Bio

James Eugene Hunter, born December 17, 1970, also went by the alias "Michael Miller" and was known to acquaintances by the nickname "Psycho." Prior to the events of September 1992, he had previous convictions for aggravated battery and other violent offenses.

Murder Story

On September 16, 1992, James Eugene Hunter traveled from St. Augustine to DeLand, Florida, with Tammie Cowan, Cathy Woodward, Charles Anderson, Andre Smith, and Lee Lewis, also known as Eric Boyd. Cowan testified that Lewis and Anderson carried black BB guns, while Hunter had a silver handgun. The group stopped briefly in DeLand before the first robbery that night.

At about 11:45 p.m., Cowan stopped the car and let Anderson, Lewis, Smith, and Hunter out. Hunter robbed a man on the street at gunpoint. After the group returned to the vehicle, Cowan drove them toward Daytona Beach. A “be on the lookout” alert was then circulated for the DeLand robbery suspects and their vehicle.

After arriving in Daytona Beach, Hunter directed Cowan to drive near the Bethune-Cookman College area. He told her to stop when he saw four young men outside a place known as the “Munch Shop.” Hunter, Lewis, Smith, and Anderson got out of the vehicle and approached the men. Hunter was still armed with the silver handgun.

Hunter ordered the men to “give it up,” and he and his companions robbed them at gunpoint. The victims were forced to lie face down. Hunter then shot each of the men in turn. Wayne Simpson was the last person shot, and he later died from his wound. Hunter and the others fled with the victims’ clothing, jewelry, and other personal property.

The Eleventh Circuit later gave a more detailed account of the shooting. Taurus Cooley was shot first. Michael Howard was shot as he began to get up and run. Ted Troutman was shot while lying face down as the robbers took his shoes and watch. Wayne Simpson was shot last. After the shooting, the victims ran for help. Simpson reached an apartment building, pounded on a door and window, and then collapsed. The bullet had passed through his right lung and heart.

After the shooting, Hunter returned to the car and told Cowan to leave. He also told her that he had fired the gun because one of the victims had tried to run. At about 12:40 a.m., Deputy Richard Graves saw a vehicle in Ormond Beach that matched the BOLO from the DeLand robbery. Graves stopped the vehicle, and Cowan admitted that the group had come from DeLand.

The victim from the DeLand robbery was brought to the traffic stop and identified Hunter as the person who had robbed him. The same victim also identified the vehicle. Cowan consented to a search of the car. Officers found two BB guns and personal property taken from victims in both the DeLand and Daytona Beach robberies. The silver handgun used by Hunter was never recovered.

Hunter was indicted on October 6, 1992. The charges included first-degree murder, three counts of attempted first-degree murder, attempted robbery with a firearm, and multiple robbery-related counts. The trial jury found him guilty on all counts on August 6, 1993. On August 13, 1993, the jury recommended a death sentence by a vote of 9 to 3.

On August 18, 1993, Judge Gayle Graziano sentenced Hunter to death for the first-degree murder of Wayne Simpson. He also received life sentences for the attempted murders and robbery-related offenses. The sentences were ordered to run consecutively. At the same time, Hunter was also convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment for the DeLand armed robbery from September 16, 1992.

Hunter appealed his convictions and death sentence to the Florida Supreme Court. On June 1, 1995, the court affirmed the convictions and sentence. The court rejected or found harmless the issues raised on appeal, including challenges related to competency and the admission of evidence from the vehicle stop and search.

Hunter later pursued postconviction and habeas relief. In 2002, the Florida Supreme Court affirmed the denial of postconviction relief and denied his state habeas petition. In 2005, the Eleventh Circuit affirmed the denial of federal habeas relief. Later, in 2008, the Florida Supreme Court also affirmed the denial of a successive postconviction motion.

As of the Florida Department of Corrections inmate record current to July 5, 2026, James Eugene Hunter remains incarcerated at Union Correctional Institution under a death sentence. His Florida death-row roster entry lists the offense date as September 17, 1992, the sentence date as August 18, 1993, and Volusia County as the county of conviction.