A tentative trial date has been set for Daniel Spencer, who is charged in the murder of his 5-year-old stepdaughter, Missy Mogle – though one of his lawyers signaled it may be pushed back.
Spencer, 35, appeared Sept. 12 before Leon Circuit Judge Tiffany Baker-Carper for a hearing she set on whether he was mentally competent to proceed as his own attorney. She noted he had written the court multiple times saying he wanted to represent himself and didn’t want to rule on any motions filed by his recently appointed defense lawyer, David Collins of Monticello, before hearing from him directly.
“Have you had more time to think about that?” Baker-Carper asked Spencer.
“I don’t want to represent myself,” the defendant replied.
In one hand-written letter sent in August, Spencer told the court he wanted to waive his right to a speedy trial and asked to have the proceeding “around Christmas.”
But Collins, a well-known criminal defense attorney serving as conflict counsel after the Public Defender’s Office recused itself, said that, too, might change.
“We’d like to see a little bit more of the discovery that we have, and we will let the court know if our position changes and he does want to waive it,” Collins said. “But right now, we’d like to have more time to discuss this with our client.
Carper-Baker set jury selection for Nov. 10 and a final pretrial hearing for Oct. 23. She also said she would consider a motion for a continuance when the issue comes up again.
The judge also ruled in favor of defense motions allowing Collins to hire his son, Chuck Collins of Monticello, as co-counsel and Monica Jordan, a prominent Tallahassee private investigator, as a “mitigation specialist.”
In a motion filed last month, David Collins wrote that statutes allow defendants facing the death penalty to have two capital-qualified defense attorneys if they are indigent. In another motion, he said the defense requires the assistance of a mitigation specialist to develop evidence and prepare penalty phase defenses.
Daniel Spencer, right, speaks with one of his attorneys, Chuck Collins of Monticello, during a hearing Sept. 12, 2025, at the Leon County Courthouse. Spencer is charged with first-degree murder in the May 19 killing of his 5-year-old stepdaughter, Missy Mogle.
Missy Mogle, 5, with her dog Daisy. Missy died May 19, 2025, after suffering severe child abuse at her home in Tallahassee. Her mother, Chloe Spencer, and stepfather, Daniel Spencer, have been charged with murder in her death.
“A mitigation specialist is not a mere investigator; rather a specially trained individual who specializes in developing mitigation in capital cases,” Collins wrote.
Collins asked the court to authorize up to $15,000 for Jordan’s services at $75 an hour.
“This is the lawful established rate for mitigation specialists including reasonable travel expenses,” he wrote. “The requested expert’s skill and expertise justify the hourly rate requested.”
Daniel Spencer and his wife, Chloe Spencer, 23, Missy Mogle’s biological mother, were arrested May 19 after the little girl lost consciousness at her home in Southwood and died. They were later indicted on charges of first-degree murder, aggravated child abuse, child neglect causing great bodily harm and failure to report child abuse.
Chloe Spencer, who is charged for the murder of her 5 year old daughter, Missy Mogle, enters the courtroom for her arraignment Thursday, August. 7, 2025.
Missy had injuries “from head to toe,” from bruises and cuts to ligature marks around her wrists and burns on her fingers, according to police and DCF reports. Investigators found surveillance video from her bedroom showing hours of Daniel Spencer hitting her, binding her feet and hands together and covering her with pillows and comforters.
Her death sparked an outpouring of grief in Florida’s capital city and raised questions about how the state’s child welfare system, the courts, police and others might have failed to protect her.
On Aug. 19, Robert Frable, a retired doctor who opened his home to the Spencers, was arrested for failing to report child abuse. He was released on bond the same day as his arrest. Daniel and Chloe Spencer are being held without bond in the Leon County Detention Facility.
Missy’s tragic life story has been unfolding in the pages of the Tallahassee Democrat since her death in May. Her alleged murder sparked an outpouring of grief in Florida’s capital city and raised mounting questions about how the state’s child welfare system, the courts, police and others might have failed to protect her.
Contact Jeff Burlew at jburlew@tallahassee.com or 850-599-2180.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Judge sets trial date for stepfather charged in murder of Missy Mogle