Outlaw case testimony not flawed, lawyer says
Dublin Core
Title
Outlaw case testimony not flawed, lawyer says
Subject
Capitol Punishment
Witnesses
Description
Joseph Spaziano was convicted and sentenced to death for the murder of Laura Lynn Harberts in 1973. Prior to his execution a stay was granted due to media reports casting doubt on Tony Dilisio's testimony. While the FDLE is continuing to investigate the false statement allegations Michael Mello has agreed to return to the case.
Creator
Unknown
Publisher
HIST 298, University of Mary Washington
Date
1995-06-18
Rights
The materials in this online collection are held by Special Collections, Simpson Library, University of Mary Washington and are available for educational use. For this purpose only, you may reproduce materials without prior permission on the condition that you provide attribution of the source.
Format
1 JPG
300 DPI
Language
English
Coverage
Tallahassee, FL
Text Item Type Metadata
Text
TALLAHASSEE— A state lawyer says he can’t find anything wrong with the testimony of a man that proved vital in convicting a former motorcycle outlaw who tortured and murdered an 18-year-old woman 22 years ago.
Gov. Lawton Chiles on Thursday stayed the execution of Joseph Spaziano, who was scheduled to die June 27, after media re-ports cast doubts on Tony Dilisio’s testimony. Dilisio was quoted as saying his testimony is false and had been manipulated by investigators.
But Chiles’ chief legal advisors, Dexter Douglass, told The Orlando Sentinel that Dilisio hasn’t recanted his testimony and there’s nothing to show Spaziano was wrongly convicted in 1976.
“The record to me is clear,” Douglass told the paper. “This man tortured and killed this young woman. Nothing I have seen or heard from Mr. Dilisio or anyone else changes that.”
Spaziano, a former president of the Outlaws motorcycle club in Orlando, was convicted of the August 1973 torture-murder of Orlando hospital clerk Laura Lynn Harberts.
During the trial, Dilisio testified that Spaziano boasted about mutilating women and took him to an Altamonte Springs dump, where Dilisio saw two bodies. One woman was never identified; the other was Harberts.
After Spaziano’s execution was stayed, agents with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement questioned Dilisio again, Douglass said.
“All he has told FDLE is that he can no longer remember” his testimony, Douglass said. “That, to me, does nothing to discredit the testimony of 1976.”
But the FDLE is continuing to investigate the new twist in the case – next week, agents are scheduled to administer a polygraph test to Dilisio.
Friday, Vermont law professor Michael Mello took over Spaziano’s case. Mello had represented Spaziano through 11 years worth of appeals, but quit in January for health reasons.
Gov. Lawton Chiles on Thursday stayed the execution of Joseph Spaziano, who was scheduled to die June 27, after media re-ports cast doubts on Tony Dilisio’s testimony. Dilisio was quoted as saying his testimony is false and had been manipulated by investigators.
But Chiles’ chief legal advisors, Dexter Douglass, told The Orlando Sentinel that Dilisio hasn’t recanted his testimony and there’s nothing to show Spaziano was wrongly convicted in 1976.
“The record to me is clear,” Douglass told the paper. “This man tortured and killed this young woman. Nothing I have seen or heard from Mr. Dilisio or anyone else changes that.”
Spaziano, a former president of the Outlaws motorcycle club in Orlando, was convicted of the August 1973 torture-murder of Orlando hospital clerk Laura Lynn Harberts.
During the trial, Dilisio testified that Spaziano boasted about mutilating women and took him to an Altamonte Springs dump, where Dilisio saw two bodies. One woman was never identified; the other was Harberts.
After Spaziano’s execution was stayed, agents with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement questioned Dilisio again, Douglass said.
“All he has told FDLE is that he can no longer remember” his testimony, Douglass said. “That, to me, does nothing to discredit the testimony of 1976.”
But the FDLE is continuing to investigate the new twist in the case – next week, agents are scheduled to administer a polygraph test to Dilisio.
Friday, Vermont law professor Michael Mello took over Spaziano’s case. Mello had represented Spaziano through 11 years worth of appeals, but quit in January for health reasons.
Original Format
Newspaper
Contributor of the Digital Item
Welch, Miranda
Student Editor of the Digital Item
Williams, Megan
Files
Citation
Unknown, “Outlaw case testimony not flawed, lawyer says,” HIST299, accessed March 12, 2026, https://hist299.umwhistory.org/items/show/175.