Robert Trease was sentenced to death by the State of Florida for the murder of Paul Edeson
According to court documents Robert Trease heard a rumor that Paul Edeson had a safe in his home. He would arrange for a female friend to go on a date with Edeson and then search his home however she could not find a safe. Trease would go to Paul Edeson home and demand to know the location of the safe when Edeson replied there was no safe he would be murdered by Robert
Robert Trease would be arrested, convicted and sentenced to death
Robert Trease Photos
Robert Trease Now
| DC Number: | 124346 |
|---|---|
| Name: | TREASE, ROBERT J |
| Race: | WHITE |
| Sex: | MALE |
| Birth Date: | 01/21/1953 |
| Initial Receipt Date: | 01/23/1997 |
| Current Facility: | UNION C.I. |
| Current Custody: | MAXIMUM |
| Current Release Date: | DEATH SENTENCE |
Robert Trease Case
On August 17, 1995, Hope Siegel arranged a date with the victim, Paul Edenson, so Trease could learn where the victim hid his safe. When Siegel arrived at the victim’s home they talked for a while, after which Siegel departed and walked to Trease’s location, and told him that the victim did not have a safe. Trease followed her back to the victim’s house where he surprised the victim and battered him in an effort to get the sought-after information. Upon the victim’s insistence that he did not have a safe in the house, Trease told Siegel to get a gun which Trease put to the victim’s head as he continued the questioning. The victim remained uncooperative so Trease fired a nonlethal bullet into his head and then sent Siegel for a knife with which he cut the victim’s throat. An expert medical witness testified that the victim would have died a few minutes later.
Subsequent to their arrest, Trease denied any knowledge of the crime, but Siegel made a taped statement implicating both. The State had no physical evidence tying Trease to the crime, so Siegel’s testimony was critical at trial. The jury found Trease guilty of first-degree murder, burglary, and robbery with a firearm.