MARIANNA – The man deemed most responsible for the murder of Sonny Richard two years ago was sentenced to Life in prison today after pleading guilty, State Attorney Larry Basford announced. A second defendant was sentenced to 50 years in prison, and a new sentencing date was set for the third.

Gabriel Dewayne Clemons, 41, of Marianna, was sentenced to Life in prison after he entered an open plea to Second-Degree Murder, meaning there was no agreed-upon sentence. He was charged in the Jan. 13, 2022, beating death of Richard, 23, in the defendant’s yard.

Devin Michael Knight, 24, of DeFuniak Springs, was sentenced to 50 years in prison after pleading No Contest to Second-Degree Murder. Knight’s statements to Jackson County Sheriff’s Office investigators the day after the murder and his cooperation helped lead to the arrests.

Ramaryia Keys, 17 at the time of the crime, is set for sentencing in October on charges of Accessory After the Fact to Murder and Tampering with Evidence.

Richard was beaten to death by Clemons, who repeatedly struck him in the back of the head with a metal pipe that had cement on one end. Prosecutor Peter Overstreet said the motive was to rob the victim and get money for methamphetamine. The body was pulled to a burn pit and set on fire after the victim died.

Overstreet called witnesses – including Jackson County Sheriff’s Office investigators and the co-defendants – to show Circuit Court Judge Ana Maria Garcia what happened that night and each defendant’s actions. The defendant also testified.

“Mr. Clemons received exactly what he deserves for the heinous murder of Sonny Richard,” Overstreet said after the 3-hour-long sentencing hearing.

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During that hearing, Overstreet told Judge Garcia it was the Prosecution’s job to present all the evidence, good and bad, and in this case it pointed to Clemons as the catalyst.

“We talk about the good. the bad. and the ugly,” Overstreet said. “We say the good things defendants have done in aiding law enforcement, and also the horror of their actions. And it’s the court’s job here to mete out the appropriate punishment.

“It is State’s belief, law enforcement’s belief, that the man sitting right there is the man most responsible for Sonny Richard’s death.”

The victim was reported missing by his family Jan. 13. Deputies following a lead went to the defendant’s residence and found the victim’s remains in a burn pit.

Jackson County Sheriff’s Office Capt. Jeremy Pelfry testified he was leaving the scene when he saw Knight walking down the road. He stopped to talk to him and ultimately took him in for questioning.

Knight told investigators Key called the victim to come to the residence to repay her some money. He said Clemons attacked the victim with the metal pipe after deciding to rob him. The blows to the victim’s head were fatal.

The victim’s father, Randall Richard, wrote a statement to the court that he asked Overstreet to read aloud for the judge.

“Sonny was my baby boy, he was 23 years old at the time of his death,” Mr. Richard wrote. “He had his whole life ahead of him. Sonny was a very trusting young man. He thought the defendants were his friends.

“He trusted them and he lost his life because of that trust,” the statement continued. “I will forever have a hole in my hard that cannot be filled.”

Basford thanked the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office for its thorough investigation which led to a quick resolution of the homicide.

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

 

 

 

A Southport man accused of befriending a young teen, providing her with alcohol and ultimately sexually abusing her was found guilty Tuesday, State Attorney Larry Basford announced.

Benjamin Patrick Walsh, 54, was found guilty of Unlawful Sexual Activity with a Minor. Circuit Court Judge Dustin Stephenson set sentencing for Sept. 24.

Evidence and witnesses called by Prosecutor Dustin Miller proved Walsh was about 51 and the victim was about 16 the first time he attacked her in his home in 2021. The victim testified the defendant treated her special until one night when he sexually battered her.

 

 

 

 

“I was scared, I told him to stop, I didn’t expect that to happen,” she said.

Miller praised the victim for her courage in testifying.

“It was an honor to seek justice on behalf of the victim in this case,” he said. “I must commend her, because it took tremendous bravery to tell her story.”

Miller said the evidence showed the defendant “groomed” the victim over time, a tactic seen in many child sexual abuse cases.

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“Our community will not tolerate the grooming of our youth nor preying on their innocence for sexual gratification,” Miller said.

The jury took about an hour to reach its verdict.

The case began in 2022 with the Bay County Sheriff’s Office receiving a report that the victim had been sexually abused. Several agencies collaborated to gather evidence that led to the charges and conviction.

“I would like to thank the jury for rendering a just verdict, along with the BCSO and especially case agent Patrick Crawford for all his hard work,” Miller said. “The work done by victim advocate Maria Wilson at the Gulf Coast Children’s Advocacy Center, and her professionalism, was invaluable.”

“No prosecution would be successful without the work that goes on behind the scenes.”

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

A man charged with shooting his father in the head while he lay in bed pled No Contest to Second-Degree Murder Monday and was sentenced to 45 years in prison, State Attorney Larry Basford announced.

Tyler Moore Davis, 29, was charged with the Sept. 22, 2022, murder of his father, Julian Clifton Davis, Jr., 54. The victim was shot in his bed inside his Panama City Beach home. Circuit Court Judge Timothy Register adjudicated the defendant guilty and sentenced him to 45 years in prison. The first 25 years are minimum-mandatory.

Prosecutor Peter Overstreet was prepared to present evidence and witnesses in the case made by Bay County Sheriff’s Office investigators that the defendant shot the victim in his bed and then fled.

“It’s hard to imagine the emotions the family has endured in this case,” Overstreet said. “This outcome gave the family, which approved the plea, the justice they sought without the additional burden of a trial. I hope it helps them find some peace.”

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He was captured later that day by the Forsyth County, Ga., Sheriff’s Office SWAT team. The defendant, who had been living in Forsyth County, admitted to shooting his father. He also told investigators he had hidden the murder weapon, a 9mm Glock, in his Georgia home. Investigators retrieved it.

Testing by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement showed it was the gun that fired a spent casing found at the scene of the crime. Also in the defendant’s home, investigators found ammun

Basford thanked the Bay County Sheriff’s Office and authorities in Forsyth County for their work on the case.

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

A Callaway man convicted of Sexual Battery on a Child Under the Age of 12 Friday was sentenced to Life in prison without the possibility of parole, State Attorney Larry Basford announced.

Marcus Stewart, 49, was found guilty as charged Friday after a one-day trial. Circuit Court Judge Brantley Clark followed by sentencing him to Life in prison.

Prosecutor Frank Sullivan called five witnesses and presented evidence proving the defendant sexually battered the child on Christmas Eve, 2021. The victim also testified.

“Life in prison is the proper sentence to protect our community from this defendant,” Sullivan said. “His unspeakable acts forever changed the life of the victim. We appreciate the continued collaborative work of the Gulf Coast Children’s Advocacy Center and Bay County Sheriff’s Office in helping us hold these criminals accountable.”

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The defendant was arrested Dec. 30, 2021, by Bay County Sheriff’s Office investigators. Evidence showed the victim disclosed the attacks during an interview with the Gulf Coast Children’s Advocacy Center.

Basford thanked the Gulf Coast Children’s Advocacy Center and Bay County Sheriff’s Office for their work on the case.

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

 

 

 

 

 

A man found guilty Wednesday of trafficking in a large amount of fentanyl was sentenced to 30 years in prison following the verdict, State Attorney Larry Basford announced.

The jury that heard the evidence and testimony presented by Prosecutor Frank Sullivan took less than an hour to return its verdict against Jamie Laiquan Frazier, 43, of Panama City.

After the verdict, Circuit Court Judge Brantley Clark sentenced the defendant to 30 years in prison. Under Florida’s enhanced drug trafficking statutes, the defendant will have to serve a minimum-mandatory 25 years of that sentence. He was also fined $500,000.

Sullivan called three witnesses – including Bay County Sheriff’s Office investigators Trevor Lee and Thomas LaRoche – to prove the defendant set up a deal to sell Fentanyl on July 26, 2023.

Evidence showed the defendant set up the deal over the phone. He then arrived at the agreed upon location in Southport at the agreed upon time. Deputies made a probable cause traffic stop on the defendant, who did not have a valid driver’s license, and found about 67 grams of Fentanyl in his clothing.

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According to the Drug Enforcement Administration, dealers often mix the powerful and less expensive Fentanyl with other drugs, increasing the likelihood of an overdose because potency levels vary. Two milligrams of fentanyl can be lethal. A DEA analysis has found 42 percent of the counterfeit pills tested for fentanyl contained at least 2 mg of the drug.

Basford thanked the Bay County Sheriff’s Office for its proactive work in getting a large amount of the deadly drug off the streets before it could be sold.

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

Tracy Smith, the State Attorney’s Office Chief Prosecutor for Gulf County, has been selected to fill an open Bay County judgeship.

Gov.  Ron DeSantis announced that Smith will fill the Bay County opening created with the recent retirement of County Judge Joe Grammer.  Grammer, also a former prosecutor for the State Attorney’s Office, retired after 15 years on the bench.

“I am very humbled and honored by this appointment,” Smith said. “I look forward to serving the citizens of Bay County as their next judge.”

Larry Basford, State Attorney for the 14th Judicial Circuit that covers Bay, Gulf, Jackson, Washington, Holmes and Calhoun counties, said it was more evidence that good work is rewarded.

“Ms. Smith’s experience as a prosecutor and as a civil litigator has prepared her to be an excellent judge,” Basford said.

Basford noted Smith is the third prosecutor in 3 years from the circuit to be appointed to a judgeship by the governor.

Circuit Court Judge Devin Collier was appointed in 2022, and Circuit Court Judge Brandon Young was appointed in 2021.

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Smith was one of four candidates whose names were submitted to the governor by the Florida Bar’s Judicial Nominating Commission to fill the position.

The JNC found all 4 to be “highly qualified and more than capable to fill the position available.”

Smith earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Florida and her law degree from the Cumberland School of Law at Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama.

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

Daniel Johnson, a U.S. Air Force veteran with a combined 12 years of active and reserve duty, is the newest addition to the 14^th Judicial Circuit’s prosecution team in Bay County.

State Attorney Larry Basford said Johnson will be handling misdemeanor cases in Bay County.

Johnson believes his military experience and his year-long internship with the City of Columbus, Ohio, Prosecutor’s Office, combine to make him a good fit.

“My 12 years of military service have instilled in me a sense of purpose and duty to serve the community,” Johnson said. “It also taught me the importance of upholding the law and protecting the interests of others.”

His year at the prosecutor’s office in Ohio, along with interning as a mediator for the Automotive Consumer Action Program, helped fine-tune the skills he acquired in the military.

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“My legal internship provided me with valuable courtroom experience and the opportunity to work with judges, law enforcement, and court personnel,” he said. “My time as a mediator strengthened my communication and customer service skills.”

All of that, he said, gives him the knowledge and skills to serve the community.

Johnson graduated from high school in Spring Valley/Columbia, N.C., before entering Park University in Parkville, Mo., while still on active duty. From 2020-2023, while on military reserve, he attended and obtained his law degree from Capital University Law School in Columbus, Ohio.

Johnson most recently provided consultative services to legal customers at LexisNexis before relocating to Florida to prepare for the bar exam.

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

A Bay County man who robbed a couple at gunpoint and raped the female was given 2 consecutive Life sentences Wednesday, State Attorney Larry Basford announced.

Circuit Court Judge Shonna Young Gay sentenced Markeal Donvelt Byrd, who turned 41 today, Life in prison for both Sexual Battery with a Deadly Weapon, and Carjacking with a Firearm. Prosecutor Zachary VanDyke successfully sought to designate the defendant as a Habitual Violent Felony Offender, which led to enhanced sentences of 20 years for Robbery with a Firearm, and 10 years for Aggravated Assault with a Firearm.

“Two Life sentences is justice for the victims in this case, who suffered tremendously,” VanDyke said. “Both were held at gunpoint – one while being sexually battered – and both had the courage to testify against their attacker at trial. Sentences like this are the result of the collaborative efforts between our office, the Bay County Sheriff’s Office, and the victims.”

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VanDyke called 6 witnesses at the one-day trial June 18. The jury deliberated for less than 30 minutes before returning the verdicts of guilty as charged.

According to trial testimony and evidence, the male victim was in a car outside his girlfriend’s place of employment when he met the defendant and the two smoked marijuana. When the woman got off work, the defendant said he could get more marijuana for them if they would give him a ride from the beach into town.

During that drive, the defendant pulled a pistol, forced the male victim to withdraw money from ATMs, and sexually attacked the female victim. The defendant then made them drive to the Thomas Drive area. He ordered them out of the car and stole it.

Responding Bay County Sheriff’s Office deputies caught the defendant at a nearby convenience store getting gas in the stolen vehicle.

Basford thanked the Bay County Sheriff’s Office, the victims for their testimony, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement which provided DNA evidence corroborating the victims’ statements.

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

A Callaway man found guilty as charged of sexually battering a child has been sentenced to Life without parole in prison, State Attorney Larry Basford announced.

Mark N. Jackson, Jr., 29, was found guilty as charged Wednesday of Sexual Battery of a Person Less than 12 Years of Age, and Lewd or Lascivious Molestation. Circuit Court Judge Timothy Register sentenced the defendant to Life in prison on both counts. He ordered the sentences to be served consecutively, or one after the other. Judge Register also designated the defendant as a Sexual Predator.

“I’m very proud of the child victim and hope this finally brings closure to a long-endured nightmare,” said Major Crimes Prosecutor Peter Overstreet. “We will continue to prosecute child predators to the fullest extent of the law.”

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Overstreet called 6 witnesses, including the victim who was 4 years old at the time of the crime, and presented evidence proving the defendant sexually battered the girl and molested the child. The defendant was questioned by Bay County Sheriff’s Office investigators after the victim disclosed what happened to a Department of Children and Families Investigator.

During the questioning, the defendant admitted the sexual contact had taken place and he was placed under arrest.

The two-day trial ended with the jury deliberating for 90 minutes before returning its verdict.

Basford thanked Bay County Sheriff’s Office and Gulf Coast Children’s Advocacy Center for their work on the case.

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

 

A man who filed fraudulent paperwork to take ownership of a beach condominium for more than 18 months was sentenced to 40 years in prison Tuesday, State Attorney Larry Basford announced.

Circuit Court Judge Dustin Stephenson ordered Olandis Dean Hobbs, 37, to 25 years in prison for Fraudulent Use of Personal Identification Information, and a consecutive 15 years in prison for Grand Theft (over $100,000). The defendant also faces 30 years’ probation.

“I hope this sends a strong message,” Basford said. “Do not come to Northwest Florida and try to steal people’s identification and/or property by squatting because we will not tolerate this.”

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Hobbs was found guilty as charged July 9 with the above offenses, and Unlawfully Filing a False Document, Uttering a Forgery, and Forgery. Prosecutor Josh James presented witnesses and evidence proving the defendant used fraudulent documents to have the victim’s condominium transferred to his possession.

The minimum sentence required by law was 10 years. Judge Stephenson said there are matters of “forgiveness” and matters of “justice,” and “forgiveness is not mine to give. Justice is mine to give.”

“This might be your first significant conviction, but it is a doozy,” Judge Stephenson told the defendant. “You stole rest from the sunset of someone’s life and should be punished for it.”

The condominium, valued at more than $500,000, belonged to an elderly woman and her two daughters. Both daughters spoke in court during the sentencing, saying while they believe in forgiveness, the crime called for a sentence that reflected its severity.

“Sentencing was important because we really wanted a stiff, but fair, sentence to send a message that this is not some victimless crime,” one sister said. “This was more than just squatting; he actually took ownership.”

The second sister, both live out of state, said the financial wounds from the crime will last for years, but she was happy with the guilty trial verdict and sentence.

“We counted on the justice system and it came through for us and we’re very happy with that,” she said. “We’re very grateful at how serious this was taken and the resources that went into finding him guilty and getting this sentence so he can’t do it to someone else.

“If we’re any indication, they fight for their residents.”

Basford thanked the Panama City Beach Police Department for its work on the case and the victims for their perseverance and testimony.

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