Press Release
Bill Eddins, State Attorney for the First Judicial Circuit of Florida, and Glenn Hess, State
Attorney for the Fourteenth Judicial Circuit of Florida, announced that on Monday,
January 28, 2019, Rocky Ali Beamon was sentenced to death in Jackson County,
Florida, for First Degree Premeditated Murder.
The conviction and sentence arose from the July 5, 2012, murder of Bruce Hunsicker at
the Apalachee Correctional Institution in Sneads, Florida. Beamon and Hunsicker were
both inmates at the prison, and subsequent confessions by Beamon revealed that the
motive for the murder was primarily Hunsicker’s status as a sex offender. Hunsicker
also owed Beamon money.
After watching the victim for several days to learn his schedule, Beamon killed
Hunsicker in the shower area of the prison dormitory by approaching him from behind,
choking him, and stabbing him 80 times with a homemade shank. Beamon then rinsed
himself off and flushed the shank, a towel, and a pair of boxers, after which he
proceeded to dinner.
Beamon entered a guilty plea to First Degree Premeditated Murder and waived his right
to a jury trial for guilt and sentencing. A Penalty Phase Judge Trial was then held on
December 17, 2018. The State presented evidence of the heinousness of the killing as
well as details regarding Beamon’s prior criminal history, which included 2005
convictions for Murder, Kidnapping, and Robbery in Hillsborough County for which
Beamon was sentenced to life in prison.
The Honorable Christopher N. Patterson, Circuit Judge of the Fourteenth Judicial
Circuit, determined that the aggravating factors in this case outweighed the mitigating
circumstances applicable to the Defendant and found that death was the appropriate
sentence.
The investigation was conducted by the Inspector General’s Office of the Department of
Corrections with assistance from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
Assistant State Attorney Clifton Drake was responsible for the prosecution, with
assistance from Assistant State Attorney Jack Schlechter and Chief Assistant State
Attorney Bill Bishop. All three attorneys are employed by the First Judicial Circuit but
were cross-designated with the Fourteenth Judicial Circuit for the prosecution of this
case.
State Attorney Bill Eddins also indicated that Rocky Beamon is under investigation for
an additional murder that occurred in January of 2017 while Beamon was incarcerated
at the Santa Rosa Correctional Institution. The state intends to seek an indictment for
first degree murder in that case and also intends to seek a death sentence.
Any questions may be directed to Mr. Drake at (850) 689-5620.