Jury recommends life for Tiffany Cole, woman on death row in 2005 killing of Jacksonville couple

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A woman who was on death row for her role in the kidnapping, robbing, and murdering an elderly Jacksonville couple 18 years ago was re-sentenced Wednesday to life in prison.

The jury returned a verdict of life in prison for Tiffany Cole after deliberating for nearly three hours.

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Carol and Reggie Sumner were both 61 years old when they were bound by duct tape, driven to Georgia and buried alive.

The Sumners were reported missing in 2005 by their daughter. The elderly couple were kidnapped from their St. Nicholas home, driven to ATMs to withdraw money, then buried alive in Charlton County, where they were later found dead.

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The Florida Supreme Court tossed out the death sentences for Cole and two of her co-defendants, Alan Wade and Michael Jackson, because they were not unanimous.

In June 2022, a jury recommended life in prison for Wade. In May, a jury recommended the death penalty for Jackson.

A fourth co-defendant, Bruce Nixon, took a plea deal and is serving a 45-year sentence. According to the Florida Department of Corrections, he is set to be released in 2048.

Photos: 4 people convicted in Jacksonville couple’s 2005 murder

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Reggie and Carol Sumner Reggie and Carol Sumner were kidnapped from their Jacksonville home, robbed and buried alive in Charlton County, Georgia, back in 2005.

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