on Wednesday, August 19, 2009, at 6:20 p.m. (Eastern Daylight Time, EDT, -0400 UTC), at Florida State Prison, Starke, Bradford County, Florida. The method of execution was lethal injection. The execution itself took 13 minutes and Marek was declared dead at 6:33 p.m. Marek had declined sedatives and his final words were "Jesus, remember us sinners", followed by the Lord's Prayer. Marek became the 68th death row inmate to be executed in Florida since the death sentence was reinstated there in 1979.{{cite news|date=August 18, 2009|title=Marek Execution Set For Wednesday|work=WFOR-TV|url=http://cbs4.com/local/john.marek.supreme.2.1133238.html|access-date=August 18, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090828031725/http://cbs4.com/local/john.marek.supreme.2.1133238.html|archive-date=August 28, 2009}}
See also
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.dc.state.fl.us/offenderSearch/detail.aspx?Page=Detail&DCNumber=094417&TypeSearch=IR Inmate Release Information Detail: John Richard Marek]
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20090828012607/http://www.floridacapitalcases.state.fl.us/inmate-details.cfm?id=279 Inmate details and case updates:John Marek]
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20090901204849/http://www.floridacapitalcases.state.fl.us/Death%20Warrant%20Files/John%20Marek/09-1080/Filed_06-26-2009_ReplyBrief.pdf John Marek v. State of Florida]. Retrieved on 2009-08-21.
{{s-start}}
! colspan="3" | Executions carried out in Florida
{{s-bef|before=Wayne Tompkins|before2=
{{s-ttl|title=John Marek|years=August 19, 2009}}
{{s-aft|after=Martin Grossman|after2=
|-
! colspan="3" | Executions carried out in the United States
{{s-bef|before=Jason Getsy – Ohio|before2=
{{s-ttl|title=John Marek – Florida|years=August 19, 2009}}
{{s-aft|after=Stephen Lindsey Moody – Texas|after2=
{{s-end}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Marek, John Richard}}
Category:1983 murders in the United States
Category:21st-century executions by Florida
Category:21st-century executions of American people
Category:American people executed for murder