After a one-day trial, an Escambia County jury found a Pensacola man not guilty of attempted murder Thursday.
Marquies Simmons was facing over a decade in prison for attempted second-degree murder after he was accused of shooting Kyle Roughton in the abdomen on Sept. 24, 2023, on Winton Avenue. According to the Escambia clerk’s criminal division, the jury acquitted him of the charge.
Initial law enforcement reports say that the incident began over an argument while Simmons’ girlfriend was getting her hair styled, and he came to pick her up.
“(Witness) stated that when (his girlfriend) did not exit the residence, Simmons began honking the car’s horn,” the report said.
That’s when Roughton exited the home to stop the honking “because there were children sleeping inside” and an argument began.
“(Witness) stated she attempted to calm Simmons down because he is known to have an aggressive temper while drinking,” the report said. “(She) stated while standing beside Roughton, Simmons stated, ‘I’ll kill you cracker.'”