A man who strangled his friend and then had sex with a woman in the room during a trip to Panama City Beach was sentenced to 40 years in prison Thursday, State Attorney Larry Basford announced.
Scottie Jay Black, 43, of Tonalea, Ariz., was found guilty as charged of Second-Degree Murder last month in the Oct. 3, 2021 death of Tyrell James Sagg, 41, of Rock Point, Ariz. Both areas are part of the Navajo Nation, where Black was ultimately picked up for questioning.
The case began Oct. 3, 2021, when the defendant and the victim’s girlfriend reported finding him dead on the floor of their Panama City Beach hotel room. The three were here for vacation. There were no visible injuries on the victim.
An autopsy showed internal injuries consistent with strangulation. The Panama City Beach Police Department’s investigation showed Black used the victim’s ATM card after his death and fled. Prosecutors Peter Overstreet and Nadia DeAbreu presented the case to jurors.
Prosecutor Peter Overstreet told Circuit Court Judge Brantley Clark that while no one knows exactly how events unfolded that night in the hotel room, the defendant did some good things in his life and was not the typical repeat offender. However, he also noted the defendant declined to take responsibility for his actions, that death by strangulation is painful, and that the defendant was indifferent after the fact.
Specifically, Overstreet pointed out that after the defendant committed the murder, he had sex with a woman on an adjacent bed.
“And then he just went on living life as if nothing had happened,” Overstreet said. “Those are pretty aggravating circumstances after someone’s dead.
“But I think Mr. Sagg’s family is right: the defendant’s family can pick up the phone and call him in prison, they can have visitations, maybe one day he’ll get out, but they’ll always have a connection,” Overstreet said. “Mr. Saggs’ family won’t. They’re left with memories, with his children not having their father to see their accomplishments.
“I think a sufficient time for Mr. Black, based on his age, is 40 years in prison.”
After hearing from the defense and the defendant, who apologized to the family for his actions, Judge Clark handed down his sentence. He said the most important event of that night was clear.
“I do know there’s one thing that happened in that room that night – a person lost his life,” Clark said. “He didn’t take it from himself. And the defendant’s actions right after that are suspect at best.”
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Clark, saying he weighed the words of the victim’s family, the defendant and the prosecutor, agreed that a 40-year sentence was appropriate.
Basford thanked the Panama City Beach Police Department for its thorough and lengthy investigation, which took them all the way to the Navajo Nation in Arizona.
For more information, contact Mike Cazalas at mike.cazalas@sa14.fl.gov, or call 850-381-7454.