ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — WFTV saw a rare glimpse of the conversations between a murder suspect and his attorney Wednesday. John Huggins is trying to fight his death penalty sentence in Orange County. He was convicted of murdering Carla Larson in 1997.
Huggins' former lawyer divulged their longtime secrets. Orange County public defender Bob Wesley testified Wednesday that Huggins made some admissions during the course of the case.
Huggins' appeal lawyers are trying to show Wesley made mistakes that put Huggins on death row.
Carla and Jim Larson were longtime sweethearts and had a baby girl. She helped him through his sister Sonja's murder 20 years ago by a serial killer in Gainesville. Huggins' hearing this week is rubbing Larson's emotions raw all over again.
"My wife has been murdered and that left me alone with my daughter, and that's wrong. Sorry. But, you know, that's just wrong. So I don't really care what he has to say. I miss my wife," Larson said.
Huggins' appeal attorneys are blaming his trial attorneys for not implicating other suspects and for allowing Huggins to represent himself at his sentencing hearing.
Wesley sounded more like a prosecution witness, telling how Huggins had made admissions behind the scenes. Wesley said Huggins insisted the victim's white SUV car was not sprayed with black paint and that he was there when her SUV was burned. He also recalled Huggins insisting no ligature or binding device was used to strangle her, that it was done with bare hands.
"Dr. Gore said ligature was used. Mr. Huggins was going, 'There was no ligature used.' And that I thought it was a statement of fact rather than a statement of speculation," Wesley said.
The last witness will testify Thursday, but the lawyers might get extra time to make closing arguments.
The judge could grant Huggins another trial, a new sentencing hearing, or nothing.