Tyrone Johnson was convicted in November 2021 of killing his girlfriend, Stephanie Willis, and her 10-year-old son, Ricky.
He killed them in a dispute over what to watch on TV.
The sad incident happened on October 21, 2018.
According to the evidence presented, Johnson fatally shot Stephanie Willis with a Glock 22 .40 caliber pistol during the argument.
He then "hunted down" and shot her son Ricky Willis, who was hiding under his bed, killing the 10-year-old.
On the night of the murders, Johnson claimed he acted in self-defense because he felt threatened by Stephanie.
Johnson said he shot her during the heated argument, and Ricky tragically got caught in the crossfire while he ran into the room.
However, prosecutors told a very different story.
They said that Johnson did not only kill his girlfriend but also chased after Ricky, who was trying to hide.
The prosecution said Johnson's actions were extremely cruel and horrible, and argued that he deserved the death penalty.
The jury agreed, recommending death for Johnson.
During the sentencing, a crying Johnson showed how sorry he was, saying, "I am truly remorseful and deeply sorry. I can't offer any apology enough to change any of this."
For half an hour, Johnson apologized to his family and explained what happened after the murders.
He also complained that the legal system was unfair to him.
"The state, knowing nothing about me, would have you believe that I was a vicious man hunting for human lives. That is far from the truth," Johnson argued.
Judge Christopher Sabella gave the final verdict, highlighting how cruel the crime was.
"A precious child is dead. This murder was heinous, atrocious, and cruel. For those acts, I sentence you to death," declared Sabella.
Stephanie Willis' father, Robert Hewitt, while agreeing with the judge, shared his pain, saying, "It's still not closure for me. Nothing will bring Ricky and Stephanie back, but it's what he deserves."
POLICE INTERVIEW
During the trial, the jury was shown a video of Johnson’s police interview after the murders.
In the video, Johnson looked very distraught as he explained what happened.
He told the detectives that the argument started because he wanted to change the TV to a football game.
The argument later escalated when Stephanie blamed him for her son's recent suicide.
Johnson said she made hurtful comments about her son's death, which led to a fight that ended in tragedy.
Prosecutor John Terry argued that the evidence showed it was a planned murder.
Terry said that Ricky, a scared 10-year-old, hid under his bed but was eventually found and killed by Johnson.
"We have shell casings, blood, and holes in the wall in the little boy’s room," Terry argued.
Johnson's lawyer argued that the murders were a crime of passion, suggesting that Johnson should be charged with manslaughter instead.
However, he was found guilty of first-degree premeditated murder, and Johnson was given the death penalty.
Appeal Court
In a subsequent appeal, Johnson contested his death penalty sentence.
In December 2022, after the Supreme Court listened to his lawyers' arguments, he was found guilty once more.
The Florida Supreme Court sentenced him to death for Ricky's murder and gave him a life sentence for killing Stephanie.
Johnson's lawyer, Steven Bolotin, told the Supreme Court that the jury had been unfairly influenced by the evidence presented during Johnson’s police interview.
Bolotin argued that detectives made Johnson confess rather than just asking questions.
Justice Charles Canady rejected these arguments, stating that there were no clear statements from detectives telling him to confess.
Christina Z. Pacheco, representing the state, upheld the death sentence.
She said that even if there were mistakes in the legal process, they wouldn't change Johnson's final sentence.
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