16 June 2025 :
We have received an update from Antonio Veronese (veronesechirli@gmail.com) on the case of John Huggins, which Veronese had previously brought to our attention (see HoC 09/07/2023 and 02/10/2023).
Good morning,
I am writing this letter because two years ago, I became pen pals, and then email friends, with John Huggins. John has been on death row in the state of Florida for 28 years, a state sadly known for its frequent executions signed by Christian governor Ron De Santis (the name says it all). Since I have known John, he has been in Raiford, and since January he has been in Suwannee, a facility designed for mental health care where, according to his accounts, he receives very little care. When he arrived, he was kept in a cell for several days, but for how long he did not know, with only a bed, a sink and a toilet, and no means of communicating with anyone. His only option was to walk around his cell in circles, in defiance of mental health. I can testify to this because John was unreachable during those days. Upon arrival, the few things he had were confiscated, including warm clothes and headphones for listening to his tablet, which he then had to buy again. Even renting a film for a few hours is an expensive activity that greatly rewards those who run such services.
However, the reason for my letter is another. After two years of letters, first on paper and then electronically, we shared many moments of friendship and understanding. However, I had never asked him anything about his story, about the events that had led him to death row. In his last letters, he wrote to me about his case, which involved two cancelled trials, key witnesses who failed to appear and statements concealed by the prosecutors.
I am forwarding you his story, as he wrote it, a poem he sent me and a video that summarises his request for help. As further evidence of his life, I would like to tell you that as a boy he was locked up in the “Dozier school for boys”, a reformatory sadly famous for its history of violence and abuse, which can be found on the internet. He should receive financial compensation for the treatment he suffered. John filled out a request form to this effect in December last year, and the request expired at the end of the year.
I am well aware, from your reports, of how many people are unjustly detained in many parts of the world, but I am trying to give you John's story in the hope that you can do something or tell me what I can do.
Thank you
Kind regards
Antonio Veronese
John's story
Prosecutors Caught Cheating
The last twenty six years of my life have been spent on Florida's death row. In 1997, I was charged with first degree murder, kidnapping and carjacking, in Orlando, Florida. The story I am about too tell you is true. It is unknown who killed the victim, Carla Larson and that is why my case is totally circumstantial. Not one witness has ever testified in court, that I murdered or kidnapped or carjacked Carla Larson. No psychical evidence connects me to the crime. No D. N. A. evidence connects me to the crime.
Yet I have been convicted and sentenced to death twice for these charges. Let me tell you how that happened. The Prosecutors on the case were Jeffrey Ashton and Ted Culhand. Both were career Prosecutors in Orlando and had sent many men to Florida's death row. They had no case against me, so they had too make a case. Jeffrey Ashton is the first prosecutor in America too use D. N. A. evidence in a courtroom. When they tested the D. N. A in my case, it did not match me. At that point he stopped all testing in my case. He knew right then that I was innocent of all charges. But my case was a big media case in Orlando. My lawyers did a media coverage investigation and found that my case had more media coverage than Ted Bundy, the serial killer had in Orlando.
Because of this fact, my trial was moved to Jacksonville. I went to trial there in 1999. While that trial was taking place, a man in Orlando by the name of Preston Ausley, saw my trial coverage on the Orlando news. He saw the states key witness on the stand testifying and he I. D. her as the person he saw driving the victims explorer in Orlando, back in 1997 at the time of the crime. The states key witness he I. D. was my ex- wife Angel. The whole case was based on her statements.
Preston Ausley went into the Orlando state attorneys office, while my trial was going on in Jacksonville. He gave the state attorney's his taped statements on record. He told them that Angel was who he saw driving the victims explorer in Orlando in 1997. Jeffrey Ashton was given this new evidence by his office, while he was prosecuting my trial in Jacksonville.
He his the new evidence from my attorney's, because he wanted my conviction, so he could send me to death row. He knew if the jury heard the new evidence that the states key witness, was seen driving the victims explorer in 1997, I would not be found guilty.
He did what every corrupt prosecutor does, he his the evidence that would help me. I was found guilty in that trial and the jury gave me a death sentence. When I went back to Orlando and the judge( Belvin Perry) was sentencing me to death row.
Preston Ausley saw the news coverage of me being sentenced. He then called my lawyer and told him about his taped statements he gave the Orlando state attorney's office.
My lawyer contacted the judge and Jeffrey Ashton and Ted Culhand were caught hidding the evidence at my trial.
This is the reason my first death sentence and conviction were overturned in 1999. I tried to have Jeffrey Ashton disbarred, but no one would help me. The state attorney's filed a appeal and they sent me to Florida's death row anyway. I had no death sentence!
While I was there waiting on death row for a Florida supreme court ruling, Ted Culhand died. Then I was given a new trial in 2001 and went back to Orlando. There is so much more I could write.
At this point, you asked me a very important question about Preston Ausley and why my lawyer did not use his taped statements at my new trial in 2002. 9/11 changed the world Antonio. It was after that they moved my second trial to Tampa, Florida.
When I saw that the second trial was coming to an end and my lawyers were not calling Preston Ausley to testify about his taped statements. I fired my lawyers right there in the courtroom and had to finish the trial myself. That's why I have been on death row all these years. Another interesting fact that you should keep in mind, the state attorneys did not call my ex- wife angel to testify at my second trial!!!!!
Why would they not call the key witness from my first trial? They got caught hidding evidence!!!!!
Eight years ago my death sentence was overturned in Orlando Florida's courthouse. Since that day, the state attorneys have been trying to give me another death sentence for the third time
What I would like to ask of you, would you post this letter on your website and help me find a support group of people willing to help me stay alive. In my years on Florida death row I have seen sixty three people executed. If I do not get some help, I know this will happen to me. Here is the fast way anyone can contact me here. I have a tablet in my cell. W. W. W. SECURUSTECH. NET. Go to this site and get on my email contact list there, by setting up a free account. Send me a email and your contact information. or write me a letter at this snail mail address. John Huggins #059121, Union Correction, P. O. box 23608, Tampa, Florida, 33623
