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testify against
Middleton, who had pleaded innocent and claimed that while he had had sex with Powell, it was consensual and that he had left her house, only to return and find her dead. Middleton claimed that he feared he would be blamed for her murder. Due to this, he decided to wrap her body up in the sleeping bag and throw it in the trash bin. Middleton then appealed his case to the district court, which ruled that the murder charges should be thrown out because the cause of death of either victim could not be determined. This ruling was immediately appealed to the
367:, was reported missing by her colleagues after failing to show up to work for two days in a row. Officers were then dispatched to search her home, and upon entering, they found that her truck had been left untouched, but Powell herself was nowhere to be seen, and some of her items were missing. Upon questioning the neighbors, the officers learned that an old, beat-up car driven by an unfamiliar man frequently stopped by the residence but could not provide more information.
351:, was reported missing by her younger sister after she failed to return home from work. This was considered highly concerning, as she had never skipped work since she was hired in 1988 and did not have a means of transportation as she could not drive. Her fate remained unclear until April 1995, when her remains were found in
468:
terms without parole for their kidnappings. The announcement was met with relief from the victims' family members, including the family of Buffy
Donohue, who said that they would like to attend his execution if it is ever carried out. A month later, he was given an additional 32 years for credit card
421:
Parallel to
Middleton's trial, his girlfriend's trial for credit card fraud, possession of stolen property, and burglary was also kept under watch from prosecutors, as some pieces of evidence overlapped in both trials. In addition, if Haley were convicted, she would be able to appear as a witness and
383:
While investigating potential suspects in the Powell case, one of the detectives took notice of
Middleton, as he had done a TV installation at her home and owned a truck similar to the one supposedly seen by the neighbors. As a result, officers went to search his apartment on February 23, where they
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Upon a closer examination of his criminal record, investigators learned of
Middleton's convictions back in Miami and that his purchases for electronic equipment coincided with those ordered by Powell. They eventually gathered enough evidence to charge him with the murders of both Powell and Davila,
370:
On
February 11, Powell's body was found in a trash bin at the Lakegrove Condominiums, wrapped in a sleeping bag. Although it showed no visible signs of violence, the circumstances of the discovery indicated that she was the victim of a homicide, with acquaintances theorizing that someone had taken
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During his tenure at the Miami Police
Department, Middleton used his position to pick up and rape vulnerable young women. Among his victims was 16-year-old AC, whom he picked up off a street in Miami in September 1990 using the excuse that it was past her curfew and her parents were worried. After
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In
September 1997, Middleton was found guilty on all counts by the jury, a verdict that was cheered on and welcomed by both prosecutors and the victims' family members. Shortly after the trial, several of said family members told in interviews with the press that they wished he would receive the
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At a preliminary hearing, many aspects of the case were scrutinized, including speculation from both sides that
Middleton might have stored Powell's body in his refrigerator, which stemmed from the fact that two holes had been drilled and the shelves had been inexplicably removed. In addition to
281:
and was allowed to plead guilty on the lesser charge of the battery, for which he was given a 5-year sentence at a local penitentiary. Middleton was paroled two years later and moved out of
Florida, settling first in Colorado and then Nevada, where he found work as a cable TV repairman.
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that supposedly indicated that Middleton had bitten one of Powell's breasts while raping her. Two days after this hearing, a judge ruled that Middleton could be tried for the two murders as he considered there was sufficient evidence to charge him with murder.
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and firearms offences he had committed in connection with the cases. In 1999, the Donohue family hired a special prosecutor in an attempt to charge Middleton with their daughter's murder, but no such charges were brought forward.
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to wash her car and later buy some lemonade, but she never returned to the house or her husband. As a result, Donohue's father and husband went searching for her and eventually found her car parked at the parking lot of a local
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and criminal trespassing about unrelated incidents committed during attempts to locate their daughter. In response to the charges, Frank Marquis, an inmate who was facing murder charges in an unrelated case, organized a
270:, Middleton instead drove to an area outside of town, where he proceeded to rape AC. After the assault, he dropped her off in an empty lot, warning her not to tell anybody about what had happened.
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In February 1998, Florida authorities filed proceedings for some of the rapes Middleton committed in their state: one of the charges was for the rape of Cosme, and the other for the rape of a
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315:, who claimed that there were too many differences between the two cases for them to be related. As the searches continued, investigators established that Donohue was last seen at a
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found a shotgun. As he was an ex-felon and thus prohibited from possessing firearms, they tracked down and arrested Middleton, lodging him in the Washoe County Jail on $ 3,500
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Eventually, when Haley was convicted of her respective charges, she was brought forward as a witness for the prosecution but refused to answer any questions, invoking her
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The circumstances of her disappearance led some that it might have been related to the disappearance of 14-year-old Cindy Booth, who was reported missing from her home in
375:
store in Sparks on the night she was reported missing. The news of her death shocked the local community, who mourned her loss and feared for the safety of the children.
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253:, where he studied at a police academy and later applied for a job at the Miami-Dade Police Department. He was accepted sometime in 1981 and served as an officer in the
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on multiple occasions. In the latter case, the filings alleged that Middleton had engaged in involuntary sexual acts with the victim during a
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AC ignored his warnings and immediately informed the authorities, who detained and charged him with rape. At the trial, however, the jury was
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advantage of her kind-hearted nature and killed her. Further investigations revealed that a friend of Powell's had seen her shopping at a
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to demonstrate how wool fibers collected from Powell's body matched those found inside the refrigerator owned by Middleton.
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death penalty for his crimes. Middleton himself appeared concerned upon hearing the verdict, but otherwise did not react.
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On February 6, 1995, 45-year-old Katherine Powell, a respected teacher working at the Sun Valley Elementary School in
388:. His girlfriend, 37-year-old Evonne Ione Haley, was also arrested on charges of using drugs but was later released.
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A few days later, Middleton was officially sentenced to death for the murders of Davila and Powell and given four
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issued on the press to prevent them from covering this case, ostensibly because his client did not consent to it.
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store in Montrose, but due to the passage of time, it was assumed that she might have met with foul play.
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check and later during a visit to his house, in which Middleton was dressed in priest garb and conducted
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rights. As the trial was drawing to a close, prosecutors brought in forensics experts from the
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committed in 1994 and 1995, he is also the prime suspect in at least one additional murder in
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after going out with her bike to meet a friend. Investigators disputed this theory from the
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after which he was charged with two counts of capital murder. In response to this, his
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On November 21, 1993, 18-year-old Buffy Rice Donohue left her parents' house in
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209:, is an American former police officer, kidnapper, murderer, and suspected
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Eventually, both of Donohue's parents were charged with felony menacing,
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591:"Murder suspect leads hunger strike to support parents of missing woman"
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988:"Special prosecutor sought to address possible Middleton tie in death"
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on the rape charge. As a result, Middleton was instead convicted of
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852:"Murder suspect's ex-girlfriend invokes her right not to testify"
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handcuffing her and lying that he would take her to the nearest
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733:"Demand is filed to keep cameras from court during trial"
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On August 8, 1994, 42-year-old Thelma Amparo Davila, a
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David Stephen Middleton was born on June 25, 1961, in
550:"Montrose disappearance: Mirror image of Delta case?"
472:As of February 2024, Middleton remains on Nevada's
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1135:Prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment by Nevada
1011:Beware of the Cable Guy: From Cop to Serial Killer
735:. Reno Gazette-Journal – via Newspapers.com.
671:"Students, educators mourn the death of a teacher"
1095:American prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment
833:"Filing accuses slaying suspect in Florida rapes"
814:"Filing accuses slaying suspect in Florida rapes"
524:"High court reinstates charges against Middleton"
576:. December 26, 1993 – via Newspapers.com.
570:"Couple waiting for daughter to have Christmas"
617:. October 6, 1994 – via Newspapers.com.
522:Steve Timko and Phil Barber (July 26, 1996).
409:this, prosecutors presented purchases from a
16:American murderer and suspected serial killer
8:
1085:American police officers convicted of murder
969:"32 years tacked on to Middleton's sentence"
597:. April 23, 1994 – via Newspapers.com.
413:store in Reno with Powell's credit card and
1145:Violence against women in the United States
1080:American people convicted of sexual assault
770:"Middleton faces trial in deaths of women"
396:, Mike Specchio, filed a motion to have a
25:
225:and rapes committed while serving in the
956:. p. 31 – via Newspapers.com.
937:. p. 27 – via Newspapers.com.
871:"Middleton prosecutors set to wrap case"
839:. p. 23 – via Newspapers.com.
820:. p. 19 – via Newspapers.com.
677:. p. 19 – via Newspapers.com.
658:. p. 21 – via Newspapers.com.
639:. p. 24 – via Newspapers.com.
331:to show his solidarity with the family.
1075:American people convicted of kidnapping
918:. p. 3 – via Newspapers.com.
899:. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
886:
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720:. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
701:. p. 5 – via Newspapers.com.
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426:, which reinstated the murder charges.
1130:Prisoners sentenced to death by Nevada
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1090:American prisoners sentenced to death
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1120:People convicted of murder by Nevada
751:"Hearing continues in Reno slayings"
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669:Mike Henderson (February 14, 1995).
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792:"Fraud trial linked to murder case"
491:List of death row inmates in Nevada
1150:Prisoners and detainees of Florida
1070:American people convicted of fraud
948:Steve Timko (September 19, 1997).
929:Steve Timko (September 19, 1997).
910:Steve Timko (September 16, 1997).
891:Steve Timko (September 16, 1997).
548:Stacie Oulton (December 4, 1993).
14:
986:Steve Timko (February 25, 1999).
967:Steve Timko (November 26, 1997).
869:Steve Timko (September 4, 1997).
831:Steve Timko (February 28, 1997).
812:Steve Timko (February 28, 1997).
712:Phil Barber (February 25, 1995).
693:Phil Barber (February 25, 1995).
609:"Still no clues to missing woman"
268:juvenile correctional institution
1110:Miami Police Department officers
912:"Middleton guilty on all counts"
893:"Middleton guilty on all counts"
714:"Man quizzed in teacher's death"
695:"Man quizzed in teacher's death"
217:for the murders of two women in
109:Life imprisonment without parole
1055:20th-century American criminals
850:Steve Timko (August 30, 1997).
650:Mike Sion (February 13, 1995).
631:Mike Sion (February 13, 1995).
205:(born June 25, 1961), known as
291:Buffy Rice Donohue (suspected)
1:
1009:Jeff Kaye (January 5, 2009).
950:"Death penalty for Middleton"
931:"Death penalty for Middleton"
790:Steve Timko (March 3, 1996).
768:Steve Timko (July 20, 1995).
749:Steve Timko (July 18, 1995).
731:Steve Timko (July 13, 1995).
595:Grand Junction Daily Sentinel
574:Grand Junction Daily Sentinel
555:Grand Junction Daily Sentinel
456:Conviction and death sentence
1100:Criminals from Massachusetts
486:Capital punishment in Nevada
227:Miami-Dade Police Department
1115:People convicted of battery
994:– via Newspapers.com.
975:– via Newspapers.com.
877:– via Newspapers.com.
858:– via Newspapers.com.
798:– via Newspapers.com.
776:– via Newspapers.com.
757:– via Newspapers.com.
558:– via Newspapers.com.
530:– via Newspapers.com.
496:List of homicides in Nevada
261:Employment at Miami-Dade PD
1166:
652:"Missing woman found dead"
633:"Missing woman found dead"
18:
1035:Middleton v. State (1998)
196:
113:32 years (fraud/firearms)
72:
1140:Suspected serial killers
1013:. Polimedia Publishing.
379:Investigation and arrest
1060:American male criminals
424:Supreme Court of Nevada
343:porter employed at the
203:David Stephen Middleton
30:David Stephen Middleton
19:For the 1996 film, see
476:and awaits execution.
992:Reno Gazette-Journal
973:Reno Gazette-Journal
954:Reno Gazette-Journal
935:Reno Gazette-Journal
916:Reno Gazette-Journal
897:Reno Gazette-Journal
875:Reno Gazette-Journal
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818:Reno Gazette-Journal
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774:Reno Gazette-Journal
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699:Reno Gazette-Journal
675:Reno Gazette-Journal
656:Reno Gazette-Journal
637:Reno Gazette-Journal
614:Reno Gazette-Journal
528:Reno Gazette-Journal
142:1994 – 1995
138:Span of crimes
1125:People from Boston
415:bite mark evidence
324:false imprisonment
297:Montrose, Colorado
279:false imprisonment
215:sentenced to death
183:Imprisoned at
255:Miami-Dade County
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178:February 23, 1995
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1065:American rapists
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213:. Convicted and
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144:(possibly 1993)
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79:Conviction(s)
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57:Massachusetts
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48:(age 63)
46:June 25, 1961
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21:The Cable Guy
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165:, possibly
1044:Categories
502:References
347:casino in
341:Guatemalan
275:deadlocked
233:Early life
89:Kidnapping
42:1961-06-25
474:death row
411:Good Guys
398:gag order
480:See also
431:Jane Doe
223:Colorado
167:Colorado
158:State(s)
116:Florida:
106:(murder)
317:Safeway
302:Walmart
286:Murders
251:Florida
149:Country
129:Victims
124:Details
119:5 years
100:Nevada:
1017:
439:Voodoo
373:Target
257:area.
239:Boston
219:Nevada
163:Nevada
85:Murder
59:, U.S.
53:Boston
404:Trial
353:Verdi
309:Delta
247:Miami
104:Death
1015:ISBN
466:life
386:bail
365:Reno
349:Reno
132:2–3+
36:Born
450:FBI
435:DUI
313:CBI
1046::
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883:^
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355:.
249:,
241:,
229:.
189:,
87:x2
55:,
44:)
1023:.
40:(
23:.
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