Paul Scott, who was given the death sentence in December 1979, on charges of killing James Alessi, has survived five previous death warrants and has remained on the death row for almost 50 years. He was charged along with Richard Kondian, who was given 45 years of jail time but made it out within 14 years.
Right from the time Scott was arrested and put on trial, he had maintained that he did not commit the crime he was being punished for. He had mentioned, “I did not kill Mr. Alessi. I did not help kill Mr. Alessi. I was not there when Mr. Alessi was killed. Where is justice in this state? I’ve got 32 years for a murder I didn’t do.”
Paul Scott, who murdered Boca Raton florist James Alessi, was sentenced to death in 1979. He has survived five death warrants. https://t.co/T2yuXhu544
— The Palm Beach Post (@pbpost) April 8, 2025
On the evening of April 12, 1978, it was reported that Kondian and Scott had murdered Alessi. He seemed to have died from head injuries as he was found in a pool of blood and it appeared that his head and chest were severely beaten. He also had a skull fracture. Alessi residence also bore signs of struggle and Scott’s finger prints were apparently found on a knife strained with blood and a broken vase.
The duo then allegedly attacked Alessi’s shop from where they took gold jewelry. Later, when they were found in Sacramento, California, Scott had a few items of gold jewelry in his possession and also had a golden bear charm, one that was similar to Alessi’s.
Though Scott was arrested and eventually put on the death row, he avoided execution five times, mainly because of the various confusing factors that remain prevalent in his case. For instance, eight jurors associated with Scott’s trial said that they did not have access to certain information, which naturally meant that the decision of executing him was not totally backed up by proper evidence.
Paul Scott, who murdered Boca Raton florist James Alessi, was sentenced to death in 1979. He has survived five death warrants. https://t.co/7yW4Y0Hr0g
— Daytona Beach News-Journal (@dbnewsjournal) April 8, 2025
Moreover, Kondian wrote in an affidavit, “Paul never intended to kill Alessi or anybody that night and did not intend to harm anybody. He never did murder anybody.” It should be noted here that while confusion and differing view points exist in Scott’s case, one witness, named Charles Soutullo, also confirmed their plan of robbing Alessi. They also apparently asked Soutullo to join them, but he refused.
As Kondian got a 45 years sentence after hiring defence attorney David Ross and pleading guilty to second-degree murder, Scott apparently was not keen on getting a life-sentence. Though D. Todd Doss, the man representing Scott said that he would be lucky to have his death sentence reduced to a life sentence, Bob Pauley claimed that Scott’s view was “Kill me or release me.”
Bob Pauley is the person who has been working on Scott’s case and has also written a song and book based on him. While Scott keeps escaping his executions, Jane Bunch, Alessi’s sister, firmly believes that he is the killer. In 2012, at a court hearing, she said, “They hurt my brother. They tortured my brother, and it was planned. He’s a murderer. He should be executed.” It now remains to be seen if Scott continues to escape his execution or if some other judgment is passed.
