A (Brickle): If I could call back the Friday, I would have changed my mind. In fact, I almost did. I still feel he's innocent. My reasons don't seem to be important or they weren't.

Q: But you stated in open court that that was your verdict.

A: I know I did, but I just couldn't take any more.

Q: Well, we are not concerned—

A: I felt I couldn't take any more.

Paul refused to question any of the other jurors about Brickle's claims. He ruled that Dollinger and Williams had not violated the integrity of the trial. He dismissed the jurors with a strong recommendation that they not comment to reporters. Hadley complained that Paul's questions to Brickle hadn't adequately addressed the possibility of juror misconduct, but the judge overruled him. The matter was closed.2

Now the judge began to pronounce sentence, reading from a typed statement. Florida juries can only recommend a sentence; Paul's judgment here would be binding.

"This Court has considered the advisory sentence returned by the Jury this morning," the statement began, and Paul went on to say that he had also been considering the evidence.

"Why you, sir, wanted to kill your wife may never actually be known. However, the record does show one motive which is money, five hundred thousand dollars worth of it."

At this moment Hadley realized that the judge was overruling the verdict. Under Florida law, murder for money is one of the aggravating circumstances which allows a sentence of death.

Paul continued: "The reason in the record for killing Charles Mays is more obvious: to cover up your involvement in the death of your wife. From the evidence it appears Mr. Mays was like a lamb being led to the slaughter, and slaughter it was.

"The killing of Mr. and Mrs. Edwards, from the verdict and I believe from the reasonable inferences of the evidence, apparently was not part of your original scheme but was the result of, unfortunate for them, happenstance; it appearing that they came to the store, they cannot be permitted to leave and, from the evidence, were executed.

"The evidence further shows the last step of your preconceived plan was to lure Edward Williams to the store and kill him to make it look like he too was part of a gang whose purpose was to commit robbery. Had this part of your plan succeeded, then we wouldn't be here today in this court of law.

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2    Shortly thereafter, the judge barred Zeigler's attorneys from contacting the jurors.