William Tulenko has been adjudicated guilty after pleading guilty as charged to First Degree Murder, for the murder of inmate James Lindsey Howze, at the Charlotte Correctional Institution (CCI). The victim was murdered by strangulation, on February 29, 2024, when the defendant and the victim were incarcerated at CCI.
This is not a plea agreement. The defendant pled as charged, giving up his right to a trial, but still faces the same potential penalties, life in prison or death, as the State filed an Intent to Seek Death in this case.
There will be a penalty phase of this case, with a trial, scheduled for February 18, 2026, in Charlotte County. In this phase, evidence is presented to the court, aggravating and mitigating circumstances, for the judge to decide between a death sentence or life in prison without parole
Chief Assistant State Attorney Richard Montecalvo and Charlotte County Deputy Chief Assistant State Attorney Shannon Doolity are prosecuting the case.
Samantha Syoen – State Attorney’s Office Communications Director