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Florida child killer’s death sentence upheld

By and News Service of Florida Staff
Published  January 31, 2025 6:06pm EST
Florida
FOX 13 News

The Brief

    • The Florida Supreme Court unanimously upheld the death sentence of a man who murdered a 13-year-old girl in 2008 in a Panama City motel room.
    • Matthew Caylor was sentenced to die by a jury and then by a judge after the Florida Supreme Court in 2017 ordered a new sentencing proceeding for Caylor as an outgrowth of a U.S. Supreme Court decision.
    • Caylor’s appeal to the Supreme Court, in part, challenged the decision to deny the request for a jury. But the Supreme Court backed the circuit judge’s finding that the request was made in "bad faith" to cause a delay.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - The Florida Supreme Court on Thursday unanimously upheld the death sentence of a man who murdered a 13-year-old girl in 2008 in a Panama City motel room. 

Justices rejected arguments by Matthew Caylor, who was convicted of first-degree murder and sexual battery in the killing of Melinda Hinson. 

Melinda Hinson's disappearance and death

The backstory:

According to court documents, Caylor fled felony probation in Georgia for molesting a 14-year-old and was selling drugs from a room he was staying in at the Valu-Lodge Motel in Panama City.

On July 8, 2013, Hinson, whose family was staying at the Valu-Lodge Motel, disappeared. 

Two days later, her lifeless body was found under Caylor’s bed in his room at the motel. 

READ: St. Pete man accused of plotting to kidnap, sexually assault and murder a child: Police

Court documents show that Caylor confessed to having sex with Hinson and then killing her to avoid arrest for fleeing probation. 

Matthew Caylor mugshot courtesy of the Florida Department of Corrections.

Matthew Caylor mugshot courtesy of the Florida Department of Corrections.

According to court documents, Caylor felt he was falsely accused of the Georgia molestation, so when Hinson knocked on his door to ask for a cigarette on July 8, 2013, he decided to make it all "worth it."

In his words, "[i]f I’m going to be in trouble for having sex with this girl being in my room, I might as well have sex with this girl."

Court documents show Caylor choked Hinson because of the "hate and rage he felt from his Georgia conviction, and because he had a recent break-up." Hinson fought him, but he "just wanted her to go away." 

READ: Missing Bradenton woman declared dead a year after her disappearance

At some point during the attack, court documents show he and Hinson rolled onto the floor, where he unplugged the phone cord and strangled her with it. Once she stopped moving, he lifted his mattress, put Hinson and her clothes under it, and plugged the phone back in, according to court documents.

The physical and DNA evidence collected from Caylor’s hotel room and Melinda’s body corroborated Caylor’s confession, court documents show.

A jury convicted Caylor of three counts, including first-degree murder. By a vote of eight to four, the penalty phase jury recommended the death penalty.

New sentencing proceeding

Timeline:

The Florida Supreme Court in 2017 ordered a new sentencing proceeding for Caylor as an outgrowth of a U.S. Supreme Court decision. 

During a 2021 sentencing hearing, Caylor waived certain rights, including the right to a jury, according to Thursday’s opinion.

Later, however, Caylor sought to withdraw the waiver of a right to a jury — a request that a Bay County circuit judge denied. 

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The judge sentenced Caylor to death again. 

Caylor’s appeal to the Supreme Court, in part, challenged the decision to deny the request for a jury. 

But the Supreme Court backed the circuit judge’s finding that the request was made in "bad faith" to cause a delay. 

"Because there is substantial evidence supporting the trial court’s findings, we conclude the trial court did not abuse its discretion by denying Caylor’s request to withdraw his waiver of the penalty phase jury," said Thursday’s opinion, written by Justice Renatha Francis. 

Caylor, now 49, is an inmate at Union Correctional Institution.

The Source: This story was written with information from court documents and the News Service of Florida. 

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