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Ybor City stabbing suspect takes plea deal
Evan Axelbank reports
TAMPA, Fla. - A plea agreement has been reached in the death of a former USF football player who was stabbed in Ybor City Sept. 6, 2015.
Elkino Watson was involved in a melee after his girlfriend said someone attacked her outside the Orpheum nightclub. Watson was stabbed 11 times and died shortly afterward.
Days later, Randolph Graham was charged with second degree murder.
Prosecutors said video showed him stabbing Watson's back.
But his attorney argued those weren't the fatal strikes, and that the video didn't show 11 stabs to match what the autopsy found.
"The video was unable to establish how the mortal wounds were inflicted on Mr. Watson," said attorney Guillermo Gomez.
His lawyer said Graham pleaded guilty to lesser charges of aggravated battery with great bodily harm.
He agreed to 60 months in jail, but with 41 already served, he could be out in a year.
"In plea agreements, people have to give something and receive something," said Gomez. "In the end, he agreed this was in his best interest to do."
The state attorney's office relased a statement saying, "We sympathize with the victims and their families and appreciate their patience... In the end, we held Mr. Graham accountable for escalating a fight that tragically ended with Mr. Watson's death."
The state attorney's office also said the Stand Your Ground law made it difficult to prosecute.
Two years ago, a jury found Stand Your Ground did not apply to the suspect. But it was still possible for it to come up during a trial.
Watson's family was not immediately available for an interview.