Accused killer of Jill Boone rejects plea deal

TAMPA (FOX 13) - The man accused of shooting his employee to death outside a bowling alley decided he'd rather take his chances with a jury - declining a plea deal Tuesday.

Prosecutors say Johnny Alicea had a twisted obsession with his victim, and that drove him to murder.

Alicea is accused of gunning down his former employee in August of 2015. Jill Boone was 20-years-old when she died in the parking lot of of a Temple Terrace bowling alley as witnesses watched in horror. He then shot himself, but survived.

Now, those witnesses are being lined up for the trial.

Jill's mother, Donna Vasapolli was in court Tuesday as Alicea rejected the state's offer.

"He wants to roll the dice. God help him. I hope he feels comfortable with that," Vasapolli said.

She said she knows a trial will only re-open the horror of the day her daughter was killed. But she believes Alicea wont get away with it.

Vasapolli said she has been sentenced to a life of pain and anguish.

"People say, 'You gotta move on from this.' There is no moving on. There's only a day-by-day that you maybe get better at handling it," said Vasapolli..

Before her life was tragically cut short, Jill Boone's world revolved around her 3-year-old daughter, Ava. She is now 4 and being raised by her grandmother.

"When the day comes, I have to look into my granddaughter's eyes, when she gets older, and explain why her mother is not here," Vasapollis aid. "I have to see this through for my granddaughter."

The trial is expected to start in two weeks.