Antoneeze Haynes, a 52-year-old male inmate at Florida's Okeechobee Correctional Institution, had been assigned a new cellmate for only about eight days before his life was brutally taken. The man who shared his cell, Michael Lawrence Woodbury, was a serial killer already serving three consecutive life sentences for a triple murder committed in New Hampshire in 2007. The fateful day for Mr.
Haynes was September 22, 2017, when he became Woodbury's fourth proven victim inside the supposed security of a state prison.
On that Friday morning, Woodbury barricaded the door to the cell he shared with Haynes and began a torturous assault that would last for approximately four hours. As correctional officers tried to intervene, the event devolved into a hostage situation. Woodbury, using his fists, boots, and makeshift weapons including a padlock, methodically beat his cellmate while taunting him. At one point, he was heard telling Haynes, "I know it hurts, I know. You deserved that one, you know you did. It's called torture. Welcome to the house of pain." He threatened to kill Haynes and any officer who tried to enter, and he demanded that medical equipment brought for the victim be removed, stating, "You're probably going to need a body bag." The standoff only ended when Woodbury realized a tactical team was preparing to force its way into the cell, at which point he surrendered.
For Antoneeze Haynes, it was too late. He was transported to Raulerson Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The medical examiner's report detailed the horrific extent of his injuries, which included severe blunt-force trauma, numerous brain hemorrhages, a broken jaw, 21 lacerations to his face and skull, and almost every rib fractured. The cause of death was determined to be blood loss from the severe injuries he sustained. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement investigated the case, which was classified as a homicide and ultimately closed by arrest.
In March 2018, an Okeechobee County grand jury indicted Michael Woodbury for the first-degree premeditated murder of Antoneeze Haynes, and the prosecution announced its intent to seek the death penalty. Displaying unusual courtroom behavior, Woodbury, who had a history of mental illness, insisted on representing himself. During his opening statement, he claimed the attack was a reaction to an alleged sexual assault attempt by Haynes. However, on the third day of his trial, May 21, 2018, after taking the stand to testify, Woodbury abruptly changed his plea to guilty.
The case then proceeded to the penalty phase. In July 2018, a jury heard evidence about the brutal killing of Haynes as well as Woodbury's violent past, including the 2007 murders of three people at an Army surplus store in Conway, New Hampshire. The jury's recommendation was unanimous: Michael Woodbury should be sentenced to death. On September 24, 2018, a judge formally sentenced Woodbury to death for the murder of Antoneeze Haynes.
This sentence was in addition to the three consecutive life sentences without parole he was already serving. Woodbury's legal challenges did not end there. He launched a series of appeals, arguing against the court's decision to let him represent himself and other aspects of his trial. His appeals were consistently denied by the Florida Supreme Court and, in February 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear his case, finalizing his death sentence. Michael Woodbury remains on death row at the Union Correctional Institution in Florida.
