Man guilty of Aggravated Battery for shooting man he met online

Posted on November 6, 2025 by Admin SA

An Alabama man who unsuccessfully claimed he was expecting to meet a woman he found on a social media app was found guilty Wednesday of shooting the man who showed up at his hotel, State Attorney Larry Basford announced.

Marques Isaiah Player, of Sylacuaga, Ala., was found guilty of Aggravated Battery with a Firearm (great bodily injury). Circuit Court Judge Brantley Clark set sentencing for Dec. 18.

“This case presents a cautionary tale about meeting and ‘hooking up’ with random strangers you meet on dating apps,” Prosecutor Frank Sullivan said. “Not everyone on the internet is who they claim to be, and that can be dangerous for both parties.”

Part of Player’s defense was that he thought he was messaging with a woman on social media apps in the hours before the May 1, 2022 shooting. They agreed to meet at the defendant’s beach motel room. The defendant said it was only when he got in the truck that he realized it was a man, and he fired a shot out of fear when he saw an empty gun holster in the truck.

But Prosecutor Frank Sullivan, who called 5 witnesses, entered evidence gathered by the Bay County Sheriff’s Office that proved the defendant knew the victim was a man before the meeting took place.

“At some point in time this defendant realizes he’s not talking to a female, he’s talking to another male,” Sullivan said. “And they continued to converse on Snapchat and Mr. Player ultimately agreed to meet up with the victim.”

Snapchat messages recovered by Sheriff’s Office investigators showed the defendant sent one message to the victim stating, “If u a dude imma kill u.” Another from the defendant, sent before the two met, said, “should’ve told me Ian (I ain’t) gay.” The victim testified he told the defendant in the messages he was a man.

Surveillance video showed that the victim pulled into the hotel parking lot and sat there for several minutes. The defendant is seen leaving his hotel room, pulling a gun from his pants pocket, racking a round into the chamber and then putting the gun back in his pocket before eventually walking over to the victim’s vehicle.

The defendant is seen opening the passenger door of the victim’s truck but only remaining for seconds before shooting the victim and running away on foot. The victim was able to call 911 for assistance while the defendant and a friend fled in the friend’s Jeep. The Sheriff’s Office’s BAYROC monitoring system was used to show it crossed the Hathaway Bridge headed into Panama City minutes after the shooting. At 4:02 a.m. the vehicle, and the suspects, were found and taken into custody at a gas station near 23^rd Street and U.S. 231. The gun used in the shooting was in the vehicle.

Basford thanked the Sheriff’s Office for its work on the case and the quick arrest.

For more information, contact Mike Cazalas at mike.cazalas@sa14.fl.gov, or call 850-381-7454.

Hotel shooting earns convicted felon 20-year stay in prison

Posted on August 8, 2025 by Admin SA

A convicted felon found guilty in June of shooting another man twice in the leg was sentenced to 20 years in prison Friday, State Attorney Larry Basford announced.

Christopher Lorenzo Hatcher, 48, was sentenced to 10 years in prison for Attempted Manslaughter, 5 years for being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm, and 5 years for Shooting into an Occupied Dwelling. Circuit Court Judge William Henry ordered those sentences be served consecutively, or back-to-back.

Prosecutor Brea Dearing called 8 witnesses, including the victim who was shot twice in the leg and once in the hand, along with evidence like video surveillance gathered by Panama City police to prove her case at the June 19 trial.

“Panama City police did a good job investigating this case so we could prosecute this defendant and get him in prison where he belongs,” Dearing said. “This easily could have ended with someone dying, and Panama City is a safer place today with this sentence.”

The testimony showed that on July 27, 2022, the victim had spoken to Hatcher in the defendant’s room. Later, Hatcher went to the victim’s room, barged inside and fired several shots before fleeing.

The video showed blood on his shirt as he ran. Panama City police captured him about 5 blocks away shirtless, but still wearing the same pants as in the surveillance video.

Basford thanked the Panama City Police Department for its work on the case and the quick identification and capture of the suspect.

For more information, contact Mike Cazalas at mike.cazalas@sa14.fl.gov, or call 850-381-7454.

2 Life sentences in child sexual abuse case

Posted on May 18, 2023May 18, 2023 by Admin SA

A judge Wednesday ordered a man to spend the rest of his life in prison after his April convictions of sexually abusing a child for years, State Attorney Larry Basford announced.

Circuit Court Judge Brantley Clark gave Sean Michael Talkington, 45, two separate Life sentences – one for each count of Sexual Battery on a Child under the age of 12 – 25 years for Lewd and Lascivious Molestation, and 15 years for Lewd and Lascivious Battery. He ordered the terms served consecutively.

The defendant approaches for sentencing.

Circuit Court Judge Brantley Clark delivers the sentence.

The sentencing ended a case that involved prosecutors and law enforcement in both Bay County, where the crime occurred, and Kansas, where the defendant was questioned.

“I’m happy we were able to close this chapter and help her on her healing journey,” Prosecutor Nicole Reed said. “The collaboration between our office, the Bay County Sheriff’s Office and the Lawrence, Kansas, Police Department shows that justice isn’t bound by jurisdictional lines.”

Reed, who read the victim’s impact statement to the court during sentencing, said the effort put into the case by everyone involved paid off, “knowing that a Sexual Predator has been put away for the rest of his life and the victim can breathe easier.”

In her Victim Impact Statement, the victim wrote about her pain and suffering, saying, “The journey to healing has only begun and I have a lifetime of healing and self-discovery to fight for, and I’ll never stop fighting for this life and for peace.”

During the April trial, Reed called four witnesses and presented evidence that proved the defendant repeatedly sexually assaulted the victim between 2005 and 2012. Among the state witnesses were Bay County Sheriff’s Office Investigator Jake Roberts and Lawrence, Kansas, Police Department Sgt. Jamie Lawson, who traveled to Bay County to testify. Roberts was the case agent. Sgt. Lawson conducted an interview with the defendant in Kansas during which the defendant made admissions.

The jury deliberated for just over 30 minutes.

Basford thanked the BCSO and Lawrence, Kansas police for their collaborative work on a case that spanned years and nearly 1,000 miles.

For more information, contact Mike Cazalas at mike.cazalas@sa14.fl.gov, or call 850-381-7454.

Man guilty of sexually battering, impregnating child is sentenced to Life

Posted on February 8, 2023 by Admin SA

A man found guilty Tuesday of sexual battery upon a child multiple times and impregnating her was sentenced to Life in prison Wednesday, State Attorney Larry Basford announced.

Nadir Al Bashir, 49, of Panama City, was found guilty of 3 counts of Sexual Battery Upon a child 12 years of age or older. A jury took 11 minutes to find him guilty of sexually battering the 12-year-old victim both before and after he impregnated her. Circuit Judge Brantley Clark sentenced him to three consecutive life sentences.

Prosecutor Jennifer Lieb addresses the jury.

Assistant State Attorney Jennifer Lieb presented witnesses and evidence from the victim’s family, the Panama City Police Department and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. FDLE analyst Jennifer Wilkerson testified that DNA samples from the defendant, the victim, and the baby showed a 99.99% likelihood that the was the father.

During the cross-examination of the defendant, Lieb asked him if he had had sex with the victim when she was 12 years old. The defendant admitted he had but said he believed it was legal after he researched the law. “So, you decided to have sex with a 12-year-old child. Based on your research you decided to have sex with a 12-year-old child multiple times?” Lieb asked the defendant. The defendant replied that “Y’all don’t get it.”

“The State has called witnesses, including the victim, who have testified about what this defendant did to this child,” Lieb told jurors in her closing argument. “But there’s no doubting that it happened thanks to the DNA because the FDLE was able to show that half the child’s DNA profile comes from the defendant. This man forced her into a situation that no 12- or 13-year-old is prepared for, becoming pregnant and having a child to care for.”

“We believe life is the appropriate sentence in this case based on the nature of these crimes and the defendant’s own testimony.” Lieb stated at sentencing. “This defendant will always be a danger to the children in our community. He doesn’t believe the law applies to him and he doesn’t think he has done anything wrong, he has shown no remorse.”

The defendant is fingerprinted after being found guilty.

The defendant told the judge, when speaking about the crime, that he “didn’t force nobody to do that” and that it was just something that happened and that he is not a danger to children.

The victim also spoke to Judge Clark at sentencing.

“It has affected me every day of my life since I was a child,” the victim said in a soft voice, adding it has negatively affected her relationships with others, caused pain in her family, and led her to being homeless and without her child for a period of time.

After sentencing the victim said it felt like a weight had been lifted off of her and that she could finally breathe.

Basford thanked the Panama City Police Department and assisting agencies for their work on the case.

For more information, contact Mike Cazalas at mike.cazalas@sa14.fl.gov, or call 850-381-7454.