FULL TEXT: A Sarasota County grand jury that was scheduled to meet this week to hear evidence against 15-year-old Toby Jackson, who is accused of murder in the pistol slaying of her mother two weeks ago, has been postponed for two weeks ago, has been postponed for two weeks pending a psychiatric examination of Toby.
Public Defender Jim Gardner said he and State Atty. John J. Blair agreed to delay the grand jury proceeding so Dr. Emmanuel Tanay first may examine Toby and then present his findings to the grand jury on Sept. 21.
Gardner filed a motion consenting delay with the Circuit Court. The motion stated “that since it presently appears there is a possibility or question whether Toby Jackson may have mental problems, the undersigned arranged to have Dr. Emanuel Tanay examine Toby Jackson Sept. 21.”
The grand jury also must decide if Toby should be tried as an adult or as a juvenile.
Gardner waived the speedy trial rule in order to obtain a new date for the grand jury hearing.
Under Florida law, only a grand jury may charge a person with first degree murder. The state may hold individuals or lesser degrees of murder until a grand jury convenes.Tanay testified at the trial of Debra Sue Lacy was found innocent by reason of insanity of murdering her step-father, Emmett Armstrong.
Detectives at the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Department say Toby shot and killed her mother, Veola, on the night of Aug. 22.
Authorities said Toby originally claimed a prowler killed her mother. But last week, just before she was scheduled to take a lie detector test, Toby confessed to the killing, detectives said.
[“Grand Jury Postponed Pending Examination Of Murder Suspect,” Sarasota Herald-Tribune (Fl.), Sep. 9, 1975, p. 3-B]
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FULL TEXT: Toby Jackson, 15, of Sarasota, was sentenced to 30 years imprisonment Monday by Circuit Court Judge Roy Dean after she pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in the August shooting death of her mother, Veola, 45.
Toby, who will turn 16 next month, will be sent to the woman’s state prison at Lowell. However, Public Defender Jim Gardner said he will ask the court to transfer her to the girl’s reformatory at Ocala.
The plea ended Sarasota County’s sixth murder case that has occurred since Jan. 1. Another murder trial will be heard in January when the state presents its case against Jesse James Taylor.
Miss Jackson was indicted by a grand jury a month after her mother died from a gunshot wound at their home, 3219 Kings Blvd.
Authorities were stymied in their investigation until the girl, faced with the possibility of taking a lie detector test, confessed the killing.
She led Sarasota County sheriff’s detectives to a nearby house where she had thrown the murder weapon – her mother’s .22 caliber revolver.
Earlier, she had told detectives her mother was killed by a prowler.
[“15-Year-Old Sentenced To 30 Years In Prison,” Sarasota Herald-Tribune (Fl.), Nov. 25, 1975, p. 2-B]
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