The Florida Supreme Court upheld the death sentence of James Herard, who ordered the random 2008 execution of a restaurant worker walking home from a bus stop in Lauderhill.
Herard, 34, was sentenced to death in 2015 for ordering the murder of Eric Jean-Pierre, 39, as part of a “body count contest” with fellow members of his “Bacc Street Crips” street gang. Prosecutors said fellow gang member Tharod Bell pulled the trigger, and the gang members laughed at Jean-Pierre as they fled the scene.
Bell, 36, pleaded guilty and is currently serving a 50-year sentence. He was already serving seven consecutive life sentences for other crimes.
Herard, Bell, and three other men were prosecuted a decade ago for a string of violent robberies at Dunkin’ Donuts locations in Delray Beach, Sunrise, Tamarac and Plantation. The Tamarac robbery took place Thanksgiving Day 2008, two weeks after the Jean-Pierre murder.
In that incident, prosecutors say Herard shot and killed customer Kiem Huynh, 58. Herard was convicted of that crime and sentenced to life in prison.