Gage Michael Griner, 17, of Southport, who was charged with Second-Degree Felony Murder under Florida’s felony murder statute, was sentenced to 30 years in prison after pleading no contest, State Attorney Larry Basford announced.
Griner, 14 at the time of the death, was charged due to his involvement in an apparent drug rip-off style robbery of Savien Craven, another juvenile. Prosecutor Peter Overstreet presented testimony at Craven’s February trial that showed a scuffle broke out during the robbery and Griner was stabbed multiple times by Craven. Jacob Adam Revis ran and made it about 110 yards with Craven chasing him before tripping and falling in a ditch. Craven stabbed Revis to death in the ditch.
Craven was found guilty of Second-Degree Murder at his February trial and sentenced to 65 years in prison.
Griner was also sentenced to 5 additional years in prison for Possession of Contraband in a Correctional Facility following his arrest in the 2021 murder. Circuit Court Judge Dustin Stephenson ordered that sentence to be served consecutive, or separate from, the 30-year sentence.
Griner was charged with Second-Degree Felony Murder under Florida’s felony murder statute. Florida’s felony murder statute punishes individuals who commit certain enumerated felonies, such as robbery, where a human being is killed during that felony, by a person other than the person engaged in the perpetration of or in the attempt to perpetrate such felony. Examples would be two bank robbers who attempt to rob a bank and one of the robbers is shot and killed by a police officer as they try to get away. Florida’s laws punish those who commit these dangerous felonies and lives are lost as a result.
“This case shows the abundant dangers involved in the use and purchase of any illegal narcotic,” Overstreet said. “Five families’ lives are changed forever and one life was lost, which is why we continue to work with our law enforcement partners to remove illegal drugs from our streets, prosecute those who sell them, and keep them out of the hands of our children.”
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Basford thanked the Lynn Haven Police Department for its thorough investigation, and the witnesses who came forward to testify.
For more information, contact Mike Cazalas at mike.cazalas@sa14.fl.gov, or call 850-381-7454.