Roy Harich was executed by the State of Florida for the murder of Carlene Kelly
According to court documents eighteen year old Carlene Kelly and a seventeen year old friend were picked up hitchhiking by Roy Harich. Carlene Kelly would be sexually assaulted and Harich would shoot both women before slashing their throats with Carlene dying from her injuries
Roy Harich would be arrested, convicted and sentenced to death
Roy Harich would be executed by way of the electric chair on April 24 1991
Roy Harich Photos
Roy Harich Case
An inmate convicted of sexually assaulting and killing a teen-ager 10 years ago was executed in Florida’s electric chair today hours after the United States Supreme Court rejected his last appeal.
The inmate, Roy Allen Harich, died at 7:06 A.M., after the executioner threw the switch on the electric chair at Florida State Prison.
He was executed as lawyers debated whether a new Supreme Court policy limiting appeals affected his ability to get a delay.
“I’m disappointed with the almost total lack of fairness in the American criminal justice system,” the 32-year-old inmate said in a barely audible voice after he was strapped in. “This is truly a sad time in our country’s history, when political concerns take on more importance than the fundamental rights of the individual.” ‘Message’ From High Court
Mr. Harich was executed for the 1981 killing of Carlene Gayle Kelly, 18. He was the 26th inmate to be executed in Florida and the 145th nationwide since the Supreme Court in 1976 allowed states to resume executions.
He was the first inmate executed since the Supreme Court announced a policy last week limiting inmates to one Federal appeal.
His lawyer, John Chapman, and Bobby Brochin, deputy general counsel to Gov. Lawton Chiles, disagreed over the policy’s effect on the failure of Mr. Harich’s appeals.
“I think it had a very strong effect,” Mr. Chapman said. “The Supreme Court is sending a message to the lower courts that ‘we don’t care about these problems and don’t want to bother with them.’ “
In denying an appeal last week, Federal District Judge Kendall Sharp noted the new policy only in a footnote, Mr. Chapman said. But he said the United States Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit, in Atlanta, was reacting to the policy when it rejected the inmate’s appeal. Victim’s Sister Watches
Mr. Harich’s final appeal focused on new evidence that his trial lawyer was a special deputy sheriff, a possible conflict of interest, Mr. Chapman said.
The Supreme Court decided late Tuesday to let the execution proceed.
Among the witnesses Wednesday was Tina Wooten, the slain girl’s sister. Waiting outside the prison were the victim’s brothers, Alex and Keith Kelly.
On June 26, 1981, Mr. Harich offered a ride to Miss Kelly and her 17-year-old friend, Deborah Miller, in Daytona Beach, according to court testimony. He drove the women to a secluded, wooded area to smoke some marijuana. Early the next day, he shot both women in the back of the head and slashed their throats.
Miss Kelly died instantly. Miss Miller survived and testified against Mr. Harich
