A man found guilty Wednesday of sexually molesting a young girl was sentenced to Life in prison without the possibility of parole, State Attorney Larry Basford announced.

Jermaine Johnathan Stewart, 25, was found guilty of Lewd or Lascivious Molestation after a 1-day trial Wednesday. The jury deliberated about 90 minutes after Prosecutor Morgan Morrell delivered her final argument.

 

“We’re pleased with the verdict and the Life sentence, which would not have been possible without the courage the victim showed in testifying,” Morrell said. “This is something she will have to deal with the rest of her life, but thanks to her he won’t have a chance to abuse another child.”

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The victim, who was 9 years old when the charged offense occurred, testified that the defendant had molested her repeatedly in 2020 and 2021. She was too afraid to report it immediately, and for a period of time did not see the defendant.

She said she was triggered last year when she realized the defendant was following one of her social media accounts, and she was emotionally overwhelmed.

She disclosed the abuse to her mother, who called the Bay County Sheriff’s Office. The Gulf Coast Children’s Advocacy Center then conducted a forensic interview of the victim to obtain details of the abuse. Jurors viewed a video of that interview.

Basford thanked the Sheriff’s Office for its response and the GCCAC for its thorough interview of the victim.

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

 

CHIPLEY – A man who attacked and severely assaulted two women earlier this year, resulting in one of them dying, pled to 8 felony charges and received 3 Life sentences Friday, State Attorney Larry Basford announced.

David Earl Gipson, 40, of Caryville, was adjudicated guilty of Second-Degree Murder, two counts of Sexual Battery with the use or threat of a deadly weapon, Aggravated Battery on a Person 65 years of Age or Older, Aggravated Battery with a Deadly Weapon and Bodily Harm, False Imprisonment, Abuse of a Dead Human Body, and Felon in Possess of an Electric Weapon or Concealed Weapon.

Circuit Court Judge Timothy Register accepted the plea after hearing the charges as outlined by Washington County Chief Prosecutor Megan Ford, with the family saying they agreed with the outcome.

“In our small communities, neighbors help neighbors,” said Megan Ford from the State Attorney’s Office. “This kind of violence doesn’t happen here. It is rare to bring a case of this magnitude to a close in less than 3 months. We are grateful for the collaboration and commitment that brought swift justice in this case.”

The horrific case came to light April 28 when a naked and bound woman escaped from the “box” the defendant put her in and ran through the woods until she found a road and was able to get help.

She told Washington County Sheriff’s Office investigators that Gipson, armed with a gun, severely beat 74-year-old Lettie Cooper Collins, rendering her unconscious, then tied her hands, feet and head. The defendant also brutally attacked the complainant, bound her in a similar manner, and packed items from the home into Collins’ car.

She said the defendant drove her to his residence, still bound, and put inside of a black box inside his shed. He then left, and she was able to use her legs to break out of the box and run.

Based on the information the woman gave investigators they found Collins’ body and launched an intensive manhunt for the defendant. They captured him the next day.

The surviving victim said in a statement read at sentencing that as she fled through the woods her biggest fear was that the defendant would find her before she could get help for Collins.

“I was scared, confused and just trying to survive,” she said. “I walked down the road, screaming for help, soaking wet, handcuffed, and terrified. Cars passed by, and no one stopped.”

Then a friend saw her and stopped, staying with her until help arrived.

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Those who spoke at sentencing or had their victim impact statements read to the court described Collins as a beloved member of the community and her family, a woman who was constantly helping others. She had previously helped the defendant, providing him food and occasionally shelter.

“She was the kind of woman who left a lasting impression on everyone she met,” one relative said. “She didn’t have enemies. All she ever gave to the world was kindness, patience, and love.”

She loved to fish, and nearly everyone mentioned memories of fishing with her or enjoying the fruit she grew.

“This is not goodbye to my mom,” one of her children said. “It may not be anytime soon, but I will see her again.

“Until then I love you and miss you.”

Basford thanked the Washington County Sheriff’s Office for its rapid response to the situation and handling of the case, as well as the nearly 2 dozen law enforcement agencies that assisted in the hunt for the defendant.

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

 

 

BONIFAY – A 6-person jury took 45 minutes Wednesday to find Matthew Ryan Peoples guilty as charged of Second-Degree Murder with a Firearm in the 2023 shooting death of Tyler Pate during a disturbance.

Circuit Court Judge Russell Roberts ordered a Presentencing Investigation and set sentencing for Aug. 20 at 1:15 p.m.

Prosecutors Peter Overstreet and Jacob Cook called 10 witnesses and presented evidence proving that the defendant shot Pate, who was unarmed, after an evening of verbal disturbances between the victim and the defendant’s sister.

The defendant, 35, claimed the victim, 30, had threatened to beat him up. And when they were outside, with police on the way, Peoples said Pate started running toward him as if to fight. Peoples shot Pate once in the chest.

Overstreet and Cook proved the victim had not harmed or threatened anyone with imminent danger, was not armed, and that the defendant fired the shot because he was afraid he would lose a fight he helped provoke.

“The State of Florida respects your right to defend yourself,” Overstreet said. “However, there’s a difference between self-defense and murder.

“This was a tragic event that never would have happened but for the defendant inserting himself into his sister’s argument and arming himself,” he said. “He chose to engage the victim and elevate the verbal exchange knowing that while Pate was bigger, he was armed.”

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Witness testimony and evidence showed that on Sept. 4, 2023, Pate was at 601 E. Pennsylvania Ave., visiting his girlfriend, Kaylynn Streight, who is Peoples’ sister. She and Pate shared a child. Peoples lived with his mother at 603 Pennsylvania Ave.

Pate and Streight were arguing over whether she’d had a prescription filled when he lost his temper and broke several items, including a TV. Testimony showed the two often argued but that Pate had never been physical with her.

Streight called her mother next door to have her confirm for Pate that the prescription was not filled, and her mother, Alana Peoples, overheard the arguing. Alana Peoples testified she was worried about her daughter and grandchild, so she and her son went next door to check on them.

Streight returned with them to 603 Pennsylvania Ave. and police were called. Streight returned to her home at 601 Pennsylvania to retrieve a pair of shorts. The defendant told investigators when he noticed his sister had left, he became worried, retrieved his pistol, and loaded.

He went back outside, armed, and exchanged words with the victim. That is when Peoples said Pate charged him as if to fight, and he fired a shot.

“You can’t kick the hornet’s nest and then wonder, ‘Gee, why are these hornets trying to sting me,’” Overstreet said.

In the statement to investigators after the shooting, the defendant said he was not afraid of the victim but was afraid the victim could and would beat him up.

“Peoples told investigators if there was a fight, ‘we know how that’s going to end,’’ Overstreet said. “So he shot a man because he didn’t want to lose a fight that he helped provoke.”

Basford thanked the Bonifay Police Department for its response and initial investigation, along with the Holmes County Sheriff’s Office for its assistance.

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

 

 

 

 

A man found guilty last month of sexually abusing a young girl over a 3-year period was ordered to serve 3 Life sentences Tuesday, State Attorney Larry Basford announced.

Shane Clinton McKinney, 44, of Southport, was found guilty of Sexual on a Person Less Than 12 Years of Age, and 3 counts of Lewd and Lascivious Molestation in June. Tuesday, Circuit Court Judge Brantley Clark followed Prosecutor JP Ferreira’s request for the maximum sentence. He ordered McKinney to serve concurrent Life sentences on three of the charges, and 15 years on the fourth.

“The victim is a courageous young girl who took the stand against her attacker and helped bring him to justice,” Ferreira said. “Today’s sentence ensures he will not be a threat to our community in the foreseeable future.”

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The defendant was arrested during an investigation by the Bay County Sheriff’s Office with the Gulf Coast Children’s Advocacy Center providing key evidence through interviews with the victim.

The defendant was charged with sexually assaulting and molesting the victim in this case multiple times between the beginning of 2017 and the end of 2020.

Basford thanked the victims from each case for their assistance and testimony, as well as the Bay County Sheriff’s Office and Gulf Coast Children’s Advocacy Center for their ongoing work to protect children and hold accountable those who hurt them.

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

A Jackson County man found with more than 50 grams of methamphetamine in his car after being pulled over for speeding was found guilty Friday and sentenced to 20 years in prison, State Attorney Larry Basford said.

Frank Edwin Stone, 58, of Alford, was found guilty as charged of Trafficking in Methamphetamine (more than 28 grams). A jury deliberated about 20 minutes after closing arguments by Prosecutors Ryan Phillips and Christopher Walters.

Circuit Court Judge Dustin Stephenson sentenced the defendant to 20 years, with the first 7 years being minimum-mandatory under Florida’s enhanced drug trafficking laws.

“Methamphetamine trafficking continues to pose a serious threat to our community,” Phillips said. “Traffickers and users alike are often linked to a range of other crimes, including weapons offenses, assaults, and thefts, committed either to sustain addiction or protect illegal operations. These cases frequently involve dangerous situations and unpredictable behavior, making the role of law enforcement all the more critical.”

Phillips said the BCSO investigators involved in the case demonstrated exceptional work and professionalism.

“Our objective is to continue to disrupt the flow of methamphetamine into our community and deter those who would profit from its distribution,” he said.

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Sheriff’s Office investigators said the defendant was speeding on U.S. 231 May 24, 2023, and initially stopped just north of Fountain. But they said he took off again and turned onto Owenwood Road before stopping again.

Investigators testified the defendant was uncooperative and evasive. Inv. Doug Cummings deployed his K9, “Fila,” for a free-air sniff around the exterior of the vehicle. Fila alerted to the odor of narcotics. A search turned up several baggies of methamphetamine, the two largest weighed about 28 grams and 20 grams respectively.

Basford thanked the Sheriff’s Office for continuing to make cases before large quantities of drugs hit the streets.

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

A Panama City man found guilty of 24 charges involving the sexual abuse of a 10-year-old girl was sentenced to 10 consecutive Life sentences Thursday, State Attorney Larry Basford announced.

A 6-person jury deliberated about an hour Thursday before finding Harlin Richard Crowley, 36, guilty as charged on 3 counts of Sexual Battery on a Child under the Age of 12, 7 counts of Lewd or Lascivious Molestation, and 14 counts of Promoting Sexual Performance by a Child.

“This particular defendant was a prolific child abuser, had a prolific amount of child porn on his devices and his Google drive, and this was one of the more heinous cases that I’ve had occasion to prosecute,” Prosecutor Frank Sullivan said. “And I told (Circuit Court Judge Dustin Stephenson) that during sentencing and asked for a harsh sentence because of that, and he agreed and gave the defendant the 10 consecutive life sentences.”

On 14 other charges, Judge Stephenson sentenced Crowley to 15 years’ probation each, also to be served consecutively, or one after the other. The defendant was also designated as a Sexual Predator.

“I have a question,” the defendant said to Circuit Court Judge Dustin Stephenson after he imposed the sentence. “Does that mean 14 times 15 years on the probation?”

“Yes, that would be 210 years’ probation,” Stephenson replied. “But as a practical matter you will serve the rest of your life in prison. The court does determine this entire sentence is appropriate and no lesser sentence would be appropriate.”

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Judge Stephenson also heard from the victim prior to announcing his sentence.

“I was the victim of sexual assault at the age of 10 years old,” she told Judge Stephenson. “He not only hurt my body, but he also hurt my mind.

“I want (the defendant) to know I am going to forget all of this, I’m going to put all this behind me and I’m not going to waste another second thinking about you,” she continued. “Because you’re going to be far away from me where you cannot hurt me or another child.”

Sullivan called witnesses and presented evidence that in 2024, Google “flagged” what appeared to be sexually explicit content involving children being uploaded through an account associated with the defendant. Google contacted the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, which contacted the Panama City Police Department. The metadata provided by Google tied the content to the defendant via his email address and phone number. It included data showing when the pictures and videos were taken and an approximate location.

Panama City police went to the address that day and the defendant was taken into custody. Search warrants turned up a mountain of child pornography on various computers, phones and memory cards tied to the defendant.

“These charges involve 14 individual photos and video files out of hundreds the defendant had uploaded through the Google account that had been flagged,” Sullivan said. “When law enforcement arrested the defendant, they seized 4 laptops, 30 phones, 4 computer hard drives, 5 tablets and 9 SD (memory) cards.”

The evidence showed the defendant videotaped and took pictures of sexual acts between himself and the 10-year-old victim during 2021 and 2022.

The defendant testified that the videos were generated by someone using “artificial intelligence” to try and make it look like he was the person in the videos. He also claimed to be a “pop icon” in other countries.

Basford thanked Panama City police for their rapid response to the tip generated by Google, the Gulf Coast Children’s Advocacy Center, and the NCMEC.

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

A man who completed his 25-year-sentence for a series of rapes in 1998 and 1999 was deemed a sexually violent predator by a jury in a civil trial Wednesday evening and ordered to remain in custody at Florida’s treatment facility for sex offenders who pose an ongoing risk to the community, State Attorney Larry Basford announced.

Bobby Allen, 53, broke into four homes during a “cluster” of attacks in December 1998 and January 1999 in the Springfield area, committing three sexual batteries and attempting a fourth. There were similarities in each case, including the suspect wearing black clothes and a mask, and being armed with a knife. Although the suspect made the victims “clean” themselves, one managed to hide DNA evidence after the attack.

In 2002, as DNA technology developed, the sample captured by the victim in the Jan. 19, 1999, attack was matched to Allen and he was arrested. The technology progressed rapidly and the defendant’s DNA was also tied to the December, 1998, sexual battery of a 15-year-old. In 2007, Allen was castrated and entered a plea in the cases, receiving a 25-year sentence to be followed by 10 years’ probation.

As the end of his sentence approached, Basford had Prosecutor Zachary Taylor file to have Allen committed to a secure treatment facility under the Jimmy Ryce Act. It is a civil proceeding to prevent sexually violent predators from re-entering society if the state believes they pose a continued danger, aiming to protect the public through civil confinement.

“I’m very thankful to the jury who sat and listened to very difficult material,” said Taylor, who specializes in prosecuting Ryce cases. “They made a very wise decision based on the law. Mr. Basford’s office is committed to prosecuting to the fullest extent of the law these  individuals who harm children. Our community is safer today with Bobby Allen in confinement.”

In Allen’s case, Taylor called witnesses and presented evidence to jurors showing the defendant went to prison four times, including when he was 18 for a sex offense. He was released on probation but violated it on another sex-related offense and was sent back to prison. He did a third prison term for non-sex related crimes. He was released in October, 1998, and committed the first sexual battery two months later.

An Evaluation for the Involuntary Civil Commitment of Sexually Violent Predators conducted by Dr. Gregory Prichard concluded the defendant was at an “above average” risk of reoffending. Out of the 7 people who tested or evaluated the defendant, 6 agreed with Prichard’s findings. The castration, he said, while stemming the flow of testosterone that drives sexual desires and anger, can be nullified by testosterone replacement. And it was noted the defendant participated in that for a time while incarcerated.

Prichard also agreed with Taylor that these types of crimes are driven as much by psychology as by sexual urges or feelings.

“It’s his belief in his head as part of the distorted thinking that one of these women he’s attacking is going to like it and could become his girlfriend,” Prichard said. “He is not the casual, usual sex offender, he is in the above average range of being likely to reoffend.”

Taylor told jurors that the defendant’s history speaks for itself, and the testing and evaluations support that the chances it could happen again are too high for the public to be put at risk until the defendant is properly treated.

“Every time he has been out of prison or on probation, he has failed spectacularly,” said Taylor, who noted that the defendant has spent 31 of his 35 adult years in prison. “There might be a day in the future where he can be safely out in the public, but that day is not today.”

The jury deliberated for 30 minutes. Circuit Court Judge Brantley Clark ordered the defendant taken to the Florida Civil Commitment Center for an indefinite period.

Basford thanked Prichard and others who were dealing with cases that occurred over 25 years ago.

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

 

A convicted felon out of prison less than a year for fentanyl trafficking was found guilty of the same offense Thursday and sentenced to 30 years, State Attorney Larry Basford announced.

Branden Gywayne Given, 41, was found guilty as charged of Trafficking in Fentanyl (28 grams or more) and Trafficking in Methamphetamine (200 grams of more). Circuit Court Judge Brantley Clark sentenced the defendant to 30 years on each charge, to run concurrently. That includes a minimum-mandatory 25 years on the fentanyl charge.

“This defendant has shown a reckless disregard for both Florida’s drug laws and the safety of our community having just been released from prison for trafficking in fentanyl a year before this crime,” Prosecutor Frank Sullivan said. “Now with our enhanced penalties for fentanyl traffickers we can make sure he will not have the opportunity to put his poison on our streets for a long time.”

The defendant was arrested with 82 grams of fentanyl and 1,059 grams of methamphetamine. Fentanyl is extremely potent – 2 mg is considered a lethal dose, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration – and there are 1,000 milligrams in a gram.

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Members of the Bay County Sheriff’s Office Special Investigation Division arrested the defendant on Jan. 1, 2024. He was released from prison Feb. 8, 2023.

Sullivan called 5 witnesses and produced evidence – including the large amount of fentanyl and methamphetamine for jurors to see – proving the defendant had two active felony warrants for his arrest on Jan. 1, 2024. SID investigators conducted a traffic stop to execute those arrest warrant and subsequently obtained search warrants for the defendant’s residence.

During that search they found fentanyl and meth. Jurors deliberated for about an hour.

Basford thanked the Bay County Sheriff’s Office for its proactive work in preventing such a large quantify of drugs from hitting the streets.

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

Robert J. Bailey was sentenced to death Thursday for the 2005 murder of Panama City Beach Police Sgt. Kevin Kight, who was shot twice in the chest during a traffic stop, State Attorney Larry Basford announced.

Circuit Court Judge Shonna Young Gay agreed with Basford’s assessment and a jury’s 9-3 recommendation in October that the aggravating factors accompanying the defendant’s crime far outweighed the mitigating factors in handing down the sentence.

Bailey, who had violated his parole, shot Kight twice in the chest during a traffic stop in 2005. He told his passenger he was going to “pop a cop” rather than go back to prison. He was found guilty and sentenced to death in 2007. The case was sent back for a new penalty phase following a 2016 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that affected death penalty cases across the state that did not have a unanimous vote. Florida law now requires at least an 8-4 vote.

“Two juries and two judges have agreed with us at the State Attorney’s Office again that the defendant should pay the ultimate price for killing Sgt. Kevin Kight … when he was on routine patrol protecting and trying to keep our community safe,” Basford said. “Judge Gay’s sentence today will hasten his date with destiny.

“Sgt. Kight’s family, and I, and a lot of other folks in our community look forward to the day that a needle is placed in the defendant’s arm and he is killed graveyard dead.”

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Those in court to hear Judge Gay’s sentence included Kight’s family, Assistant Chief State Attorney Mark Graham and former State Attorney Steve Meadows (who both worked on the 2007 trial), and several Panama City Beach Police Officers.

Testimony at his October resentencing hearing showed the defendant, who will turn 43 next week on Death Row, had fled Wisconsin 5 months after his release from prison when he violated his parole. He was headed to Panama City Beach with friends for a “last hurrah.”

After he was stopped for a traffic violation by Kight on Easter Sunday, March 28, 2005, the defendant told a passenger he was not going back to prison. When Kight approached the vehicle, pulling his handcuffs from his belt, the defendant fired 3 times with 2 bullets hitting Kight in the chest. Both shots were fatal.

The defendant sped off, abandoned his vehicle a short distance away and was arrested the next morning.

Basford thanked all the agencies and citizens involved in preparing and seeing through a case over the course of 20 years.

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

Rachel Gause, the newest prosecutor at the 14^th Judicial Circuit State Attorney’s Office in Bay County, knew from an early age Bay County would one day be home.

She just didn’t know that marrying a man who lived here would be the reason for leaving her job as a public defender in Georgia and becoming an Assistant State Attorney here.

“My parents have had a house down here for about 20 years, so I basically grew up coming here on weekends to go to the beach,” Gause said. “I always told myself growing up that I was going to end up here one way or the other, so luckily this is where my husband lives.”

Gause grew up in Donalsonville, Ga., before moving to Atlanta where she received her bachelor’s degree from Georgia State University. Next was Savannah Law School, where she obtained her law degree.

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Gause worked at the Public Defender’s Office, South Georgia Judicial Circuit, for nearly four years. She handled a wide variety of cases involving everything from misdemeanor assault to homicide.

Last fall she married a Bay County resident and made the move to Panama City Beach. After passing the Florida Bar for her license here, she started looking for work. When she saw the prosecutor’s position, she knew that was what she wanted to do.

“When I saw this, I just thought it would be a real challenge, and fun, because I think there is going to be a greater satisfaction in being a prosecutor,” she said. “You are still seeking an outcome that is fair for everyone, but I saw the satisfaction of prosecutors who were there for the victims.”

Gause said her work as a public defender sets her up to be a successful prosecutor.

“That role not only solidified my commitment to protecting the rights of the accused but also broadened my appreciation for the broader pursuit of justice — one that includes victims and the community at large,” she said. “This perspective has inspired me to seek a position where I can continue serving the public interest through a new lens.”