Javarre Latrell Johnson to Life and 21-year-old Ba’Karri Juan’Ya Williams to 50 Years in the Florida Department of Corrections. 

Back on August 16, 2024, jurors delivered their verdict, finding both Johnson and Williams guilty of First-Degree Murder in the 2020 murder case of 19-year-old David Bartholomew Lyons. Johnson and Williams were also found guilty of one count of Armed Robbery, and one count of Possession of Cannabis.

“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.”

On  April 20, 2020, officials with the Wildwood Police Department responded to a call for service in reference to a shooting that had just occurred within the city limits of Wildwood. Upon arrival, officers observed three males standing by a vehicle and another male, the victim, later identified as David Lyons, lying on the ground. The victim was pronounced deceased on the scene.

From the information obtained, detectives discovered that the defendants had met up with the victim, who was in the back passenger seat of the vehicle, with the intention of robbing him. During the transaction, the victim was subsequently shot. All three defendants were placed under arrest.

The third Co-defendant Terell Shamar Lynum pleaded guilty earlier this year and was sentenced to 25 years.

This case was successfully prosecuted by Assistant State Attorneys Joseph Church and Sonny McCathran.

Published on 11/21/2024.