SUMTER COUNTY, Fla. – Two men have been sentenced to lengthy prison terms for their roles in the 2020 murder of 19-year-old David Bartholomew Lyons in Wildwood.
Javarre Latrell Johnson, 20, was sentenced to life in prison, and Ba’Karri Juan’Ya Williams, 21, received a 50-year sentence. The sentences were handed down by Judge Mary P. Hatcher following their convictions in August on charges of first-degree murder, armed robbery, and possession of cannabis.
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“Acts of violence like this will be met by the full force of the law,” said Walter Forgie, Fifth Judicial Circuit Chief Assistant State Attorney. “Holding these defendants accountable for the immense pain and suffering they have inflicted is not just a legal necessity; it is a vital step towards bringing a sense of justice and closure to the Lyons family.”
The murder occurred on April 20, 2020. Wildwood Police responded to a shooting and found Lyons deceased at the scene. An investigation revealed that Johnson and Williams, along with a third co-defendant, Terell Shamar Lynum, had met with Lyons with the intent to rob him.
During the robbery, Lyons was fatally shot.
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