Florida Criminal Attorney Blog

Nicole Okrzesik and James Ayers were arrested in Fort Lauderdale, Florida in connection to the murder of Juliana Mensch, 19, according to news reports. Okrzesik, 22, and Ayers, 32, were both booked into Broward County Jail on the charges. Okrzesik was reportedly charged with one count of first degree murder last Thursday; Ayers was hit with the same charge on March 31, reports indicate. It is not known whether Okrzesik, who was apprehended just before the weekend, has qualified for bail bond or has retained a private criminal defense lawyer.

According to news reports, authorities believe that Juliana Mensch was murdered in the early morning hours of March 24 in Nicole Okrzesik's residence, located in the 1100 block of Northwest 7th Terrace in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Sources indicate that on the night of the alleged murder, Mensch spoke to a friend on the phone and told him that she was "getting high with Nikki and her boyfriend at their house." It is not clear how the victim and the defendants knew each other, nor is it clear what types of drugs the trio was allegedly using. Troy Grimes, the friend who Mensch spoke to before she died, is believed to be cooperating with the investigation.

Detectives reportedly believe that at some point during the course of the night, Okrzesik attacked Mensch and attempted to kill her by breaking her neck. However, Okrzesik was allegedly unsuccessful, and authorities believe that Ayers ended up killing Mensch via strangulation as Okrzesik held her down, according to reports. After she died, Ayers allegedly stole several hundred dollars that Mensch had stashed inside of her bra. It is not clear how Ayers allegedly knew that the money was there.

Investigators evidently compiled details of the story through testimony that Ayers allegedly gave while in custody, as well as from two people Ayers had allegedly told about the murder. One, Michael Paul, is reportedly a friend of Ayers, while the other Paul Sohr, was a former drug counselor to Ayers. Both of the men are believed to be cooperating with the investigation.

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Raymond Edwin Adderly, Jr. was murdered at his home in Miramar, Florida on Tuesday night. Adderly, also known as "Nutzo" by his fans, was an aspiring rap star and childhood friend of Rick Ross. According to news reports, Adderly was shot to death in front of his wife and young children during a home invasion robbery.

So far, no suspects have been named nor have any arrests been made.

Upon arriving home from a Christmas play, Ramond Adderly allegedly walked into his home ahead of his family when armed men approached and yelled "Give us everything!" The family was then ushered into the home where they were robbed at gun point.

Once inside, Adderly is said to have emptied his pockets and pleaded with the men not to harm his family. He was then shot and the men fled the scene.

In my experience as a criminal defense lawyer and former prosecutor, I can tell you that this is a very serious case that will not be ignored by police. First of all, this case involves a murder. Second, it involves a home invasion. Third, it is a gun crime. Short of adding drugs, this case has all the things that police love about being the police.

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Jamie Saffran, age 51, was arrested for murder and dismembering his friend in Fort Lauderdale, Florida this Tuesday. According to police, Saffran's arrest was the culmination of a multi-agency investigation that spanned two counties. This investigation has been ongoing for well over a month and has included multiple crime scenes. (Photo Courtesy: Broward Sheriff's Office)

Specifically, Jamie Saffran is accused of murdering the man whose decapitated torso was discovered in a Fort Lauderdale canal early last month. Some weeks later, the missing head was found in a canal behind an auto parts store. Ironically, the name of the store is "Millions of Parts." However, these "parts" were found by a store employee named Willie Hernandez while he was doing clean up work along the canal's shoreline.

As an experienced criminal lawyer, the facts of this case made me wonder if a serial killer was on the loose. This theory was based on the fact that at least two bodies and multiple, mutilated body parts were washing up all over in a short period of time.

On October 26, 2010, the remains of Doris Lopez, age 48, were discovered in a container left in her car. On November 6, 2010, a decapitated torso, a pair of sneakers, and eye glasses were discovered in a concrete laden container found floating in a Fort Lauderdale canal. According to the Broward County Medical Examiner's Office, the date of death for this torso was estimated to be as early as October 31, 2010.

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