Duval County: Darryl Whipple pleads guilty and is sentenced to LWOP
On Tuesday, April 1, Darryl Whipple pled guilty and was sentenced to life in prison without parole (LWOP).
On Tuesday, April 1, Darryl Whipple pled guilty and was sentenced to life in prison without parole (LWOP).
Whipple was arrested in late 2016 and charged by indictment with one count of first-degree murder. On December 5, 2016, the State filed its Notice of Intent to Seek Death Penalty against Whipple, listing four aggravating factors.
In November 2018, Whipple filed various motions seeking to declare the death penalty in applicable to his case and Florida’s capital sentencing scheme unconstitutional.
On December 20, 2018, the trial court determined Whipple was incompetent to proceed with trial. The court ordered that Whipple be committed to a "treatment facility.” Throughout the next several years, the court determined on various occasions that Whipple continued to meet the criteria for involuntary hospitalization.
In November 2022, the court determined that Whipple was competent to proceed.
In November 2024, Whipple filed several motions to declare Florida’s capital sentencing scheme unconstitutional. Whipple also filed a motion to bar the death penalty due to his several mental illness.
In March 2025, Whipple filed a motion to preclude Florida’s 2023 amendment to its capital sentencing scheme under section 775.022, Florida Statutes. (This was the issue in Billy Adams’ case, covered here.)
Trial was set to begin on April 7. On April 1, Whipple pled guilty and was sentenced to life in prison without parole (LWOP).
