James Card

[chris]

DC Number:  081792 Name:  CARD, JAMES A SR Race:  WHITE Sex:  MALE Hair Color:  BROWN Eye Color:  BROWN Height:  5'10'' Weight:  168 lbs. Birth Date:  10/16/1946 Initial Receipt Date:  02/01/1982 Current Facility:  UNION C.I. Current Custody:  MAXIMUM Current Release Date:  DEATH SENTENCE

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Aliases:
JAMES A CARD SR	JAMES ARMANDO CARD
JAMES ARMANDO CARD SR	JAMES ARMONDO CARD
JAMES A CLARK	JOHN TRANGUILLO CONTE
JAMES A CURDLE	MIKE JOHNSON

Scars, Marks, and Tattoos:
Type	Location	Description
TATTOO	OTHER	BOTH ARMS; LT. HAND; BACK
TATTOO	OTHER	EIGHT (8) ON BODY

Current Prison Sentence History:
Offense Date	Offense	Sentence Date	County	Case No.	Prison Sentence Length
06/03/1981	1ST DG MUR/PREMED. OR ATT.	01/28/1982	BAY	8100518	DEATH SENTENCE
06/03/1981	ROBB. GUN/DEADLY WPN	01/28/1982	BAY	8100518	SENTENCED TO LIFE
06/03/1981	KIDNAP;COMM.OR FAC.FELONY	01/28/1982	BAY	8100518	SENTENCED TO LIFE
10/30/1980	TRAFFIC IN STOLEN PROPERTY	03/26/1982	ESCAMBIA	8003489	15Y 0M 0D
10/30/1980	GRAND THEFT,$300 LESS &20,000	03/26/1982	ESCAMBIA	8003489	5Y 0M 0D
11/06/1980	POSS.FIREARM BY FELON	03/26/1982	ESCAMBIA	8003489	5Y 0M 0D

Note: The offense descriptions are truncated and do not necessarily reflect the crime of conviction. Please refer to the court documents or the Florida Statutes for further information or definition.

Incarceration History:
Date In-Custody	Date Out-of-Custody
02/01/1982	Currently Incarcerated

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Circumstances of Offense:

James Card was convicted and sentenced to death for the murder of Janis Franklin on 06/03/81.

Janis Franklin, a clerk at Western Union in Panama City, was abducted from her office during a robbery on the afternoon of 06/03/81. Franklin’s body, which was missing for over a day, was found about eight miles from the abduction site, off a dirt road in a secluded area. Her throat had been cut and her fingers were severed almost completely through.

James Card called his friend, Vicky Elrod, in the early morning of 06/03/81 and made plans to meet her with the intention of repaying the $50.00 he owed her. Elrod met Card at 9:30 that night and he repaid her the $50.00 from a stack of large bills.

Additional Information:

On 09/08/81, Card’s defense counsel filed a motion for change of venue due to the publicity surrounding the case. The Honorable W. Fred Turner issued an order granting that motion on 09/30/81, and the case was transferred from Bay County (Fourteenth Circuit) to Okaloosa County (First Circuit).