Michael Jackson, one of the felons convicted of the heinous and cold-blooded murders of Reggie and Carol Sumner, is currently appealing his death sentence to the Florida Supreme Court. Jackson’s case, notorious for its extreme brutality, has sparked a debate as his legal team argues that errors in the trial process warrant overturning his sentence.
In 2005, Jackson, along with his accomplices, committed a crime that left the community reeling. The Sumners, a Jacksonville couple in their 60s, were abducted, brutally robbed, and buried alive in Georgia—a crime that stands as one of the most gruesome in recent history. Jackson’s involvement led to his conviction and a subsequent death sentence.
In 2017, the Florida Supreme Court mandated new sentencing hearings for Jackson and two other convicted felons involved in the case due to their juries’ non-unanimous recommendations for the death penalty. This decision was influenced by the 2016 U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Hurst v. Florida, which found that Florida’s previous law permitting non-unanimous jury verdicts was unconstitutional. As a result, Florida began resentencing individuals affected by this ruling. Jackson was, however, resentenced to death in August 2023.