"Cruel, cold, calculated:" State Attorney says inmate strangled cellmate

A Grand Jury in Charlotte County has indicted William Tulenko, an inmate at Charlotte Correctional Institution, on a first degree murder charge for the death of another inmate.

According to State Attorney Amira Fox, the victim, James Howze, 52, was strangled to death while alone in a cell with Tulenko, 53, on February 29.

State Attorneys Office.

Fox said at the time, Tulenko had a pending murder charge against him for killing another inmate in Santa Rosa County. Tulenko was sentenced to life in prison in that case on June 7.

Howze was serving a life sentence in prison for murder, home invasion-robbery and kidnapping. According to Fox, he also had a pending case for allegedly killing an inmate in Franklin County.

Fox said due to the evidence, and prior history, the State Attorney’s Office will likely seek the death penalty against Tulenko.

“Due to the facts and evidence in this case,” said Fox. “Which I believe clearly show the aggravating factors of heinous, atrocious and cruel, and cold, calculated and premeditated, two of the factors that can be used by the state to pursue the death penalty."

She added, "due to the defendant's prior history it is highly likely that we will seek the death penalty in this case.”