Florida killer commits suicide while on death row
Share this @internewscast.com

BAY COUNTY, Fla. (WMBB) — A second man convicted of murdering someone in Bay County and sitting on death row has died this week.

Kayle Bates was executed Tuesday, but that’s not how the second man died.

The Florida Department of Corrections website now lists Matthew Caylor as deceased.

News Channel 8’s sister station News 13 confirmed Caylor committed suicide Tuesday night.

It’s unclear how Caylor committed suicide or why corrections officers were unable to prevent it.

On July 8, 2008, Caylor raped and killed 13-year-old Melinda Hinson.

Hinson and her family were living at the Value Lodge motel on West Highway 98.

She walked to Caylor’s room to bum a cigarette.

Caylor raped the girl, strangled her with a phone cord, then stuffed her body under the bed. Motel maids found the body two days later.

A local jury convicted Caylor of first-degree murder and voted 8-to-4 in favor of the death penalty.

Because the jury’s vote was not unanimous, Caylor received a new sentencing phase in 2023.

Caylor requested a judge to decide his fate rather than a jury, saying he’d promised not to put Hinson’s mother through the ordeal.

During that resentencing, prosecutors announced the mother had died.

Chief Circuit Judge Christopher Patterson heard the case and resentenced Caylor to death.

Afterward, Caylor’s attorney filed a new appeal, saying if they’d known Hinson’s mother had died, they would have requested a jury hear the case.

The appeal wound up in the State Supreme Court, where justices rejected it earlier this year.

Caylor had been on death row since 2009.

“Matthew Caylor understood he was destined to share the same unavoidable outcome as Kayle Bates. By choosing to end his own life, he spared Florida taxpayers significant expenses,” remarked State Attorney Larry Basford.

Caylor was 50 years old.

The state will perform an autopsy as part of its investigation into his suicide.

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like

Rubio and Orbán Convene in Budapest Ahead of US-Hungary Civilian Nuclear Agreement Signing

BUDAPEST – On Monday, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived in…

Experience Cinematic Magic and Captivating Live Performances at Jackson Theatre This Month!

In the historic town of Jonesborough, Tennessee, the Jackson Theatre is reviving…

Tennessee Lawmakers Advocate for Tax Relief: Waiving Hotel Occupancy Taxes for Displaced Families

In the aftermath of Middle Tennessee’s unprecedented ice storm, the Wear family…

Two Middle Tennessee Entrepreneurs Among Four Victims in Colorado Plane Crash

Authorities have confirmed the identities of the four victims who perished when…

Teacher’s Backyard Debris Burn Ignites 5-Acre Brush Fire: Bartow High School Educator Arrested, Sheriff Reports

Related coverage: Driver captures Polk County brush fire on video BARTOW, Fla.…

Irish Regulator Launches EU Privacy Investigation into Grok’s Deepfake Practices Amid Heightened Scrutiny

LONDON – The European Union has launched a privacy investigation into Elon…

Breaking News: Travis Turner’s Departure from Wise County Public Schools – What Led to the Termination?

In Wise County, Virginia, the Union High School football coach, Travis Turner,…

Australia Decides Against Repatriating 34 Women and Children from Syrian Conflict Zone

MELBOURNE – Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced on Tuesday that Australia will…

Heroic Volusia Deputy Saves Woman from DeLand House Fire: A Life-Saving Act of Bravery

DeLAND, Fla. – In a dramatic rescue caught on bodycam footage, a…

Four Young Victims Hurt in Parramore Neighborhood Shooting, Police Report

ORLANDO, Fla. – A shooting incident near downtown Orlando on Sunday afternoon…

Investigators Collaborate with Walmart After Identifying Suspect’s Backpack in Nancy Guthrie Kidnapping Case

In a new development in the case of Savannah Guthrie’s missing mother,…