Florida man who killed 2 people outside a bar is scheduled to be executed – NBC 6 South Florida


A man who fatally shot a man and woman outside a Florida bar as part of an attempted revenge killing is scheduled to be executed on Tuesday.

Michael Bernard Bell, 54, is scheduled to receive a lethal injection at Florida State Prison near Starke, barring a last-day reprieve. He was convicted in 1995 and sentenced to death for the murders of Jimmy West and Tamecka Smith.

Bell would be the eighth person put to death in Florida this year, with a ninth scheduled for later this month. The state executed six people in 2023, but carried out only one execution last year.

Twenty-five men have already been executed in the U.S. this year, tying last year’s total.

Florida has executed more people than any other state this year, while Texas and South Carolina are tied for second place with four each. Alabama has executed three people, Oklahoma has killed two, and Arizona, Indiana, Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee each have killed one.

In December 1993, Bell spotted what he thought was the car of the man who fatally shot his brother earlier that year, according to court records. Bell was apparently unaware that the man had sold the car to West.

Bell called on two friends and armed himself with an AK-47 rifle, authorities said. They found the car parked outside a liquor lounge and waited. When West, Smith and another woman eventually exited the club, Bell approached the car and opened fire, officials said.

West died at the scene, and Smith died on the way to the hospital. The other woman escaped injury. Witnesses said Bell also fired at a crowd of onlookers before fleeing the area. He was eventually arrested the next year.

Bell was later convicted of three additional murders. He fatally shot a woman and her toddler son in 1989, and he killed his mother’s boyfriend about four months before the attack on West and Smith, officials said.

Attorneys for Bell have filed appeals with the Florida Supreme Court and the U.S. Supreme Court.

The lawyers argued in their state filing that Bell’s execution should be halted because of newly discovered evidence about witness testimony. But justices unanimously rejected the argument last week and pointed to overwhelming evidence of Bell’s guilt in a 54-page opinion.

Bell’s attorneys filed a similar petition with the U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday, but the panel has not yet issued a ruling.

Related Posts

Police arrest suspect in Bay County bank robbery, sheriff confirms

A view of the jail intake sign at the Bay County Law Enforcement Center. (Kaytie Boomer | MLive.com)Kaytie Boomer | MLive.com BAY CITY, MI — A suspect…

Man fatally shot while pursued by deputies near Duluth, after reported arson

NORMANNA TOWNSHIP, Minn. — A 57-year-old man with a history of intense conflict with neighbors in rural St. Louis County was shot and killed while being pursued…

OIL SPILL: Oil spill in South Shore canal results in ‘around the clock’ response…

OIL SPILL: Oil spill in South Shore canal results in ‘around the clock’ response to find origin, according to officials. https://bit.ly/3IvN43R Post Views: 12

JUST IN: Remains found submerged in Mount Sinai harbor identified as man missing…

JUST IN: Remains found submerged in Mount Sinai harbor identified as man missing since 2010. https://bit.ly/456d2DS Post Views: 17

Major price hikes are on the horizon Check the first comments

Major price hikes are on the horizon 👀Check the first comments👇 Post Views: 38

Death toll in Kerr County from Fourth of July flood reaches 107

KERRVILLE, Texas – The death toll from the devastating floods that swept through Kerr County early Friday stands at 107, officials said Tuesday. The number of fatalities…

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *