A new book by author Pamela Colloff challenges the conviction of death row prisoner James Dailey, arguing that Pinellas County prosecutors relied on an unreliable jailhouse informant for crucial murder evidence.

Pinellas County Murder Case

In 1985, 14-year-old Shelly Boggio was beaten and stabbed to death along Indian Rocks Beach. Jack Pearcy, who picked Boggio up in his car that night, later received a life sentence after admitting to the killing. Dailey was initially with them and was seen leaving the area with wet pants, but he has spent nearly four decades on death row.

The jailhouse informant, Paul Skalnik, claimed that Dailey confessed to him in jail. However, Skalnik’s ex-wife, Suzanne Bordeau, described him as a con man who constantly made up stories. Colloff described Skalnik as ‘one of the most notorious and unreliable jailhouse snitches in American history’ and noted that prosecutors used him in at least 40 cases.

Impact on Victims

Colloff maintains that Dailey was sleeping at home when Boggio died and that Pearcy alone killed the teen. Boggio’s family continues to express confidence in Dailey’s guilt while enduring decades of legal proceedings. The ongoing heartbreak for the family has been prolonged by the process, which has also created more victims due to Skalnik’s testimony.

The Pinellas County State Attorney’s Office could not immediately respond to requests for comment regarding the book. In 2019, the office stated that Skalnik was never an official agent and received no leniency in exchange for his testimony. Skalnik died in 2020.

Original reporting: Tampa Bay Florida News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.