Frank Ray Chandler
Frank Ray Chandler (July 10, 1972-November 12, 2004) was executed by the state of North Carolina on November 12, 2004. He was convicted of the murder of 90-year-old Doris Poore after he broke into her home in Mount Airy on December 11, 1992. Chandler had broken into her house looking for marijuana and, when he was startled by Poore, Chandler hit her in the head, killing her.
Charge
Chandler was charged with aggravated first-degree murder, a charge which allowed the prosecutor to seek the death penalty. The prosecution alleged that Chandler had killed Poore for monetary gain and that thus the murder was an aggravated one. Critics, however, argued that the monetary gain charge was trumped up. North Carolina Supreme Court Justice Robert F. Orr, a death penalty supporter, sharply criticized the death penalty sentence, saying that "Chandler shouldn't be executed since he didn't kill Poore for money."
Allegations of Ineffective Assistance of Counsel
In his appeal Chandler asserted that his attorney, J. Clark Fischer, was unfit to represent him and that Fischer had provided ineffective assistance of counsel. At the request of the North Carolina Attorney General's Office Fischer filed affidavits defending himself against these allegations. Critics claim that Fischer's affidavits in support of the Attorney General's case violated the attorney's duty to represent his client because the affidavits were detrimental to his own client's case. But Fischer argued that the North Carolina rules of evidence provide an explicit exception to the attorney-client privilege in cases where the attorney is accused of ineffective assistance of counsel.
Execution
After all appeals were exhausted and Governor Mike Easley refused to stay the execution, Chandler was scheduled for execution. He was executed by lethal injection on November 12, 2004 and pronounced dead at 2:13am.
Charge
Chandler was charged with aggravated first-degree murder, a charge which allowed the prosecutor to seek the death penalty. The prosecution alleged that Chandler had killed Poore for monetary gain and that thus the murder was an aggravated one. Critics, however, argued that the monetary gain charge was trumped up. North Carolina Supreme Court Justice Robert F. Orr, a death penalty supporter, sharply criticized the death penalty sentence, saying that "Chandler shouldn't be executed since he didn't kill Poore for money."
Allegations of Ineffective Assistance of Counsel
In his appeal Chandler asserted that his attorney, J. Clark Fischer, was unfit to represent him and that Fischer had provided ineffective assistance of counsel. At the request of the North Carolina Attorney General's Office Fischer filed affidavits defending himself against these allegations. Critics claim that Fischer's affidavits in support of the Attorney General's case violated the attorney's duty to represent his client because the affidavits were detrimental to his own client's case. But Fischer argued that the North Carolina rules of evidence provide an explicit exception to the attorney-client privilege in cases where the attorney is accused of ineffective assistance of counsel.
Execution
After all appeals were exhausted and Governor Mike Easley refused to stay the execution, Chandler was scheduled for execution. He was executed by lethal injection on November 12, 2004 and pronounced dead at 2:13am.
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