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In the Circuit Court, Fourteenth Judicial Circuit
of the State of Florida, In and for Bay County

Christopher Offord,
Defendant/Appellant,
vs.
State of Florida,
Plaintiff/Appellee.

Case No.: 04-2723CFMA-H

Sentencing Order

The defendant entered a plea of guilty before this Court on March 23, 2005 to the first degree murder of his wife, Dana K. Noser. The defendant reconfirmed his plea of guilty because the tape recording of the original plea was misplaced and unavailable. A penalty phase hearing was conducted before a jury on May 31st, 2005 through June 2nd, 2005 and the jury recommended by a vote 12-0 that a sentence of death be imposed. A Spencer hearing was held on July 18, 2005 and additional evidence was taken. The defendant submitted a sentencing memorandum which was considered by the Court, but the State did not present a sentencing memorandum. The Court now finds as follows:

Facts:

On July 31, 2004, the defendant Christopher Offord killed his wife by beating her with his fists, stabbing her with a steak knife and ultimately beating her to death with the claw side of a hammer after administering approximately seventy (70) blows to her face, knees and stomach.

The defendant and the victim were married a few days after meeting each other in March 2004. Ms. Noser had filed a Petition for Dissolution of Marriage which had been served on the defendant four (4) days before he killed her on July 31, 2004. The day before her death she drove him to his place of employment and returned him to the apartment he was living in. She then went out with friends drinking and came back to the apartment about 3:00 awakening him and he wanted to go out drinking at a local bar. The defendant drank a beer and shot pool while she only drank water there. They went to a Waffle House for breakfast at about 4:00 a.m. and sat on the same side of the bench while eating. They joked and were affectionate with each other, went back to the defendant's apartment and engaged in sexual activity. He left the bedroom after having sex with her, went into the kitchen and picked up a knife, some duct tape and a pair of scissors. He was annoyed at her attempt to "cuddle" after sex and planned to kill her with the knife after muffling her expected screams with the tape. When the knife bent, he picked up a hammer and beat her incessantly with its claw end. Based on the testimony presented and the other evidence in the case, the Court finds as follows:

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