SOUTHWEST, Fla. - The mother of a murdered 6-year-old North Port girl is hoping Florida changes the way it handles crimes and criminals. Ellen Beth Fullwood's is fighting for changes for her daughter Coralrose Fullwood who was raped and murdered in North Port in September of 2006. The case remains unsolved and Ellen Beth Fullwood is frustrated by the slow processing of DNA and policies that allow sexual predators and offenders to get out of prison early. She's convinced her child's murderer is still out there and others are at risk. Fullwood has a warning for parents in Southwest Florida, "Anybody who would brutally murder a child, beat a child, rape a child...if they've done it once they will do it again."
Fullwood has created a website, www.coralrosefullwood.com that celebrates her daughter's short life and outlines what others can do to incite change. She also asks anyone who knows something about her daughter's murder, even if it seems like an insignificant detail, to call North Port Police or Crimestoppers at 1-800-780-TIPS.
Our thoughts and prayers are with the Rios-Martinez family.
STARKE, Florida (CNN) -- The call. He expected it. Dreaded it. But he didn't hesitate to answer.
Junny and Vicki Rios-Martinez have been waiting since 1991 to see Mark Dean Schwab executed.
When Junny Rios-Martinez's cell phone rang Thursday afternoon, he and his wife were in their car, getting the family together on their way to witness the execution of their son's killer scheduled for that night.
"It was a woman from the governor's office. She told me there was a stay."
"I told her thank you, that I was disappointed, but not terribly surprised."
Mark Dean Schwab, 38, won a stay from the Supreme Court hours before he was scheduled to be put to death.
When Rios-Martinez hung up, no one said a word.
"There was a silence in the car that lasted several minutes. Everyone knew by the tone of my voice what happened," Rios-Martinez said.
Junny and Vicki Rios-Martinez had been waiting for more than 16 years to see their son's killer executed. Now, they'll have to wait even longer.
The Supreme Court is reviewing whether executions by injection violate the Eighth Amendment to the Constitution, which prohibits cruel and unusual punishment. At issue is whether the drug mix used in more than 35 states can cause pain that can't be detected.
The high court is studying a Kentucky case and isn't expected to rule until sometime next year.
Rios-Martinez said the delay gives him just one more reason to be fed up with a criminal justice system he feels has let him down.
"People tell me I'm full of anger. Why shouldn't I be? My son was my life. He was the light of my eyes. I loved him more than anything," said Rios-Martinez.
Investigators say they are closing in on who killed Coralrose
By GEORGE McGINN, Charlotte Sun-Herald
Monday, September 17, 2007
NORTH PORT — After clearing Ellen-Beth Fullwood, her parents and her children as suspects in the murder of 6-year-old Coralrose Fullwood, North Police Chief Terry Lewis had strong words for her killer.
“Take no comfort or solace that you are not in jail yet. Your time is coming,’’ Lewis said.
Lewis said the case is “very personal’’ to him, and in no way is a cold case.
“The case is very active, very open, and very dynamic,’’ Lewis said.
And although he did not rule out Coralrose¹s father when clearing the rest of the family, Lewis remained cryptic, saying Dale Fullwood was “never cleared or considered a suspect. Let’s leave it at that.’’
Dale Fullwood is serving a one-year sentence in the Sarasota County Jail after pleading no contest in July to possessing child pornography. An image of a child under 12 being raped was reportedly found on one of Dale’s 10 computers by police while they were investigating Coralrose’s slaying.
Lewis said investigators have been working nonstop on the case, spending “every waking moment’’ thinking about the case.
The investigative team, made up of city, county, state and federal law enforcement, has processed more than 500 leads, several of which remain open.
The team also conducted more than 1,000 interviews and processed more than 450 DNA swabs.
Lewis said new leads last week generated 15 new interviews.
And every week, the DNA sample found by investigators is compared to a national database, updated by the FBI, as well as any new updates to Florida’s DNA database.
However, there are still some leads that have remained open from the beginning, or were generated from these leads, that are still open.
For example, Lewis said, investigators are still looking for a red pickup that was reported in the area where Coralrose’s body was found.
“The driver might not be involved, but might have information,’’ Lewis said.
Lewis also announced they are using two donated billboards _ one in North Port on Toledo Blade Boulevard, and the other on U.S. 41 in North Fort Myers. One has already been put up in North Fort Myers, near the bar where Dale Fullwood used to work.
Each billboard has a photo of Coralrose and a question: “Who murdered this child?’’
Lewis said the billboards are strategically placed to be seen by former patrons of the Motor Sports Cafe, where Dale Fullwood worked before the murder. It is reported that the Motor Sports Cafe has closed its doors.
“Someone who worked or went there may have information,’’ Lewis said. “We are still trying to speak with people who were there in August or September (2006).’’
An autopsy indicated Coralrose died from “homicidal violence.”
In January, Lewis broke four months of silence on the case, saying DNA and physical evidence show more than one person was involved in the sexual assault of Coralrose.
Lewis said many pieces of that fateful day have been put together, with some loose ends to tie up.
“We are getting closer,’’ Lewis said, reiterating that he will not put a time on when an arrest will be made, nor will he pressure his investigative team to make an arrest.
A somber ceremony at the courtyard of the Florida Capitol today as state officials, law enforcement officers and grieving relatives gathered to remember Florida’s missing children. Ellen-Beth Fullwood of North Port came to remember her six year old daughter Coralrose who was murdered one year ago. But she also went to Tallahassee to tell the governor it's time to pick up the pace and deal with a backlog of DNA testing. Fullwood believes DNA evidence found on her child could reveal the killer’s identity and she’s tired of waiting. “They have DNA of the perpetrator. What they don’t have is the name. The backlog of DNA across the country... the FBI only processing 15% of what they’ve got since 2001… very well sitting in that backlog could be this person’s DNA that would have his name attached to it. And if they would just get to it, they may be able to solve her case. According to statistics, if they were to process that whole DNA, I believe the number was like over three thousand cases across the country could be solved like that. And I think it’s absolutely unconscionable that they’re that far behind on the DNA,” Fullwod said. After meeting with Fullwood and other relatives of missing children, Governor Charlie Crist agreed the backlog is a problem. “Well, we always can do better, there’s no question about that. And as it relates to DNA and how that can help us find some of the missing, as much as we possibly can. In these difficult budget times, that becomes more challenging but that’s always the priority… public safety is,” the governor said. More than 50 thousand Florida children were reported missing last year but the vast majority were recovered safely. Amber Alerts aided in the rescue of seven children this year. You can sign up to receive Missing Child Alerts and Amber Alerts via personal computer, cell phone or text message by visiting www.missingchildrenalert.com.
It has come
to our attention that the FBI is lax on processing the DNA they recieve. Somewhere between 78 and 85 % of all DNA collected since 2001 is still sitting waiting to be entered into the database. That is a staggering amount. Why can't they do their jobs? Do they need more money? Do they need more trained people? Do they need a new director? What is the problem?
Most people understand that to make a DNA match you need two things. DNA from the crime scene and DNA of a known person. In Coralrose's case they have the crime scene DNA; they just don't have the matching known DNA. It is quite possible that the matching DNA is sitting in the backlog that is a problem around the country. Mean-while the monster is free to rape and murder again.
August 4, 2007
We have recently teamed up with the EZ Blue/Zero tolerance Racing Team's Operation Microchip Predator's. Please help us keep children safe by supporting this legislation. Too many of these dangerous predators escape detection by moving state to state or just not registering with law enforcement. Let's take back our children's childhoods.
July 1, 2007
The four surviving minor children have been back home for a month now. They are starting to believe that they will get to stay with mom forever now. They still speak about Coralrose and how much they miss her. Some very sweet and funny memories have been shared amongst them. The children have learned to clean up after themselves and even remind each other as needed.
May 31, 2007
The judge, in his wisdom, has finally decided to reunite Ellen-Beth Fullwood and her 4 living minor children.
Press Releases
These are some of the press coverage released since the murder.
