Daniel Conneally
White male
Age at time: 39
Weapon: unarmed
William Hyatt Stieh
White male
Age at time: 38
Weapon: knife
Defendant photo: Pinellas County Sheriff's Office
Case type:
Dispute over money/property
Location:
Other Private Property
Initiator:
Victim
Witnesses:
Yes
Case year:
2007
Location details: A hotel room in Pinellas Park, Pinellas County, on Sept. 01, 2007
What happened: William Hyatt Stieh stabbed Daniel Conneally in a dispute over a missing wallet after the two men were involved in a sexual encounter in a hotel room with Conneally's girlfriend and a third man. Conneally and his girlfriend left the hotel and returned angrily when they realized their wallets were missing. Conneally initiated a physical confrontation and Stieh said he stabbed the unarmed man three times only after trying to get away from him repeatedly.
The outcome: The state charged Stieh with aggravated battery and a jury found him guilty. In April 2011, an appeals court reversed the conviction based on "stand your ground." He was released 2/16/2011.
Investigating agency: Pinellas County Sheriff
Case decision made by: District Court of Appeal
Trayvon Martin’s death became controversial because circumstances leading up to the shooting cast doubt on who was to blame. The Tampa Bay Times reviewed other “stand your ground” cases for similar circumstances. The Times relied on available information, some of which may not tell the whole story. When the situation was unclear, that was noted.
| Yes | No | Unclear/ disputed |
|
|---|---|---|---|
Did the victim initiate the confrontation? |
 |
||
Was the victim armed? |
|
||
Was the victim committing a crime that led to the confrontation? |
|
||
Did the defendant pursue the victim? |
|
||
Could the defendant have retreated to avoid the conflict? |
|
||
Was the defendant on his or her property? |
|
||
Did someone witness the attack? |
|
||
Was there physical evidence? |
|
Source: Second District Court of Appeal, April 1, 2011.
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Case last updated: July 3, 2012
