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Murder of Sandra Rozzo

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Sandra Lee "Sandee" Rozzo was a Pinellas Park, Florida bartender who was shot to death in her home on July 5, 2003. Her casual acquaintance, Timothy "Tracey" Humphrey, and his wife Ashley Laney Humphrey, were convicted of her murder.

Perpetrators

Timothy Alvin "Tracey" Humphrey (born Nov. 15, 1966)[1] was Sandee Rozzo's coworker at the time of her murder. The two met at a Ybor City, Florida nightclub in November 2001 where Tracey worked as a doorman and Sandee was a bartender.[2] Tracey had a long previous criminal record of convictions for motor vehicle theft, kidnapping and aggravated assault.[1] The following February, Tracey was arrested for felony battery after allegedly beating and sexually assaulting Sandee. Tracey was due to go to trial on that charge on August 4, 2003, one month after Sandee's murder.[2]

Ashley Christine Humphrey (née Laney; born Oct. 13, 1982)[3] was working at Planet Smoothie in Brandon, Florida when she met Tracey Humphrey at a local gym in 2002.[4] Ashley and Tracey married on July 4, 2003, one day before Sandee's murder.[4]

Investigation

On July 5, 2003, Sandee Rozzo was shot to death in the garage of her Pinellas Park, Florida townhouse after returning home from her shift at the Green Iguana, a local bar.[2] Sandee's coworker Tracey Humphrey became the prime suspect.[5] Tracey had an alibi however, claiming that he had ordered a pizza to his Brandon, Florida apartment at the time of the crime.[6] This was verified by an acquaintance, Tobe White. Further investigation however, revealed that his wife of one day, Ashley Humphrey, was not at home during the crime, as cell phone records indicated that Ashley was actually in Pinellas Park, Florida when Sandee was killed.[7] Ashley Humphrey was arrested for the first-degree murder of Sandra Rozzo and her husband Tracey was charged with a federal firearms possession.[2] But while she was in custody, Ashley Humphrey decided to cooperate with authorities. She had admitted that she shot Sandra Rozzo to death, but claimed it was at the behest of her husband. In her statement, she told vivid details about the plot to murder Sandee. In addition, Ashley also gave up details to another failed murder attempt against Sandee. In a plea bargain, Ashley was allowed to plead guilty to second-degree murder in exchange for testimony against her husband. This gave prosecutors enough evidence to charge Tracey Humphrey with first-degree murder.[6]

Trial

Tracey Humphrey's murder trial began in February 2006. As part of her plea deal, Ashley testified against her husband. Under oath, she testified how she waited hours for Sandee to get off work at the Green Iguana, and then followed her back to her Pinellas Park home, where she fired eight shots into Sandra Rozzo.[7] Tracey Humphrey testified in his own defense, stating that the killing was Ashley's idea.[8] The jury did not find him convincing. He was convicted of first-degree murder on February 25, 2006.[5] Even though he faced the death penalty, jurors opted for life without parole, believing that it would be a harsher punishment than death in this case.[9]

Tracey Humphrey is serving his sentence at the Everglades Correctional Institution in Miami, Florida. Post-conviction, he was sentenced to an additional 15 years for a pre-trial escape attempt in April 2004.[1]

On March 10, 2006, Ashley Humphrey was sentenced to 25 years for murder.[9] Incarcerated at the Homestead Correctional Institution in Florida City, Florida, she is scheduled to be released from prison on December 13, 2028. She will be 46 years old.[3]

This case has been profiled from various perspectives on Dateline NBC, 48 Hours, Snapped, and On the Case with Paula Zahn; Ashley was interviewed by FBI profiler Candice DeLong for an episode of DeLong's Investigation Discovery series, Facing Evil.

References

  1. ^ a b c . Florida Department of Corrections http://www.dc.state.fl.us/ActiveInmates/detail.asp?Bookmark=3&From=list&SessionID=695172558. Retrieved 2011-08-24. {{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  2. ^ a b c d Jamie Jones (2003-12-19). "Couple in cuffs after slaying". St. Petersburg Times. Retrieved 2011-08-25.
  3. ^ a b . Florida Department of Corrections http://www.dc.state.fl.us/ActiveInmates/detail.asp?Bookmark=1&From=list&SessionID=695174087. Retrieved 2011-08-24. {{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  4. ^ a b Chris Tisch (2006-02-25). "Man guilty of using wife to kill woman before trial". St. Petersburg Times. Retrieved 2011-08-24.
  5. ^ a b David Sommer (2006-02-25). "He Didn't Pull The Trigger, But He's Guilty". Tampa Tribune. Retrieved 2011-08-22.
  6. ^ a b Chris Tisch (2011-08-06). "As long as we both shall live - or until the trial". St. Petersburg Times. Retrieved 2011-08-22.
  7. ^ a b David Sommer (2006-02-15). "Wife Says Husband Told Her To Kill". The Tampa Tribune. Retrieved 2011-08-22.
  8. ^ David Sommer (2006-02-24). "Spouse Says Killing For His Sake Was Wife's Idea". Tampa Tribune. Retrieved 2011-08-22.
  9. ^ a b Chris Tisch (2006-03-10). "Woman to serve 25 years for murder". St. Petersburg Times. Retrieved 2011-08-22.
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