Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Felon who named jurors during trial gets life
A felon was sentenced to life in state prison Thursday, about three months after making a cryptic comment about jurors on a jailhouse phone call during his murder trial.
Palm Beach County Circuit Judge Jeffrey Colbath kept the “bombshell” from jurors until after they reached a guilty verdict for Tavaress Alexander Wilson, who turns 30 years old today.
The judge said the recorded jail phone call was “unsettling,” but an investigation did not reveal any direct threats or safety concerns for the panel.
During the trial, Wilson called his brother from jail and gave the names of all the jurors and the two prosecutors and said, “The jurors need to pray on it.”
Wilson’s lawyers insisted it could have been done for purely religious reasons. Prosecutor Reid Scott argued, “There’s no appropriate reason to give out the names other than a nefarious purpose.”
Wilson used another inmate’s telephone access code, allegedly to shield his identity during the call. Wilson did not give out any instructions concerning the jurors’ names.
“I have as much comfort as I can be given that nothing bad is going to happen or has happened,” Colbath said.
He explained that juror names are public record under Florida law, as well as the fact that all phone calls from the jail are recorded and monitored by the authorities.
Wilson was found guilty as charged, on counts of second-
degree felony murder with a firearm, burglary with a firearm, felon in possession of a firearm, and two animal cruelty charges.
He didn’t fire the gun. He was convicted in the death of a 23-year-old accomplice, who was shot by a homeowner during the burglary of a residence near Lantana on Aug. 13, 2015. The homeowner’s dogs were killed during the breakin.
Wilson received life terms for the murder and burglary convictions and 27-year terms for both the firearm possession and felony animal cruelty. All of the terms are to run at the same time.
Judge Colbath also ordered Wilson to be released to federal authorities, concerning a federal charge of violating his probation for a 2012 firearms offense.
Wilson did get one bit of good news Thursday. His jail phone privileges, which were removed because of the incident, were partially restored. He is now allowed to call his mother and sister.