After spending 15 years on Florida’s death row, convicted murderer James Allen Wilkinson has decided to end all appeals and accept his death sentence for the 1998 killing of Miami convenience store clerk Maria Santos.
Florida death row inmate James Wilkinson abandons appeals after 15 years, accepting his fate for the 1998 murder of store clerk Maria Santos.”
In a handwritten letter to the Florida Supreme Court filed last week, Wilkinson stated that he “can’t take another day” in his 6-by-9-foot cell at Florida State Prison in Raiford. The 47-year-old inmate described the psychological toll of death row confinement, citing constant noise, isolation, and the sound of other inmates being led to execution.
“The waiting is worse than death itself,” Wilkinson wrote in his three-page letter. “I’d rather face my sentence than continue living in these conditions.” His attorney, Robert Martinez, confirmed that he’s been instructed to withdraw all pending appeals, including a federal habeas corpus petition that was scheduled for review next month.
Court records show that Wilkinson shot Santos twice during a robbery that netted merely $157. Security footage captured him entering the store at 11:42 PM on September 12, 1998, and leaving three minutes later after firing the fatal shots. Santos, a 34-year-old mother of two, died at the scene.
State Attorney Katherine Rodriguez responded to Wilkinson’s decision, stating, “While the defendant has the right to abandon his appeals, we’ll continue following proper protocol to ensure his choice is knowing and voluntary.” A competency hearing has been scheduled for next month.
Since Florida reinstated capital punishment in 1976, twelve death row inmates have voluntarily abandoned their appeals.
Prison officials report that Wilkinson will likely face execution within six months if he maintains his current position and passes the competency evaluation.
Department of Corrections spokesperson Thomas Bradley noted that Wilkinson’s decision isn’t unusual among long-term death row inmates. “The isolation and uncertainty of death row take a significant psychological toll,” Bradley said. “Some inmates eventually decide they prefer finality to the endless cycle of appeals.”
