Jurors in separate trials found two men guilty on Oct. 24. One man was charged with first-degree murder; the other was charged with carjacking a law enforcement official.
Here’s a look at the cases:
State v. Ralph Fontil Jr.
Judge: Circuit Judge Robert Hodges.
Lawyers: Assistant State Attorneys Rich Buxman and Toby Hunt and defense attorney Daniel Hernandez.
Charge: First-degree murder with a firearm.
Was Fontil in court? Yes. Jury selection was Oct. 21. The trial began the next day and ended Oct. 24.
About the case: Fontil was accused of being a participant in the summer 2021 shooting death of Kobe Bradshaw.
The 18-year-old victim was shot multiple times by two armed, masked men at an Ocala Park Estates residence, sheriff’s officials said. Authorities believe the motive for the shooting was retaliation for the shooting death of Chris “Chevy” “CJ” Chevelon, a 15-year-old high school student, at an apartment complex in late 2020.
Last year, a jury convicted Fontil’s co-defendant, Brandon Jordan Merizier. He was sentenced to 50 years in prison.