Charles 'Chip' Flynn, the victim — Credit: editorial-use
On April 3–4, 1989, 22-year-old Charles Lambert "Chip" Flynn was shot and killed in a citrus grove in Brevard County, Florida. Earlier that night, Flynn had met with his ex-girlfriend Kim Hallock, and the two smoked marijuana, had sex, and later sat in his truck at Holder Park in Mims, Florida. According to Hallock, a man she identified as Crosley Alexander Green approached them armed with a gun, tied Flynn's hands with a shoelace, robbed them, and drove them to a citrus grove. Hallock said Flynn managed to retrieve a gun and fire several shots before she fled on foot to call police. Officers arriving at the scene found Flynn with a single gunshot wound to the chest; his first words were reportedly "Get me outta here. I wanna go home," and he did not mention a robbery or an assailant. He died before an ambulance arrived. At the scene, only Hallock's and Flynn's fingerprints were found, no gunshot residue was found on Flynn's hands, and the only bullet recovered was the one that killed him.
Following a tip and a photo lineup that Green's later appellate attorneys described as suggestive, Green was arrested on June 8, 1989, and charged with kidnapping, robbery, and murder. At his 1989–1990 trial, prosecutors presented shoeprint evidence and three witnesses—including Green's sister, Sheila Green—who claimed Green had confessed. All three witnesses later recanted, with Sheila Green stating she was pressured by police. Green refused a plea deal and was found guilty of first-degree murder by an all-white jury on September 5, 1990, and sentenced to death.
Over the following decades, Green's case underwent extensive appeals. A 1993 motion for a new trial was denied, and the Florida Supreme Court upheld his conviction in 1994. Private investigators, working without pay from 1999, uncovered issues with the shoeprint evidence and testimony, and noted that the truck involved required manual transmission skills questioned in relation to the alleged crime. A 2000 state DNA investigation found no evidence connecting Green to the crime, according to a CBS report from that year, though later reports indicated weak DNA evidence in the truck that could have originated from Green or a family member. Green's death sentence was vacated in 2005, and after further appellate proceedings, he was resentenced to life in 2008. Additional appeals in 2010–2011, including new alibi witnesses, were unsuccessful.
In 2018, a federal court found that prosecutor Christopher White had withheld evidence from Green's defense, and Green was granted a new trial; this was appealed by the State of Florida. Green was released from prison to house arrest pending appellate review. In March 2022, Green's conviction was reinstated by the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals.
Throughout, Green has maintained his innocence, and questions have persisted about inconsistencies in Hallock's account, including changing descriptions of the alleged weapon and physical evidence. Investigators and officials, including responding officers Diane Clarke and Mark Rixey, have suggested Hallock may bear responsibility for Flynn's death, a claim denied by prosecutor Christopher White.
Kim Hallock and Charles Flynn spend the evening together; Hallock later says Crosley Green robbed and abducted them at Holder Park.
1989-04-04
Charles Flynn is found shot in a Brevard County citrus grove and dies at the scene before an ambulance arrives.
1989-06-08
Crosley Green is arrested and charged with kidnapping, robbery, and murder.
1990-09-05
An all-white jury finds Green guilty of first-degree murder; he is later sentenced to death.
1993-04
Defense attorney Rob Parker files a motion for a new trial.
1994
Florida Supreme Court upholds Green's conviction.
1999
Private investigators, led by Paul Ciolino, begin reviewing the case at the request of anti-death penalty activist Nan Webb.
2000
State of Florida conducts DNA investigation; CBS reports no DNA evidence links Green to the murder.
2005
Green's death sentence is thrown out.
2007-10
Florida Supreme Court upholds conviction but orders resentencing.
2008
Green is resentenced to life in prison.
2011
Petition for new trial denied despite two new alibi witnesses.
2016-01
Petition for new trial declined for allegedly missing a deadline.
2017
Green's attorneys win appeal with the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals.
2018-07
Federal court finds prosecutor Christopher White withheld evidence; Green is granted a new trial.
2019
U.S. Middle District Court of Florida deems the 1990 conviction unconstitutional; Florida Today reports Green won a new trial, later appealed.
2020-03-12
Green's and state attorneys argue before the U.S. Court of Appeals over whether the new trial order will be upheld.
2022-03
Green's conviction is reinstated by the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals.
Best coverage
Titles and descriptions are the creators’ own and may not reflect current legal status; see the dossier above for sourced case facts.
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Murder in the Orange Grove: The Troubled Case Against Crosley Green | Full Podcast + Episode
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Rumors | "Murder in the Orange Grove" | "48 Hours" Podcast (Episode 2)
People
Mark Rixey
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Brevard County deputy who responded to the scene and later suggested Kim Hallock may have been responsible for Flynn's death.
Christopher White
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Assistant State's Attorney who prosecuted Green; later found by federal courts to have withheld exculpatory evidence from the defense.
Charles Lambert "Chip" Flynn
VICTIM
22-year-old man fatally shot in a Brevard County citrus grove on April 4, 1989.
Diane Clarke
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Brevard County sergeant who responded to the scene and later suggested Kim Hallock may have been responsible for Flynn's death.
Crosley Alexander Green
CONVICTED
Convicted of first-degree murder in 1990 and sentenced to death (later life imprisonment); conviction vacated in 2018, then reinstated by the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals in March 2022.
Roles reflect public records and court outcomes at the time of writing — supporting citations are on file under Sources.
Charles "Chip" Flynn, 22, was fatally shot in a Brevard County, Florida citrus grove in April 1989. Crosley Alexander Green was convicted of the killing based largely on the testimony of Flynn's ex-girlfriend Kim Hallock, but decades of appeals cited withheld evidence and inconsistencies, leading to his conviction being vacated in 2018 before being reinstated in 2022.
Where did the killing happen?
Citrus grove near Mims, Brevard County, Florida.
Who was convicted?
Crosley Alexander Green (Convicted of first-degree murder in 1990 and sentenced to death (later life imprisonment); conviction vacated in 2018, then reinstated by the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals in March 2022.).
