The Tragic Murder of a Housekeeper Falsely Accused of Stealing Money
Wenda Wright was cleaning the home of Margaret Allen on February 5, 2005, when Allen's purse—with $2,000 was in it—turned up missing and Wright was accused of stealing it. When Wright denied and tried to leave, Allen struck her in the head where Wright fell to the floor.
Seeking a confession from the housekeeper, Allen got her 17-year-old nephew, Quinton Allen to bind Wright's wrists and legs with a belt. Allen proceeded to beat and torture Wright for more than two hours with bleach fingernail polish remover, rubbing alcohol and hair spritz, which Allen poured on Wright's face and down her throat.
Begging For Her Life
Hardly able to breathe, Wright asked Allen to free her, but instead, her cries for help woke one of Allen's children who came into the room and witnessed the torture. Allen made the child to take a piece of duct tape and put it over Wright's mouth, but the tape didn't stick due to Wright face being too wet.
Allen then strangled Wright to death with a belt. Allen, her nephew, and Allen's roommate, James Martin, buried Wright's body in a shallow grave off the highway. Quinton Allen would later go to the police and confess his part in the murder and lead the police to where Wright's body was buried--Margaret Allen subsequently arrested and charged with first-degree murder and kidnapping.
Autopsy Report
Forensic pathologist and chief medical examiner for Brevard County, Florica, Dr. Sajid Qaiser, testified during Allen's trial the results of Wenda Wright's autopsy. The autopsy report showed Wright had multiple bruising on her face, front and back of the ear, left torso, all over the left side, trunk, right hand, thigh, knew, left eyebrow, forehead, upper arm and shoulder area.
Wright's wrists showed signs of ligation—meaning she was either hung or something was tied tightly around those areas. According to this report, Wright died of homicidal violence. A jury found Allen guilty of first-degree murder and kidnapping.
Penalty Phase
Dr. Michael Gebel, a neurological physician, testified during the penalty phase of Allen's trial, that he discovered that Allen suffered from years of multiple head injuries. He concluded at trial that Allen had significant intracranial injuries and was at the lower end of intellectual capacity.
Due to this, according to Dr. Gebel, Allen's organic brain injury possibly destroyed her impulsive control and ability to control her moods. Dr. Gebel suggested that Allen would be unable to see her attack on Wright as a criminal act.
Dr. Joseph Wu, a neuropsychiatry and brain imaging specialist, testified Allen was given a PET scan showing at least 10 traumatic brain injuries with damage to the frontal lobe, concluding that a damaged frontal lobe affects impulse control, judgment, and mood regulation. Dr. Wu felt that Allen would not be able to follow the rules of society regarding conduct.
Family members and other witnesses testified Allen subjected to a lot of abuse as well as leading a tough and violent life. Allen testified at her trial recounting the head injuries suffered from being beaten as a child.
Victim Impact Testimony
Wenda Wright's domestic partner, Johnny Dublin, testified Wright was a good person and thar Wright believed she and Allen were good friends. Other family members gave impact statements about the impact of Wright's murder on the family.
But the jury recommended the death sentence in a unanimous vote, despite the medical findings. Circuit Judge George Maxwell, following the jury's recommendations, sentenced Allen to death for the murder of Wenda Wright, and on July 11, 2013, the Supreme Court of Florida upheld the conviction and death sentence.
Co-Defendants
Quinton Allen was found guilty of second-degree murder and sentenced to 15 years. James Martin got 60 months in prison for assisting in burying Wright's body.