Hall v. State

Anthony A. Hall appeals his conviction of first-degree murder and sentence of death. We have jurisdiction. Art. V, § 3(b)(1), Fla. Const. We reverse the conviction, vacate the sentence, and remand for a new trial.

In July 1987 Hall and three acquaintances, Dan Bowen, Elizabeth Towne, and Bunny Dixon, decided to go to Virginia and work with a carnival. Because they had no money or means of transportation, they planned to stop a car on the road, rob whomever stopped, and steal that person’s vehicle. To this end, Towne and Dixon posed as hitchhikers with Hall and Bowen hidden nearby. After the…