VALLE, MANUEL

DC Number:	853220
Name:	VALLE, MANUEL
Race:	WHITE
Sex:	MALE
Hair Color:	BLACK
Eye Color:	BLACK
Height:	6’00”
Weight:	150 lbs.
Birth Date:	05/21/1950
Initial Receipt Date:	05/16/1978
Current Facility:	UNION C.I.
Current Custody:	MAXIMUM
Execution Date	09-28-2011 7:14PM

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Eleventh Judicial Circuit, Dade County, Case #78-5281

• Sentencing Judge, Trial I: The Honorable Ellen J. Morphonios
• Sentencing Judge, Trial II: The Honorable James R. Jorgenson
• Sentencing Judge, Resentencing: The Honorable Norman S. Gerstein
• Attorneys, Trial I: David Goodhart & Vance Carr
• Attorneys, Trial II: Elliot Scherker & Leonard Rosenbaum – Assistant Public Defenders
• Attorneys, Resentencing: Michael Zelman & Elliot Scherker – Assistant Public Defenders
• Attorneys, Direct Appeal I: Elliot Scherker & Karen Gottlieb – Assistant Public Defenders
• Attorney, Direct Appeal II: Michael Zelman – Assistant Public Defender
• Attorneys, Direct Appeal, Resentencing: Louis Jepeway & Michael Mello
• Attorney, Collateral Appeals: Suzanne Myers – CCRC-S

Date of Offense: 04/02/78
Date of Sentencing, Trial I: 05/10/78
Date of Sentencing, Trial II: 08/04/81
Date of Resentencing: 03/16/88

Circumstances of Offense:

Manuel Valle was convicted and sentenced to death for the murder of Officer Louis Pena of the Coral Gables Police Department.

Officer Gary Spell, who was at the scene, recalled the following events at trial: On 04/02/78, Officer Louis Pena pulled over Manuel Valle and his codefendant, Felix Ruiz, for a traffic violation. Upon arriving at the scene, Officer Spell observed Valle sitting in the patrol car with Officer Pena. When Officer Pena initiated a registration check on the stolen car that Valle was driving, Valle exited the patrol car and walked back over to his own vehicle. Valle retrieved a gun from his car, returned to the patrol car, and fired one shot at Officer Pena, killing him. Valle then turned and fired two shots at Officer Spell before fleeing the scene. Valle was apprehended two days later in Deerfield Beach.

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Codefendant Information:

• Felix Ruiz was charged as an accessory after the fact and sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment on 06/20/78.

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